Dopamine D2 receptor binding subunits of Mr congruent to 140,000 and 94,000 in brain: deglycosylation yields a common unit of Mr congruent to 44,000.

The ligand-binding subunit of the porcine striatal dopamine D2 receptor was identified by photoaffinity labeling with [125I]N-azidophenethylspiperone ([125I]NAPS). Upon photolysis, [125I]NAPS covalently incorporated into a broad band of apparent Mr congruent 140,000 with an appropriate pharmacological profile for D2 receptors as assessed by autoradiography after sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Smaller subunits of apparent Mr congruent 94,000 and 34,000 were specifically labeled by [125I]NAPS with an appropriate D2 receptor profile and were similar to the major ligand-binding subunits of photoaffinity-labeled canine striatal D2 receptors. Photoaffinity labeling in the absence or presence of multiple protease inhibitors did not alter the migration pattern of the Mr congruent to 140,000/94,000 subunits upon denaturing electrophoresis in either the absence or presence of thiol-reducing/alkylating reagents. In order to investigate the possible basis for the existence of these high molecular weight forms of the D2 receptor, we assessed the carbohydrate nature of photolabeled D2 ligand-binding subunits by the use of lectin affinity chromatography and specific exo- and endoglycosidase treatments. Both photoaffinity-labeled D2 receptor proteins from porcine striatum (Mr congruent to 140,000 and 94,000) were glycoproteins as indexed by their absorption and specific elution from wheat germ agglutinin lectin resins. The exoglycosidase neuraminidase altered the electrophoretic mobility of both the Mr congruent to 140,000 and 94,000 labeled subunits to a single band of apparent Mr congruent to 51,000. Prior removal of sialic acid residues did not alter the reversible binding characteristics of [3H]spiperone to D2 receptors. Complete removal of receptor-associated N-linked carbohydrate by the endoglycosidase glycopeptidase F (peptide-N4[N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminyl]asparagine amidase) produced a further increase in the mobility of the Mr congruent to 51,000 subunit to apparent Mr congruent to 44,000. The porcine Mr congruent to 34,000 photolabeled peptide is an N-linked glycoprotein as assessed by lectin affinity chromatography and susceptibility to digestion by glycopeptidase F to a peptide of apparent Mr congruent to 23,000.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)