Phospholipase C isoforms in vascular smooth muscle and their regulation by G-proteins

1. We sought to reconstitute and characterize G-protein linked phosphatidyl-D-inositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2)-directed phospholipase C (PLC) isoform activity in pig aortic vascular smooth muscle. 2. Six soluble PLC isoforms, namely gamma 1, delta 1 and beta 1 to beta 4 were partially separated by heparin affinity chromatography and were identified by Western blotting using specific antibodies. 3. In separate experiments, PLC activity was measured in the eluted fractions. Four of the partially resolved PLC isoforms gamma 1, beta 4, beta 2 and beta 1, showed corresponding activity using exogenous [3H]-PIP2 as substrate. 4. The isolated soluble PLC isoforms were reconstituted with receptors and guanyl nucleotide regulatory proteins (G-proteins) by addition of plasma membranes, the phospholipids which had been prelabelled with [3H]-myo-inositol. When so reconstituted PLC beta 2, beta 3 and beta 4 were inhibited (40 +/- 9, 47 +/- 12 and 40 +/- 5% respectively n = 12, +/-s.e.mean and each P < 0.05) by the addition of 1 mM guanosine 5'[beta gamma-imido]triphosphate (p[NH]ppG). 5. By contrast, when plasma membranes were preincubated with pertussis toxin to inhibit the activity of G-protein subunits G alpha i/alpha o the activities of PLC beta 2, beta 3 and beta 4 were stimulated (46 +/- 11, 31 +/- 9 and 37 +/- 8% respectively, n = 12, +/- s.e.mean and each P < 0.05) by the addition of p[NH]ppG. 6. Using well resolved fractions containing only PLC beta 3, time-dependent activity in the presence of p[NH]ppG was measurable only with membranes pretreated with pertussis toxin. 7. PLC beta 3 activity, measured with pertussis pretreated membranes, showed a dose-dependent increase in the presence of p[NH]ppG or guanosine 5'-[gamma-thio]triphosphate (GTP[S]). This increase with 10 microM p[NH]ppG or GTP[S] 10% +/- 4 and 12% +/- 5 respectively (both P < 0.05 vs control without GTP analogue +/- s.e.mean, n = 10) was abolished by 50 microM guanosine 5'-[beta-thio]diphosphate (GDP[S]) which also reduced constitutive PLC beta 3 activity by 9% +/- 4. 8. G-protein antibodies were used to neutralize PLC activity. Antibody to G alpha q/alpha 11, added to membrane fractions pretreated with pertussis toxin and assayed with GTP[S], reduced PLC beta 3 activity by 21% +/- 6 P < 0.02, n = 6, but was without effect on non-pertussis pretreated membranes. Antibodies to G alpha i1/alpha i2 had no effect. Antibodies to G-protein beta subunits had no effect on PLC beta 3 activity with pertussis pretreated preparations but activity without pertussis pretreatment was increased by 30% +/- 10, P < 0.03, n = 6. All results were expressed as % change from controls containing rabbit IgG. 9. In conclusion, pig aortic vascular smooth muscle contains six PLC isoforms. Activation of pertussis sensitive G-protein by GTP analogues results in inhibition of PLC beta 3 activity from liberated G-protein beta gamma subunits. Stimulation of PLC beta 3 activity is associated with a G-protein of the G alpha q family acting through the alpha subunit. The results suggest that the G-protein linked PLC beta isoforms in vascular smooth muscle demonstrate dual regulation by an inhibitory pertussis-sensitive pathway and a stimulatory G-protein of the G alpha q family, which is the case for PLC beta 3. This dual regulation is analogous to that of adenyl cyclase.