Effects of pertussis toxin treatment on metabolism in hamster brown adipocytes.

This communication reports the effects of the exotoxin of Bordetella pertussis (pertussis toxin) on hamster brown fat cells. Pertussis toxin significantly increased the lipolytic and respiratory responses to isoproterenol but did not increase the basal rates of either of these processes. In contrast, the stimulation of respiration by the alpha-adrenergic agent phenylephrine was not altered by pertussis toxin. The inhibitory effects of adenosine on stimulated lipolysis, respiration, and adenylate cyclase activity were completely abolished by pertussis toxin, as was the ability of methylxanthines or adenosine deaminase to potentiate isoproterenol stimulation of respiration or lipolysis. These effects of pertussis toxin were associated with an ADP ribosylation of a single membrane protein having a molecular weight of approximately 41. These data demonstrate that pertussis toxin can prevent the inhibitory action of adenosine on brown fat cells and suggest that the effects of the nucleoside on these cells results from inhibition of adenylate cyclase. We further suggest that the enhanced responses to isoproterenol in pertussis-treated adipocytes results from a blockade of the action of endogenous adenosine. In addition to blocking adenosine action, pertussis toxin also abolished the antilipolytic effect of insulin. However, because the antilipolytic effect of insulin was prevented by adenosine deaminase and 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine and restored by 2-chloroadenosine, we conclude that insulin action on these cells is dependent on adenosine. Thus pertussis toxin blockade of insulin action appears to be secondary to blockade of adenosine action.