Functional expression of a human thrombin receptor in Sf9 insect cells: Evidence for an active tethered ligand

Desensitization of recombinant human thrombin receptors expressed in Sf9 insect cells was compared with native thrombin receptors in megakaryoblast erythroleukaemia (HEL) cells. Addition of thrombin (2 units/ml) or agonist peptide SFLLRN (10 μM) to HEL cells, or to Sf9 cells infected with recombinant baculovirus containing the thrombin receptor cDNA, produced an increase in the free cytosolic Ca²⁺ concentration ([Ca²⁺](i)) as measured by fura-2. The response in HEL cells was transient, reflecting a rapid homologous desensitization. In contrast, [Ca²⁺](i), in Sf9 cells expressing the thrombin receptor increased rapidly to a peak value that slowly declined, but remained elevated for at least 12 min following stimulation by thrombin. The sustained [Ca²⁺](i) response to thrombin was not reversed by washout of thrombin or by subsequent addition of hirudin. Pretreatment of Sf9 cells with either thrombin (2 units/ml) or SFLLRN (10 or 50 μM) for 5 min produced a shift in the ED₅₀ for SFLLRN (added 10 min after washout) from 0.4 μM to 20 and 7 μM, respectively. Thus, desensitization of thrombin receptors expressed in Sf9 cells occurs slowly and reflects a decrease in receptor affinity. The sustained [Ca²⁺](i) response in Sf9 cells stimulated by thrombin may reflect continuous activation by the tethered ligand. To test this hypothesis, the effect of protease treatment during the sustained phase of the response was examined. Addition of either aminopeptidase M or thermolysin reversed the sustained response to SFLLRN, but only thermolysin reversed the sustained response to thrombin. Thermolysin had no effect on the change in [Ca²⁺](i) observed following carbachol stimulation of Sf9 cells expressing the M₅ muscarinic receptor. Furthermore, following thermolysin treatment, the cells remained responsive to a subsequent application of SFLLRN. These results demonstrate that the tethered ligand remains active for extended periods of time after thrombin stimulation and suggests that further hydrolysis by extracellular proteases may represent an important mechanism of rapid receptor deactivation.