RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Activation of the human peripheral cannabinoid receptor results in inhibition of adenylyl cyclase. JF Molecular Pharmacology JO Mol Pharmacol FD American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics SP 352 OP 361 VO 48 IS 2 A1 D M Slipetz A1 G P O'Neill A1 L Favreau A1 C Dufresne A1 M Gallant A1 Y Gareau A1 D Guay A1 M Labelle A1 K M Metters YR 1995 UL http://molpharm.aspetjournals.org/content/48/2/352.abstract AB The human peripheral cannabinoid (CB2) receptor has been cloned by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction from human spleen RNA and expressed, to study both ligand binding characteristics and signal transduction pathways. Receptor binding assays used the aminoalkylindole [3H]Win 55212-2 and membranes from transiently transfected COS-M6 cells. Saturation analysis showed that [3H]Win 55212-2 specific binding to the CB2 receptor was of high affinity, with a Kd of 2.1 +/- 0.2 nM (four experiments), and a high level of expression was attained, with a maximal number of saturable binding sites of 24.1 +/- 4.4 pmol/mg of protein (four experiments). The rates of association and dissociation for [3H]Win 55212-2 specific binding were both rapid when measured at 30 degrees. [3H]Win 55212-2 specific binding to the CB2 receptor was moderately enhanced by divalent and monovalent cations but was only slightly inhibited by guanosine-5'-O-(3-thio)-triphosphate. Competition for [3H]Win 55212-2 specific binding to the CB2 receptor was stereoselective, with the following rank order of potency for the more active stereoisomers: HU-210 > (-)-CP-55940 approximately Win 55212-2 > (-)delta 9-THC > anandamide. The signaling pathway of the human CB2 receptor was investigated in a CB2-CHO-K1 stable cell line. CB2 receptor activation by cannabinoid agonists inhibited forskolin-induced cAMP production in a concentration-dependent and stereoselective manner but did not increase either cAMP production or Ca2+ mobilization in fura-2/acetoxymethyl ester-loaded CB2-CHO-K1 cells. The CB2 receptor-mediated inhibition of forskolin-induced cAMP production was abolished by pretreatment of the cells with 10 ng/ml pertussis toxin. These results demonstrate that the CB2 receptor is functionally coupled to inhibition of adenylyl cyclase activity via a pertussis toxin-sensitive G protein.