Properties of AT1a and AT1b angiotensin receptors expressed in adrenocortical Y-1 cells

Adrenocortical Y-1 cells were stably transfected with the AT1a and AT1b subtypes of the rat angiotensin (ANG)IIAT1 receptor cDNA to study the pharmacological and functional properties of the two receptors. Selected clones of transfected cells expressing the AT1a or AT1b receptor subtypes bound the native ligand ANG II and the peptide antagonist [Sar1,Ile8]ANG II with similar affinities, but they differed in their relative affinities for the nonpeptide antagonist losartan (half-maximal inhibitory concentration 9.7 and 4.7 nM), ANG III (126 and 33 nM), and the peptide antagonist [Sar1,Gly8]ANG II (6.2 and 1.2 nM). Photoaffinity labeling of the expressed receptors revealed a single component of 65 kDa for both receptor subtypes, suggesting that both receptors were glycosylated in a similar manner. The sensitivity of 125I-ANG II binding to AT1a and AT1b receptors to guanine nucleotides was unaffected by pertussis toxin treatment. ANG II stimulated the formation of inositol phosphates and increased the level of cytoplasmic Ca2+ in both At1a- and AT1b-transfected Y-1 cells. However, ANG II had little effect on forskolin-induced adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate accumulation, causing only minor inhibition in AT1a-transfected cells and slight enhancement in AT1b-transfected cells. These data indicate that AT1a and AT1b receptors show small but significant differences in their binding pharmacology and, upon activation, are coupled through Gq/G11 to the phosphoinositide-Ca2+ signaling pathway. However, neither AT1a nor AT1b receptors exhibit coupling to Gi and inhibition of adenylate cyclase when expressed in murine adrenal tumor cells.