Estradiol up-regulates the stimulatory GTP-binding protein expression in the MCF-7 human mammary carcinoma cell line.

The effect of estradiol treatment of the human mammary carcinoma cell MCF-7 on the adenylyl cyclase system was examined. Treatment with 10 nM estradiol for 72 h increased the basal level of cAMP, and isoproterenol-, PGE2- or calcitonin-stimulated cAMP production. Estradiol also increased the response to cholera toxin but did not alter the response to forskolin. No significant change in growth rate was observed during the 72 h of estradiol treatment. In MCF-7 cell membranes the responsiveness to isoproterenol, PGE2, or cholera toxin was also enhanced by estradiol treatment. The cholera toxin-catalyzed ADP-ribosylation of Gs alpha in MCF-7 cell membranes was significantly increased by 72 h of treatment with estradiol. Consistent with this observation, the level of Gs alpha immunoreactivity was increased in the estradiol-treated cell membranes. On the other hand, pertussis toxin did not change the responsiveness to isoproterenol, PGE2 or calcitonin in either control or estradiol-treated cells. In addition, ADP-ribosylation with pertussis toxin also did not reveal any change in Gi. These results clearly indicate that Gs expression is under the control of estradiol, and that this effect may contribute to the increased sensitivity of hormone-stimulated adenylyl cyclase activities in MCF-7 cells.