Agonist-specific coupling of growth hormone secretagogue receptor type 1a to different intracellular signaling systems. Role of adenosine.

The growth hormone secretagogue receptor subtype 1a (GHSR-1a) is involved in biological actions of ghrelin by triggering intracellular second messengers coupled to heterotrimeric G-protein complex involving Galpha(q/11). Adenosine is a partial agonist of the GHSR-1a, binding to a binding pocket distinct from the one described for ghrelin. This suggests a variety of functions for the poorly understood GHSR1a receptor. In this work, a sequential analysis of the pathways involved in the regulation of GHSR-1a signaling was undertaken to characterize the intracellular calcium mobilization that is observed following adenosine binding. The results showed that adenosine induced, in a dose-dependent manner, a calcium mobilization from IP(3)-sensitive intracellular stores since the IP(3) receptor blocker 2-APB was able to suppress the calcium response. However, adenosine did not show any effect in the formation of inositol phosphates. The calcium-mobilizing activity was blocked after preincubation of cells with CTX, the inhibitor of adenylate cyclase MDL-12,330A and the protein kinase A blocker H-89. Furthermore, the administration of adenosine stimulated cAMP production. Based on the experimental data, a signaling pathway is proposed involving adenylate cyclase and protein kinase A, which causes phosphorylation of the IP(3) receptor, with a cross-talk between the signaling pathways activated by ghrelin and adenosine. The data described in this report suggest that GHSR-1a is able to activate different intracellular second-messenger systems depending on the agonist that activates it. The regulation of the ghrelin-activated earliest signaling pathways by adenosine may have unexpected implications in the GHSR-1a actions.