Phosphorylation and regulated expression of the human thromboxane A2 receptor

Recombinant forms of the human thromboxane A2 (TXA2) receptor composed of the carboxyl-terminal amino acid residues 220-343 were phosphorylated in vitro by both cAMP-dependent protein kinase A (PKA) and protein kinase C (PKC), and these phosphorylations were competed for by synthetic peptides corresponding to the proposed carboxyl-terminal cytoplasmic tail and/or the third extracellular loop of the receptor, respectively. Exogenous addition of PKA or PKC to membrane preparations of human embryonic kidney 293 cells, transfected with the TXA2 receptor, typically reduced TXA2 receptor binding by 10 and 30%, respectively. In vivo inhibition of PKC or PKA in the transfected human embryonic kidney 293 cells increased TXA2 receptor binding to 121.4% (+/- 5.3%) and 110.4% (+/- 4.6%), respectively, relative to control cells. In vivo activation of PKC in the platelet-like human erythroleukemia (HEL) cells by the phorbol ester phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) resulted in an initial reduction followed by a time-dependent increase in TXA2 receptor ligand binding. Stimulation of HEL cells with the TXA2 receptor agonist [15-(alpha,2 beta(5Z)-3 alpha(E,3S)-4 alpha)]-7-[3- (3-hydroxy-4-(p-iodophenoxy)-1-butenyl)-7-oxabicyclo-[-2.2,1-]hept -2-yl]- 5-heptenoic acid or basic fibroblast growth factor, alone or together, resulted in a marked decrease in TXA2 receptor binding. Northern blot studies in HEL cells demonstrated that PMA stimulation induced the expression of the TXA2 receptor gene with mRNA levels peaking following PMA stimulation for 4-8 h. This induction is consistent with the presence of a phorbol ester response element in promoter I of the TXA2 receptor gene. Dexamethasone did not induce the expression of the receptor gene, despite the presence of a glucocorticoid response element in promoter II of the TXA2 receptor gene. In summary, our results indicate that the cellular responses to TXA2 are mediated both by phosphorylation of the TXA2 receptor by different protein kinases and by regulated expression of the TXA2 receptor gene.