Characteristics of an adenylate cyclase enhancing factor from mouse pancreatic islet cytosol

The role of cytosolic components in the regulation of mouse pancreatic islet adenylate cyclase activity was studied. Addition of mouse islet cytosol (27000 g supernatant of mouse islet sonicate), devoid of adenylate cyclase activity itself, increased adenylate cyclase activity by 93 +/- 17% (n = 9) in the 27000 g total particulate fraction of mouse islets. Addition of GTP stimulated adenylate cyclase activity by 91 +/- 11% (n = 13) or to the same degree as cytosol. Like GTP, the substance causing the enhancing activity of the cytosol was found to be dialysable, resistant to heat, sensitive to charcoal treatment and alkaline phosphatase and insensitive to digestion with trypsin. However, in contrast to the stimulation by GTP, the stimulation by cytosol was not inhibited by guanosine 5'-0-(2-thiodiphosphate), and furthermore, the effects of cytosol and GTP were additive. Neither NAD nor phosphoenolpyruvate stimulated adenylate cyclase activity. The cytosolic factor did not confer sensitivity towards glucose, Ca2+ or Ca2+-calmodulin on adenylate cyclase. The results demonstrate that mouse pancreatic islets contain a phosphocompound (or several compounds) distinct from GTP and capable of markedly stimulating adenylate cyclase. The identity of the compound and its physiological significance remain to be established.