Secretory granule growth hormone and prolactin release: independence from granule membrane ATPase

To assess the role in hormone release of the recently characterized anion-sensitive Mg+2-ATPase of pituitary secretory granules, three types of evidence were accumulated. First, granule suspensions were incubated with varying quantities of MgCl2 and ATP, and the effects on ATPase activity and release were measured. The main stimulatory influence on ATPase activity was the concentration of the complex between Mg+2 and ATP (MgATP), although very high concentrations of complex inhibited. In contrast, release of hormone was nearly totally independent of MgATP. Rather, release was primarily controlled by free Mg+2, which inhibited release at concentrations as low as 0.1 mM and reduced basal release by approximately 65-75% at concentrations approximating 2.0 mM or higher. Free ATP had small consistent inhibitory effects on ATPase activity, but stimulated protein release. Second, granules were incubated with other nucleotides and related compounds. Incubation with GTP, ITP, CTP, TTP, and UTP resulted in augmentation of hormone release duplicating that seen with ATP. Some increase was also seen with the nonhydrolyzable ATP derivative 5'-adenylylimido-diphosphate, whereas adenosine was inhibitory. Since the catalytic activity of the granule ATPase demonstrates purine nucleotide substrate specificity, these results provide additional evidence for the dissociation of ATPase activity from hormone release. Third, granules were incubated with several ATPase inhibitors. Though all inhibited ATPase activity to a comparable extent, only tri-n-butyltin inhibited hormone release; oligomycin, efrapeptin, and other tin compounds were inactive. Taken together, these data indicate that the conditions that influence ATPase differ strikingly from those affecting hormone release. Whatever the role of the anion-sensitive granule membrane ATPase, we suggest that it is not involved in the process of hormone release from isolated granules.