Localization of adenylate cyclase and 5'-nucleotidase activities in human thyroid follicular cells

The localization of adenylate cyclase and 5'-nucleotidase activities in the follicular cells of adenomatous goiter and normal thyroid was studied by light and electron microscopy. Simultaneous biochemical measurement for both activities was carried out to confirm the histochemical findings. Adenylyl-imidodiphosphate (AMP-PNP) was used as an effective substrate for adenylate cyclase. The specificity of the adenylate cyclase reaction was also examined by adding oxalacetic acid or PCMB as an adenylate cyclase inhibitor, and by adding sodium fluoride or TSH as an adenylate cyclase stimulator to the reaction mixture. In the case of tissue from adenomatous goiter, a large amount of the reaction product of the adenylate cyclase activity was found uniformly in the apical and lateral plasma membrane and not in the basal plasma membrane. In the cases of normal thyroid, a small amount of the reaction product of adenylate cyclase activity was demonstrated, and only in the lateral plasma membrane of the follicular cells. On the otherhand, the histochemical localization of 5'-nucleotidase activity was the same in adenomatous goiter and normal thyroid. The reaction product of 5'-nucleotidase activity was found predominantly in the apical plasma membrane of the follicular cells. The biochemical findings indicated that the activity of adenylate cyclase per gram tissue was approximately 2 times higher in the case of adenomatous goiter than that in the case of normal thyroid, while the 5'-nucleotidase activity in adenomatous goiter was in slightly higher level than in normal thyroid. Thus the histochemically demonstrable amount of adenylate cyclase and 5'-nucleotidase reflected the activity levels measured biochemically. The lack of demonstrable adenylate cyclase activity in the basal plasma membrane suggests the possibility that this structure may not play any important role in TSH reception.