Extracellular Regulation of Nitric Oxide Signaling via Soluble Guanylate Cyclase

Nitric Oxide (NO) regulates cardiovascular homeostasis by binding to soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC), leading to cGMP production, reduced cytosolic calcium concentration ([Ca²⁺]ᵢ) and vasorelaxation. Thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1), a secreted matricellular protein, was recently discovered to inhibit NO signaling and sGC activity. Inhibition of sGC requires binding to cell-surface receptor CD47. Here, I show that a TSP-1 C-terminal fragment (E3CaG1) readily inhibits sGC in Jurkat T cells, and that inhibition requires an increase in [Ca²⁺]ᵢ. Using digital imaging microscopy on live cells, I further show that E3CaG1 binding results in a substantial increase in [Ca²⁺]ᵢ, up to 300 nM. Addition of angiotensin II, a potent vasoconstrictor known to increase [Ca²⁺]ᵢ, also strongly inhibits sGC activity. sGC isolated from calcium-treated cells or from cell-free lysates supplemented with Ca²⁺ remains inhibited, while addition of kinase inhibitors staurosporine, genistein, PP1 or PP2 reverse inhibition, indicating inhibition likely involves a tyrosine kinase, more specifically, a src family kinase. Rat sGC is also inhibited by lysates supplemented with Ca²⁺, suggesting that the site of modification is at an evolutionarily conserved residue. Inhibition is through an increase in K(m) for GTP, which rises to 834 μM for the NO-stimulated protein, a 13-fold increase over the uninhibited protein. Compounds YC-1 and BAY 41-2272, allosteric stimulators of sGC that are of interest for treating hypertension, overcome E3CaG1-mediated inhibition of NO-ligated sGC. Taken together, these data suggest that sGC not only lowers [Ca²⁺]ᵢ in response to NO, inducing vasodilation, but is also inhibited by high [Ca²⁺]ᵢ, providing a fine balance between signals for vasodilation and vasoconstriction