Contrasting Signaling Pathways of α1A- and α1B-Adrenergic Receptor Subtype Activation of Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase and Ras in Transfected NIH3T3 Cells

Activation of protein kinases is an important intermediate step in signaling pathways of many G protein-coupled receptors including alpha1-adrenergic receptors. The present study was designed to investigate the capacity of the three cloned subtypes of human alpha1-receptors, namely, alpha1A, alpha1B and alpha1D to activate phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase) and p21ras in transfected NIH3T3 cells. Norepinephrine activated PI 3-kinase in cells expressing human alpha1A and alpha1B via pertussis toxin-insensitive G proteins; alpha1D-receptors did not detectably activate this kinase. Transient transfection of NIH 3T3 cells with the alpha-subunit of the G protein transducin (alpha(t)) a scavenger of betagamma-subunits released from activated G proteins, inhibited alpha1B-receptor but not alpha1A-receptor-stimulated PI 3-kinase activity. Stimulation of both alpha1A- and alpha1B-receptors activated p21ras and stimulated guanine nucleotide exchange on Ras protein. Overexpression of a dominant negative mutant of p21ras attenuated alpha1B-receptor but not alpha1A-receptor activation of PI 3-kinase. Overexpression of a dominant negative mutant of PI 3-kinase attenuated alpha1A- but not alpha1B-receptor-stimulated mitogen-activated protein kinase activity. These results demonstrate the capacity for heterologous signaling of the alpha1-adrenergic receptor subtypes in promoting cellular responses in NIH3T3 cells.