Two different ATP-dependent mechanisms for calcium uptake into chromaffin granules and mitochondria

Calcium is released by exocytosis together with catecholamines from bovine adrenal medullary cells

We have tested the hypothesis that exocytosis is a possible export route for calcium from bovine adrenal medullary cells. After prelabelling cells in primary tissue culture with 45Ca, evoked 45Ca export and catecholamine secretion show the same time course, a similar fraction of the total pool of 45Ca and catecholamine is released, and the same concentrations of carbamylcholine or KCl are required for half-maximal triggered release. Increasing the osmolarity of the extracellular medium or treating the cells with botulinum toxin type D inhibits both evoked catecholamine secretion and 45Ca export to the same extent without inhibiting 45Ca influx. Incorporation of 45Ca into chromaffin granules is very slow, however, and incorporated 45Ca is not immediately releasable. 45Ca entering the cell during short-term stimulation is not found in the releasable pool during a second period of triggered secretion. Our data suggest that chromaffin granules are the largest pool of intracellular calcium in bovine adrenal medullary cells and that most of the calcium in chromaffin granules does not rapidly exchange with cytoplasmic Ca, but can be released directly by exocytosis. Exocytosis does not appear to play a major role in exporting Ca that enters the cell during short-term stimulation.

Biochemical and immunological evidence for a calcium pump in chromaffin granules

ATP stimulated the accumulation of 45Ca2+ by chromaffin granule ghosts which contained 5 mM oxalate to trap transported calcium within the lumen. Inasmuch as the ATP-dependent 45Ca2+ transport was resistant to 25 mM ammonium acetate as well as the proton ionophore, carbonylcyanide-m-chlorophenylhydrazone, the chromaffin granule proton translocating ATPase does not provide the energy for this process. Instead, we suggest that chromaffin granules contain a calcium translocating ATPase which catalyzes the 45Ca2+ uptake directly. The observation that chromaffin granules bind to a monoclonal antibody raised against a calcium pump from bovine brain supports this hypothesis.

The assignment of the Ca2+-ATPase activity of chromaffin granules to the proton translocating ATPase

CaATP is shown to function as a substrate for the proton translocating ATPase of chromaffin granule ghosts at concentrations which are comparable to that of MgATP. Using the initial rate of the proton pump activity as the measure (delta pH/delta t), an apparent Km-value of 139 +/- 8 microM was estimated for CaATP and 59 +/- 3 microM for MgATP. The maximal rate was markedly higher with MgATP than with CaATP, partly due to an inhibition of the hydrolytic activity at the higher concentrations of CaATP. The proton pump activity with CaATP was inhibited by N-ethylmaleimide and N,N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide at concentrations similar to that found for MgATP. No inhibition was observed with sodium vanadate in the concentration range 0-15 microM. Calmodulin and trifluoperazine had no effect on the overall ATPase activity with CaATP. These findings establish this activity as an intrinsic property of the chromaffin granules, i.e., linked to the H+-ATPase. No evidence was obtained for the presence of a Ca2+-translocating ATPase [Ca2+ + Mg2+)-ATPase) in the chromaffin granules.

Further characteristics of the ATP-stimulated uptake of calcium into chromaffin granules

The ATP-stimulated uptake of 45Ca2+ [and [3H](-)-noradrenaline ([3H]NA)] into chromaffin granules and that into mitochondria are driven by a protonic gradient delta mu H+, composed of the components delta pH (concentration gradient of protons) and delta psi (electrical potential difference). The granular ATPase pumps protons into the matrix (delta pH inside acid, delta psi positive), but the mitochondrial ATPase ejects protons from the matrix (delta pH alkaline, delta psi negative inside). To show different driving forces of uptake, the rate of the ATP-stimulated uptake of 45Ca2+ (and [3H]NA) into chromaffin granules was compared with the rate of the ATP-stimulated uptake of 45Ca2+ into mitochondria (adrenomedullary or rat liver). In the presence of nitrate, the rate of the ATP-stimulated uptake of 45Ca2+ into chromaffin granules is higher than in the presence of acetate, because the lyotropic anion nitrate stimulates the granular ATPase and increases delta pH (acid inside). Compared with nitrate, the rate of the ATP-stimulated uptake of 45Ca2+ into mitochondria is higher in the presence of the proton-carrying anion acetate, which, after permeation, provides protons for ejection by the ATPase. In the absence of ATP, a valinomycin-mediated potassium influx (delta psi inside positive) stimulates the granular uptake of [3H]NA, which has an electrogenic component, but not the granular uptake of 45Ca2+, which is electroneutral. The electrogenic uptake of 45Ca2+ into mitochondria is stimulated by a valinomycin-mediated potassium efflux (delta psi negative inside). The ATP-stimulated uptake of 45Ca2+ into chromaffin granules is sensitive to ruthenium red, suggesting a carrier-mediated mechanism of uptake, and it is sensitive to atractyloside, indicating the simultaneous uptake of ATP. After collapse of delta pH by ammonia, the ATP-stimulated uptake of 45Ca2+ into chromaffin granules is abolished, but not that into mitochondria. In the presence of ammonia, the rate of the ATP-stimulated uptake of [3H]NA is very low, and an ATP-independent uptake of 45Ca2+ into chromaffin granules is observed which is similar to the ATP-independent Ca2+/Na+ exchange at the granular membrane.

ATP-stimulated accumulation of calcium by chromaffin granules and mitochondria from the adrenal medulla

In the presence of high concentrations of free Ca2+ (10(-5) - 10(-4) M) chromaffin granules and adrenal medullary mitochondria take up large amounts of Ca2+. At low levels of buffered free Ca2+ (less than 10(-8) M), these mitochondria release almost all of their stored calcium, whereas chromaffin granules retain the major part of their calcium pool. In the presence of MgATP and at less than 10(-8) M free Ca2+, the mitochondria do not take up significant amounts of Ca2+. Chromaffin granules, however, under the same conditions, show active MgATP-dependent Ca2+ uptake even at nM-concentrations of free Ca2+. The implications of these results for the calcium metabolism of chromaffin cells are discussed.

Characterization of detergent-solubilized adenosine triphosphatase of chromaffin granule membranes

Purified bovine chromaffin granule membranes contain approximately 24 pmol/mg protein (16 copies per granule) of an F1-like adenosine 5'-triphosphatase, and 340 pmol/mg protein (200 copies per granule) of a low-molecular weight protein which reacts covalently with dicyclohexylcarbodiimide. These co-purify on electrofocusing and exclusion chromatography and are apparently components of a proton-translocating adenosine triphosphatase complex, that is involved in maintaining the high concentration of catecholamines in the granules. The membranes contain another adenosine 5'-triphosphatase, of lower molecular weight, which is sensitive to inhibition by vanadate but relatively insensitive to dicyclohexylcarbodiimide. The function of this enzyme is unknown.

Uptake of Ca2+ by isolated secretory vesicles from adrenal medulla

Intact secretory vesicles isolated from bovine adrenal medulla contain 94 nmol Na+ per mg of protein, and Ca2+ influx into the vesicles is inhibited by increasing concentrations of extravesicular Na+ (but not of K+, Li+ or choline+) or by addition of the Na+ ionophore monensin. Thus Ca2+ influx in determined by the Na+ gradient across the vesicular membrane. Half maximal inhibition of Ca2+ influx occurs with 34 nM Na+ extravesicularly. The fact that Ca2+ can also be released from the vesicles by inversion of the Na+ gradient provides direct evidence that an Na+-Ca2+ exchange may operate. According to an analysis of the inhibition of Ca2+ uptake by Na+ in a Hill plot 2 Na+ would be exchanged for 1 Ca2+. Ca2+ influx into the vesicles increases with temperature (energy of activation; 16 kcal/mol), can be observed already with 10(-7) M free Ca2+ and increases up to 10(-4) M Ca2+. Ca2+ influx is not affected by Mg2+ but Sr2+ is inhibitory. Since the process is only slightly influenced by the pH of the incubation medium and is insensitive to Mg2+-ATP or inhibitors of the proton translocating Mg2+-ATPase the electrochemical proton gradient across the vesicular membrane does not affect directly the Ca2+ influx into the secretory vesicles. Ca2+ uptake is insensitive to ruthenium red and oligomycin.