Abstract
Recent studies have shown that the 21-kilodalton protein (p21) Ha-ras gene product shares sequence homology with and may exhibit biochemical properties similar to the mammalian guanine nucleotide-binding proteins. These data suggested that one of the biochemical functions of p21 in the vertebrate cell may be to regulate adenylate cyclase [ATP pyrophosphate-lyase (cyclizing), EC 4.6.1.1]. We determined both in intact NIH-3T3 murine cells and in membranes isolated from these cells that the hormone-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity of cells expressing the EJ human bladder carcinoma oncogene (EJ-ras) is significantly reduced compared with control cells. Thus, the levels of cAMP measured in the EJ-ras-transformed cells by radioimmunoassay are reduced 78% and 93% after prostaglandin and isoproterenol stimulation, respectively, compared with the levels in control cells. Treatment of the EJ-ras-transformed cells with pertussis toxin or cholera toxin did not correct the alterations in adenylate cyclase activity. Cells expressing the normal human Ha-ras gene displayed intermediate levels of adenylate cyclase hormone sensitivity; these levels of adenylate cyclase activity were greater than those in the EJ-ras-transformed cells but lower than in control cells. Hormone-stimulated adenylate cyclase activities in cells transfected with Rous sarcoma virus DNA were similar to those in control cells. These data support the hypothesis that both the normal and mutated Ha-ras p21s are related to guanine nucleotide-binding proteins.