Adenylate cyclase activity of synaptic membranes from rat striatum. Inhibition by muscarinic receptor agonists

Acetylcholine inhibits, by 30-40%, the basal adenylate cyclase activity of purified synaptic plasma membranes prepared from rat striatum (EC50 = 3 microM). Cholinergic receptor agonists inhibit this cyclase activity with the following rank order of potency: oxtremorine greater than acetylcholine greater than arecoline greater than methacholine greater than or equal to muscarine greater than or equal to carbachol greater than bethanechol. Nicotine fails to inhibit the cyclase, and d-tubocurarine fails to inhibit the action of cholinergic drugs. In contrast, atropine and scopolamine antagonize the effect of acetylcholine. The enzyme inhibition elicited by acetylcholine requires the presence of GTP, and disappears after intrastriatal injection of kainic acid. From these results, we infer that striatal adenylate cyclase can be modulated by muscarinic receptors.