EFFECTS OF AGONISTS ON P21RAS AND RAS-RELATED PROTEINS IN RAT PANCREATIC ACINAR-CELLS

This study shows the presence of seven different low-molecular-weight GTP binding proteins (smg proteins) with molecular masses between 18 and 27 kDa in subfractions of rat pancreatic acinar cells. After stimulation of isolated intact and permeabilized pancreatic acinar cells with cholecystokinin octapeptide (CCK-OP), the diacylglycerol (DG) analogue 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA), vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP), or guanosine 5'-O-(3-thiotriphosphate) (GTPgammaS), [alpha-P-32]GTP binding to 21- to 22-kDa smg protein(s) in microsomal membranes (MM) was reduced, whereas the [alpha-P-32]GTP binding to 23-kDa protein(s) was enhanced. In addition, prestimulation of permeabilized cells with GTPgammaS caused enhancement of [alpha-P-32]GTP binding to a 19-kDa protein in MM [immunologically identified as the ADP-ribosylation factor (arf)]. In the presence of cytosol, direct addition of GTPgammaS to isolated MM resulted in an apparent translocation of the 19-kDa protein (arf) from the cytosol to membranes. This indicates increased association of arf with the membrane in its GTP-bound state. In CCK-OP-prestimulated acinar cells, [alpha-P-32]GTP binding to plasma membrane-located 21- to 22-kDa proteins (immunologically identified as p21ras proteins) was enhanced, suggesting that there is an interrelationship between p21ras proteins and CCK receptors. Our results give evidence for a role of 19-kDa, 21- to 22-kDa, and 23-kDa smg proteins in cAMP-protein kinase A- and DG-protein kinase C-mediated stimulation of intracellular pathways in pancreatic acinar cells.