A subtype of κ-opioid receptor mediates inhibition of high-affinity GTPase inherent in G_i1 in Guinea pig cerebellar membranes

The κ-opioid receptor agonists including U-50,488H and dynorphin A (1-17) in ranges of 0.1-100 nM inhibited the hydrolysis of GTP to GDP (P_i release) inherent in GTP-binding proteins (G proteins) in guinea pig cerebellar membranes. U-50,488H inhibited only high-affinity GTPase activity, not low-affinity activity. The action of this agonist was found to be biphasic, and there was no inhibition at concentrations >1 μM. The inhibition was abolished by pretreatment with preactivated pertussis toxin (PTX) at concentrations >1 μg/ml but not with preactivated cholera toxin (30 μg/ml). Similar blockade of κ-receptor-mediated inhibition was also observed when membranes were pretreated with a low concentration (8 μM) of N-ethylmaleimide (NEM) at low temperature (4°C), which alkylates the cysteine residue to be ADP-ribosylated by PTX; but this treatment caused no significant change in κ-agonist binding. When purified G_i1, but not G_o, was reconstituted into membranes pretreated with NEM, the κ-receptor-mediated inhibition was recovered. These findings suggest that a subtype of κ-opioid receptor is coupled to inhibition of intrinsic activity of G_i1.