Modulation of muscarinic cholinergic receptor affinity for antagonists in rat heart

Modulation of the affinity of agonists and antagonists at muscarinic cholinergic receptors in rat heart membranes was investigated using the radiolabeled antagonist, [3H]quinuclidinyl benzilate ([3H]QNB), and the radiolabeled agonist, [methyl-3H]oxotremorine acetate ([3H]OXO). Receptor affinity for oxotremorine measured in competition binding assays with [3H]QNB or by equilibrium binding of [3H]OXO was increased when the incubation temperature was reduced to 4 degrees C. In contrast, the receptor affinity for [3H]QNB was decreased at lower incubation temperatures and a marked effect of guanine nucleotides on the affinity for [3H]QNB was revealed. Guanine nucleotides increased receptor affinity for [3H]QNB without changing the total number of binding sites. The GTP-induced increase in the affinity for [3H]QNB was reflected by an increase in the rate constant for association of [3H]QNB. At subsaturating ligand concentrations, guanine nucleotides increased [3H]QNB binding and decreased [3H]OXO binding with the same order of potency: GppNHp = GTP gamma S greater than GTP greater than guanosine 5'-diphosphate greater than GMP. Free Mg++ ion was required to observe guanine nucleotide effects on antagonist binding. Pretreatment of heart membranes with N-ethyl-maleimide increased [3H]QNB affinity and blocked the effects of guanine nucleotides. N-Ethylmaleimide also decreased [3H]OXO binding and increased [3H]QNB binding with a similar concentration-effect relationship. Thus, antagonist and agonist binding to muscarinic cholinergic receptors is modulated in a reciprocal manner by a number of factors; this modulation appears to reflect interaction of agonist and antagonist-occupied receptors with a guanine nucleotide regulatory protein, Ni.