Regucalcin modulates hormonal effect on (Ca(2+)-Mg2+)-ATPase activity in rat liver plasma membranes

The diverse roles of calcium-binding protein regucalcin in cell biology: from tissue expression and signalling to disease

Regucalcin (RGN) is a calcium (Ca(2+))-binding protein widely expressed in vertebrate and invertebrate species, which is also known as senescence marker protein 30, due to its molecular weight (33 kDa) and a characteristically diminished expression with the aging process. RGN regulates intracellular Ca(2+) homeostasis and the activity of several proteins involved in intracellular signalling pathways, namely, kinases, phosphatases, phosphodiesterase, nitric oxide synthase and proteases, which highlights its importance in cell biology. In addition, RGN has cytoprotective effects reducing intracellular levels of oxidative stress, also playing a role in the control of cell survival and apoptosis. Multiple factors have been identified regulating the cell levels of RGN transcripts and protein, and an altered expression pattern of this interesting protein has been found in cases of reproductive disorders, neurodegenerative diseases and cancer. Moreover, RGN is a serum-secreted protein, and its levels have been correlated with the stage of disease, which strongly suggests the usefulness of this protein as a potential biomarker for monitoring disease onset and progression. The present review aims to discuss the available information concerning RGN expression and function in distinct cell types and tissues, integrating cellular and molecular mechanisms in the context of normal and pathological conditions. Insight into the cellular actions of RGN will be a key step towards deepening the knowledge of the biology of several human diseases.

Effect of aging on norepinephrine-related proliferative response in primary cultured periportal and perivenous hepatocytes

Norepinephrine (NE) amplifies the mitogenic effect of EGF in a rat liver through the adrenergic receptor coupled with G protein, Ghα. Ghα is also known as a transglutaminase 2 (TG2), whose cross-linking activity is implicated in hepatocyte growth. Recently, we found that NE-induced amplification of EGF-induced DNA synthesis in hepatocytes obtained from perivenous regions of liver is caused by inhibiting the downregulation of EGF receptor (EGFR) by TG2. In the present study, we investigated the effect of aging on NE-related proliferative response. Hepatocytes were obtained from the liver of 7- and 90-wk-old rats. To examine this in detail, periportal hepatocytes (PPH) and perivenous hepatocytes (PVH) were isolated using the digitonin/collagenase perfusion technique. EGF or NE receptor binding was analyzed by Scatchard analysis. Changes in NE-induced DNA synthesis, G protein activity, and TG2 activity were measured. NE slightly potentiated [125I]EGF binding to EGFR, and EGF-induced DNA synthesis in PVH but not in PPH. [3H]NE binding studies indicated that PVH have a greater number of receptors than PPH, and that the number of receptors in both subpopulations increased with aging. NE-induced changes in G protein activity and TG2 activity in 90-wk-old rats were slight compared with 7-wk-old rats. These results suggest that NE results in a slight recovery effect on the age-related decline in EGF-induced DNA synthesis because of incomplete switching of the function from TG2 to Ghα.

Expression of Drosophila homologue of senescence marker protein-30 during cold acclimation

Gene expression during cold acclimation at a moderately low temperature (15 degrees C) was studied in Drosophila melanogaster using a subtraction technique. A gene homologous to senescence marker protein-30 (SMP30), which has a Ca(2+)-binding function, was up-regulated at the transcription level after acclimation to 15 degrees C. This gene (henceforth referred to as Dca) was also expressed at a higher level in individuals reared at 15 degrees C from the egg stage than in those reared at 25 degrees C. Moreover, DCA mRNA increased at the senescent stage in Drosophila, although SMP30 is reported to decrease at senescent stages in mammals. In situ hybridization to polytene chromosomes revealed that the Dca gene was located at 88D on chromosome 3R. The 5' flanking region of this gene had AP-1 (a transcription factor of SMP30) binding sites, stress response element and some other transcription factor binding sites. The function of DCA was discussed in relation to the possible regulation of cytosolic Ca(2+) concentration.

Role of regucalcin in calcium signaling

Regucalcin was discovered in 1978 as a calcium-binding protein that does not contain EF-hand motif of Ca(2+)-binding domain [M. Yamaguchi and T. Yamamoto, Chem. Pharm. Bull. 26 1915-1918 (1978)]. In recent years, regucalcin has been demonstrated to play an important role as a regulatory protein in Ca2+ signaling in rat liver and kidney cells. The organization of the rat regucalcin gene consists of seven exons and six introns. The mRNA is mainly present in liver and kidney with a size of 1.8 kb. Hepatic regucalcin mRNA expression has been shown to be stimulated by various factors including calcium, calcitonin, insulin, and estrogen in rats. The mRNA is also expressed in hepatoma cells (Morris hepatoma, HepG2, and rat hepatoma H4-II-E cells). Regucalcin plays a role in the maintenance of intracellular Ca2+ homeostasis due to activating Ca2+ pump enzymes in the plasma membrane (basolateral membrane) and microsomes of liver and renal cortex cells. Moreover, regucalcin has an inhibitory effect on the activation of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent enzymes and protein kinase C. Also, regucalcin has been demonstrated to regulate nuclear function in liver cells; it can inhibit Ca(2+)-activated DNA fragmentation, DNA and RNA synthesis, protein kinase and protein phosphatase activities in the nuclei. Such an effect is also seen in the nuclei of regenerating rat liver. Regucalcin may play a physiological role in the control for overexpression of proliferative cells. Regucalcin has been proposed to be an important regulatory protein in Ca2+ signaling system, and it plays a multifunctional role in liver and kidney cells.

Stimulatory effect of regucalcin on ATP-dependent calcium transport in rat liver plasma membranes

The effect of regucalcin, a calcium-binding protein isolated from rat liver cytoplasm, on ATP-dependent calcium transport in the plasma membrane vesicles of rat liver was investigated. (Ca(2+)- Mg2+)-ATPase activity in the liver plasma membranes was significantly increased by the presence of regucalcin (0.1-0.5 microM) in the enzyme reaction mixture. This increase was completely inhibited by the presence of sulfhydryl group modifying reagent Nethylmaleimide (5.0 mM NEM) or digitonin (0.04%), which can solubilize the membranous lipids. When ATP-dependent calcium uptake by liver plasma membrane vesicles was measured by using 45CaCl2, the presence of regucalcin (0.1-0.5 microM) in the reaction mixture caused a significant increase in the 45Ca2+ uptake. This increase was about 2-fold with 0.5 microM regucalcin addition. An appreciable increase was seen by 5 min incubation with regucalcin addition. The regucalcin-enhanced ATP-dependent 45Ca2+ uptake by the plasma membrane vesicles was completely inhibited by the presence of NEM (5.0 mM) or digitonin (0.04%). These results demonstrate that regucalcin activates (Ca(2+)-Mg2+)-ATPase in the liver plasma membranes and that it can stimulate ATP-dependent calcium transport across the plasma membranes.

Stimulatory effect of hormonal signaling factors on (Ca(2+)-Mg2+)-ATPase activity in rat liver plasma membranes: cross talk with regucalcin

The effect of hormonal signaling factors on (Ca(2+)-Mg2+)-ATPase activity in rat liver plasma membranes was investigated. The presence of inositol-glycan (10(-7)-10(-5) M), dibutyryl cAMP (10(-4) and 10(-3) M) or inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3; 10(-6) and 10(-5) M) in the enzyme reaction mixture produced a significant increase in (Ca(2+)-Mg2+)-ATPase activity. These effects were completely inhibited by the presence of vanadate (10(-4) M), an inhibitor of the enzyme phosphorylation, and N-ethylmaleimide (5 x 10(-3) M), a SH group modifying reagent. Meanwhile, regucalcin, a Ca(2+)-binding protein isolated from rat liver cytosol, increased the enzyme activity by binding to the SH groups of (Ca(2+)-Mg2+)-ATPase in liver plasma membranes. The presence of regucalcin (0.25 microM) with an effective concentration completely inhibited the effect of inositol-glycan (10(-5) M) to increase (Ca(2+)-Mg2+)-ATPase activity, while the effect of dibutyryl cAMP (10(-3) M) or IP3 (10(-5) M) was not altered. The inositol-glycan effect was not modulated by the presence of dibutyryl cAMP or IP3. Now, the preincubation of the plasma membranes with regucalcin did not modify the effect of inositol-glycan on the enzyme activity, suggesting that regucalcin competes with inositol-glycan for the binding to the plasma membranes. The present results suggest that there may be a cross talk with regucalcin and hormonal signaling factors in the regulation of (Ca(2+)-Mg2+)-ATPase activity in liver plasma membranes.

Expression of calcium-binding protein regucalcin mRNA in the kidney cortex of rats: the stimulation by calcium administration

The expression of calcium-binding protein regucalcin mRNA in the kidney cortex of rats was investigated. The change of regucalcin mRNA levels was analyzed by Northern blotting using liver regucalcin complementary DNA (0.9 kb of open-reading frame). Regucalcin mRNA was expressed in the kidney cortex, and this expression was clearly increased by a single intraperitoneal administration of calcium chloride solution (5-15 mg Ca/100 g body weight) in rats; this increase was remarkable at 60-120 min after the administration. Thyroparathyroidectomy (TPTX) caused a slight decrease of regucalcin mRNA levels in the kidney cortex. However, the administration of calcium (10 mg/100 g) in TPTX rats produced a clear increase of regucalcin mRNA levels in the kidney cortex. The subcutaneous administration of calcitonin (10-100 MRC mU/100 g) or parathyroid hormone [1-34] (1-10 U/100 g) in TPTX rats which received calcium (10 mg/100 g) administration did not cause an appreciable alteration of regucalcin mRNA levels in the kidney cortex, suggesting that the mRNA expression is not stimulated by calcium-regulating hormones. The administration of trifluoperazine (TFP; 5 mg/100 g), an inhibitor of Ca2+/calmodulin action, completely blocked the expression of regucalcin mRNA stimulated by calcium administration. Now, calcium content in the kidney cortex was significantly elevated by a single intraperitneal administration of calcium (10 mg/100 g) in rats. The present study clearly demonstrates that the expression of regucalcin mRNA in the kidney cortex is stimulated by calcium administration in rats. This expression may be mediated through Ca2+/calmodulin action in the kidney cortex.

Activating effect of regucalcin on (Ca(2+)-Mg2+)-ATPase in rat liver plasma membranes: relation to sulfhydryl group

The activating mechanism of regucalcin, a calcium-binding protein isolated from rat liver cytosol, on (Ca(2+)-Mg2+)-ATPase in the plasma membranes of rat liver was investigated. (Ca(2+)-Mg2+)-ATPase activity was markedly increased by a sulfhydryl (SH) group protecting reagent dithiothreitol (DTT; 2.5 and 5 mM as a final concentration), while the enzyme activity was significantly decreased by a SH group modifying reagent N-ethylmaleimide (NEM; 0.5-5 mM). The effect of DTT (5 mM) to increase the enzyme activity was clearly blocked by NEM (5 mM). Regucalcin (0.25-1.0 microM) significantly increased (Ca(2+)-Mg2+)-ATPase activity. This increase was completely blocked by NEM (5 mM). Meanwhile, digitonin (0.04%), which can solubilize the membranous lipids, significantly decreased (Ca(2+)-Mg2+)-ATPase activity. Digitonin did not have an effect on the DTT (5 mM)-increased enzyme activity. However, the effect of regucalcin (0.25 microM) increasing (Ca(2+)-Mg2+)-ATPase activity was entirely blocked by the presence of digitonin. The present results suggest that regucalcin activates (Ca(2+)-Mg2+)-ATPase by the binding to liver plasma membrane lipids, and that the activation is involved in the SH groups which are an active site of the enzyme.