An odor-stimulated adenylate cyclase [ATP pyrophosphate-lyase (cyclizing), EC 4.6.1.1] is thought to mediate olfactory transduction in vertebrates. However, it is not known whether the adenylate cyclase serves this function for all odorants or for only certain classes of odorants. To investigate this question, we have compared the abilities of 35 odorants to stimulate the adenylate cyclase and ...

Neural retina from most species contains 3,4- dihydroxyphenylethylamine (dopamine) receptors coupled to stimulation of adenylate cyclase activity. It has been demonstrated that release of dopamine from its neurons and subsequent occupation of dopamine receptors is increased by light. In this study, we have shown that adenylate cyclase activity in bovine retina is highly responsive to the endoge...

The concentration requirements of calmodulin in altering basal, GTP-, and dopamine-stimulated adenylate cyclase activities in an EGTA-washed particulate fraction from bovine striatum were examined. In the bovine striatal particulate fraction, calmodulin activated basal adenylate cyclase activity 3.5-fold, with an EC50 of 110 nM. Calmodulin also potentiated the activation of adenylate cyclase by...

Cannabinoids act at the CB1 receptor to inhibit adenylate cyclase activity via a pertussis toxin-sensitive G-protein. Within the striatum, CB1 receptors have been shown to be localized on the same neurons as Gi-coupled dopamine D2 receptors. In this study we have examined the interactions of CB1 and D2 receptors on adenylate cyclase. In striatal neurons in primary culture, both the CB1 receptor...

The sense of smell involves the stimulation of sensory neurons by odorants to produce depolarization and action potentials. We show that olfactory responses may be mediated by a GTP-binding protein (G protein), a homolog of the visual, hormonal, and brain signal transducing polypeptides. The olfactory G protein is identified in isolated dendritic membranes (olfactory cilia preparations) of chem...

Acute activation of Galpha(i/o)-coupled D2 dopamine receptors inhibits A2A adenosine receptor stimulation of adenylate cyclase. This antagonistic interaction between D2 dopamine and A2A adenosine receptors has been well documented; however, the effects of persistent activation of D2 dopamine receptors on subsequent A2A adenosine receptor signaling have not been explored. The present study inves...

The nonselective alpha-adrenergic agonist oxymetazoline inhibits parathyroid hormone (PTH)-stimulated cAMP production in intact OK cells, an epithelial cell line derived from an American opossum kidney. This inhibition, however, is not blocked by alpha 2-adrenergic receptor antagonists. After excluding several alternate hypotheses to explain this anomalous activity of oxymetazoline, we hypothes...