Membrane-bound guanylate cyclase as the receptor of natriuretic peptides. A minireview

A minireview is presented on the ultracytochemical localization of membrane-bound guanylate cyclase (GC) in various tissues and in cultured cells after activation with three natriuretic peptides, the atrial natriuretic factor (ANF), the brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), and the C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP). GC, two subtypes of which have been recently identified, is the receptor for these peptides. The GC isoforms are differently stimulated by ANF, BNP and CNP. Under our experimental conditions, the natriuretic peptides were strong activators of GC since samples incubated without natriuretic peptides do not reveal any cyclase activity. The natriuretic peptide-stimulated GC activity was studied in rat kidney, lung, adrenal gland and neurohypophysis, in rabbit platelets, in lamb olfactory mucosa, and in rat C6 glioma cells. On the basis of the subcellular GC localization some additional functions of peptides are hypothesized.