VIP receptors in human SUP-T1 lymphoblasts

We characterized a new type of vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) receptors in the CD4+ Stanford University Pediatric (SUP)-T1 lymphoma cell line, by comparing receptor occupancy [in the presence of (125I)helodermin and (125I)(acetyl-His1)VIP] and adenylate cyclase activation (in the presence of GTP). The order of potency of peptides on both parameters was: helodermin greater than (acetyl-His1)VIP greater than (Phe1)VIP = VIP greater than PHI while secretin was ineffective. In membranes, when Gs was permanently activated by Gpp(NH)p or by ADP-ribosylation (after pretreating intact lymphoblasts for 2 h with cholera toxin), there resulted a variably increased affinity of receptors for VIP-like peptides, suggesting reduced receptor selectivity. Preexposing intact lymphoblasts to the same peptides induced, within 5 min, homologous desensitization (i.e. reduced binding capacity and even more so impaired capability to activate adenylate cyclase), whose extent correlated with the Kd of each peptide at time 0. After prolonged (16 h) exposure to 30 nM VIP that resulted in marked (75%) downregulation, 60% of the adenylate cyclase responsiveness could recover within 30-120 min even in the presence of cycloheximide, but further resensitization was cycloheximide-sensitive. To conclude, VIP receptors coupled to adenylate cyclase showed distinct specificity in human SUP-T1 lymphoblasts. Their specificity decreased when Gs was permanently activated. In intact cells exposed to VIP-like peptides, the receptors were rapidly desensitized, then down-regulated, the resensitization mechanism being not immediately inhibited by cycloheximide.