125I-BW-A844U, an antagonist radioligand with high affinity and selectivity for adenosine A1 receptors, and 125I-azido-BW-A844U, a photoaffinity label

3-(4-Amino)phenethyl-1-propyl-8-cyclopentylxanthine (BW-A844U) has been synthesized and shown to bind with high affinity to adenosine A1 receptors of bovine brain membranes (KD = 0.23 nM). This compound is highly selective for A1 receptors; the KI for binding to A2 receptors of human platelet membranes is 2.0 microM (A2/A1 ratio = 8700). Radioiodination of the 3-aminophenethyl group resulted in 125I-BW-A844U, a radioligand that retains high affinity for A1 receptors in bovine brain membranes (KD = 0.14 nM) and to 3-[(3-cholamidopropyl)-dimethylammonio]-1-propane sulfonate-solubilized receptors (KD = 0.34 nM). Specific binding of 125I-BW-A844U represented greater than 90% of the total binding at the KD. From the association constant (K1 = 5.0 X 10(8) M-1min-1) and the dissociation constant (K-1 = 0.064 min-1), the kinetic KD (K-1/K1) in membranes was calculated to be 0.13 nM. NaCl (1 M) had little effect on the binding affinity of 125I-BW-A844U, in contrast to the large effect of salt on the binding affinity of acidic antagonist radioligands. 8-Sulfophenyltheophylline inhibited radioligand binding with a Hill coefficient of 1.0, indicative of a single affinity binding state for the antagonist. By comparison, two distinct agonist affinity states of A1 receptors for the agonist (R)-phenylisopropyladenosine could be resolved, a high affinity state (62%, KH = 74 pM) and a low affinity state (KL = 3.83 nM). The addition of 0.1 mM guanylylimidodiphosphate converted all receptors to the low affinity state. Addition of NaCl (0.5 M) decreased the fraction of receptors in the high affinity state and increased both KH and KL, suggesting that NaCl alters coupling of receptors to G proteins and influences the conformation of the receptor polypeptide, whether or not the receptor is coupled to a G protein