Inhibition of insulin secretion by KN-62, a specific inhibitor of the multifunctional Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II

A highly energetic process couples calcium influx through L-type calcium channels to insulin secretion in pancreatic beta-cells

Calcium (Ca(2+)) influx is required for the sustained secretion of insulin and is accompanied by a large rate of energy usage. We hypothesize that the energy usage reflects a process [Ca(2+)/metabolic coupling process (CMCP)] that couples Ca(2+) to insulin secretion by pancreatic islets. The aim of the study was to test this hypothesis by testing the effect of inhibiting candidate Ca(2+)-sensitive proteins proposed to play a critical role in the CMCP. The effects of the inhibitors on oxygen consumption rate (OCR), a reflection of ATP usage, and insulin secretion rate (ISR) were compared with those seen when L-type Ca(2+) channels were blocked with nimodipine. We reasoned that if a downstream Ca(2+)-regulated site was responsible for the OCR associated with the CMCP, then its inhibition should mimic the effect of nimodipine. Consistent with previous findings, nimodipine decreased glucose-stimulated OCR by 36% and cytosolic Ca(2+) by 46% and completely suppressed ISR in rat pancreatic islets. Inhibitors of three calmodulin-sensitive proteins (myosin light-chain kinase, calcineurin, and Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II) did not meet the criteria. In contrast, KN-62 severed the connection between Ca(2+) influx, OCR, and ISR without interfering with Ca(2+) influx. In the presence of nimodipine or KN-62, potentiators of ISR, acetylcholine, GLP-1, and arginine had little effect on insulin secretion, suggesting that the CMCP is also essential for the amplification of ISR. In conclusion, a KN-62-sensitive process directly mediates the effects of Ca(2+) influx via L-type Ca(2+) channels on OCR and ISR, supporting the essential role of the CMCP in mediating ISR.

A novel model of insulin-dependent diabetes with renal and retinal lesions by transgenic expression of CaMKIIalpha (Thr286Asp) in pancreatic beta-cells

BACKGROUND

The activation of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) in pancreatic beta-cells has been thought to play a central role in Ca2+-mediated insulin secretion. However, the physiological and pathological significance of CaMKII activation in pancreatic beta-cells has never been investigated in vivo.

METHODS

We generated transgenic (TG) mice overexpressing the constitutively active-type CaMKIIalpha (Thr286Asp) in beta-cells. The mice were extensively examined histologically and biochemically. Time-course changes of blood glucose, haemoglobin A1C and insulin were also determined.

RESULTS

Western blot and immunohistochemical analyses showed overexpression of CaMKIIalpha proteins in pancreatic beta-cells of TG mice. All TG mice developed severe hypoinsulinaemic diabetes by P28. In vivo BrdU labelling analysis revealed that cell proliferation in TG islets is severely impaired. Immunohistochemical examination revealed accumulations of NF-kappaB in nuclei of TG beta-cells at P21, which are associated with DNA laddering, a hallmark of apoptosis. At P28, pancreatic and serum insulin levels were both significantly (p < 0.05) lower in TG mice (0.037 +/- 0.005 ng/microg and 0.50 +/- 0.01 ng/mL) than in wild-type mice (0.997 +/- 0.093 ng/microg and 2.50 +/- 0.22 ng/mL). TG mice at P140 showed enlargement of kidney, mesangial expansion and glomerulosclerosis, which are associated with urinary albumin excretion. TG mice at P140-P168 developed severe retinal lesions such as disrupted ganglion cells and showed a flat pattern in electroretinography.

CONCLUSIONS

The TG mice established herein will be valuable as a novel model of severe insulin-dependent diabetes accompanied by an early progression of diabetic micro-vascular complications.

Group VIA phospholipase A2 forms a signaling complex with the calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase IIbeta expressed in pancreatic islet beta-cells

Insulin-secreting pancreatic islet beta-cells express a Group VIA Ca(2+)-independent phospholipase A(2) (iPLA(2)beta) that contains a calmodulin binding site and protein interaction domains. We identified Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase IIbeta (CaMKIIbeta) as a potential iPLA(2)beta-interacting protein by yeast two-hybrid screening of a cDNA library using iPLA(2)beta cDNA as bait. Cloning CaMKIIbeta cDNA from a rat islet library revealed that one dominant CaMKIIbeta isoform mRNA is expressed by adult islets and is not observed in brain or neonatal islets and that there is high conservation of the isoform expressed by rat and human beta-cells. Binary two-hybrid assays using DNA encoding this isoform as bait and iPLA(2)beta DNA as prey confirmed interaction of the enzymes, as did assays with CaMKIIbeta as prey and iPLA(2)beta bait. His-tagged CaMKIIbeta immobilized on metal affinity matrices bound iPLA(2)beta, and this did not require exogenous calmodulin and was not prevented by a calmodulin antagonist or the Ca(2+) chelator EGTA. Activities of both enzymes increased upon their association, and iPLA(2)beta reaction products reduced CaMKIIbeta activity. Both the iPLA(2)beta inhibitor bromoenol lactone and the CaMKIIbeta inhibitor KN93 reduced arachidonate release from INS-1 insulinoma cells, and both inhibit insulin secretion. CaMKIIbeta and iPLA(2)beta can be coimmunoprecipitated from INS-1 cells, and forskolin, which amplifies glucose-induced insulin secretion, increases the abundance of the immunoprecipitatable complex. These findings suggest that iPLA(2)beta and CaMKIIbeta form a signaling complex in beta-cells, consistent with reports that both enzymes participate in insulin secretion and that their expression is coinduced upon differentiation of pancreatic progenitor to endocrine progenitor cells.

New aspects of neurotransmitter release and exocytosis: involvement of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent phosphorylation of synapsin I in insulin exocytosis

The exocytosis of insulin from pancreatic beta-cells is closely related to intracellular elevation of Ca(2+). The effects of Ca(2+) may be mediated by Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII). Four subunits of CaMKII, termed alpha, beta, gamma, and delta, are encoded by distinct genes, and various isoforms of these subunits exist as different splicing variants. In the brain, phosphorylation of synapsin I by the alpha isoform induces neurotransmitter release. In order to clarify whether phosphorylation of synapsin I by CaMKII was involved in insulin exocytosis, we cloned the isoforms of CaMKII and synapsin I from mouse insulinoma MIN6 cells. We found that beta'e and delta2 are the major isoforms of CaMKII and that synapsin Ib is a major isoform of synapsin I in MIN6 cells. It was interesting that delta2 and synapsin Ib were co-localized with insulin secretory granules in the cells. Treatment of MIN6 cells with glucose and tolbutamide rapidly activated CaMKII. Immunoblot analysis with two antibodies against synapsin I phosphorylated by CaMKII demonstrated the increase in phosphorylation of synapsin I by the secretagogues. Furthermore, the secretagogue-induced phosphorylation of synapsin I and insulin secretion were potentiated by transient overexpression of the beta'e or delta2 isoform. These results suggest that activation of CaMKII and the concomitant phosphorylation of synapsin I induce insulin exocytosis from pancreatic beta-cells.

Cloning from insulinoma cells of synapsin I associated with insulin secretory granules

Synapsin I is a synaptic vesicle-associated protein involved in neurotransmitter release. The functions of this protein are apparently regulated by Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaM kinase II). We reported evidence for CaM kinase II and a synapsin I-like protein present in mouse insulinoma MIN6 cells (Matsumoto, K., Fukunaga, K., Miyazaki, J., Shichiri, M., and Miyamoto, E. (1995) Endocrinology 136, 3784-3793). Phosphorylation of the synapsin I-like protein in these cells correlated with the activation of CaM kinase II and insulin secretion. In the present study, we screened the MIN6 cDNA library with the full-length cDNA probe of rat brain synapsin Ia and obtained seven positive clones; the largest one was then sequenced. The largest open reading frame deduced from the cDNA sequence of 3695 base pairs encoded a polypeptide of 670 amino acids, which exhibited significant sequence similarity to rat synapsin Ib. The cDNA contained the same sequence as the first exon of the mouse synapsin I gene. These results indicate that synapsin Ib is present in MIN6 cells. Synapsin I was expressed in normal rat islets, as determined by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction analysis. Immunoblot analysis after subcellular fractionation of MIN6 cells demonstrated that synapsin Ib and delta subunit of CaM kinase II co-localized with insulin secretory granules. By analogy concerning regulation of neurotransmitter release, our results suggest that phosphorylation of synapsin I by CaM kinase II may induce the release of insulin from islet cells.

Nutrient stimulation results in a rapid Ca2+-dependent threonine phosphorylation of myosin heavy chain in rat pancreatic islets and RINm5F cells

Activation of protein kinases plays an important role in the Ca2+-dependent stimulation of insulin secretion by nutrients. The aim of the present study was to identify kinase substrates with the potential to regulate secretion because these have been poorly defined. Nutrient stimulation of the rat insulinoma RINm5F cell line and rat pancreatic islets resulted in an increase in the threonine phosphorylation of a 200-kDa protein. This was secondary to the gating of voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels because it was reproduced by depolarizing KCl concentrations and blocked by the Ca2+ channel antagonist, verapamil. The peak rises in [Ca2+]i preceded or were coincident with the maximal threonine phosphorylation in response to both glyceraldehyde and KCl. In digitonin-permeabilized RINm5F cells a rise in Ca2+ from 0.1 to 0.15 microM was sufficient to increase phosphorylation. Protein kinase C, protein kinase A, and Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent kinase II did not appear to be responsible for the phosphorylation, yet the Ca2+ dependence of the response suggests possible involvement of other members of the Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent kinase family. The 200-kDa protein was identified as myosin heavy chain by immunoprecipitation with a polyclonal nonmuscle myosin antibody. Phosphopeptide mapping indicated that the site of phosphorylation on myosin heavy chain was the same for both KCl- and glyceraldehyde-stimulated cells. Phosphoamino acid analysis confirmed a low basal phosphothreonine content of myosin heavy chain, which increased 6-fold in response to KCl. A lesser (2-fold) increase in serine phosphorylation was also detected using this technique. Although myosin IIA and IIB were shown to be present in RINm5F cells and rat islets, myosin IIA was the predominant threonine-phosphorylated species, suggesting that the two myosin species might be independently regulated. Our results identify myosin heavy chain as a novel kinase substrate in pancreatic beta-cells and suggest that it might play an important role in the regulation of insulin secretion.

Ca(2+)-induced loss of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II activity in pancreatic beta-cells

Elevations in intracellular Ca2+ in electrically permeabilized islets of Langerhans produced rapid insulin secretory responses from beta-cells, but the Ca(2+)-induced secretion was not maintained and was irrespective of the pattern of administration of elevated Ca2+. Ca(2+)-insensitive beta-cells responded normally to activators of protein kinase C or cAMP-dependent kinase with increased insulin secretion. The loss of secretory responsiveness to Ca2+ was paralleled by a reduction in Ca(2+)-induced protein phosphorylation. This was caused by a reduction in Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMK II) activity in the desensitized cells, as assessed by measuring the phosphorylation of a CaMK II-specific exogenous substrate, autocamtide-2. The Ca(2+)-induced reductions in kinase activity and protein phosphorylation were not dependent on the activation of Ca(2+)-dependent protein kinases and were not caused by the activation of phosphoprotein phosphatases or of Ca(2+)-activated proteases. The concomitant reductions in CaMK II activity and Ca(2+)-induced insulin secretion suggest that the activation of CaMK II is required for normal insulin secretory responses to increased intracellular Ca2+ concentrations.

Calcium-stimulated phosphorylation of MAP-2 in pancreatic betaTC3-cells is mediated by Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent kinase II

An understanding of the role of CaM kinase II in the pancreatic beta-cell is dependent on the identification of its cellular targets. One of the best substrates of CaM kinase II in vitro that could function in secretory events is the microtubule-associated protein, MAP-2. By immunoblot analysis, a high molecular weight protein with electrophoretic properties characteristic of MAP-2, was identified in rat insulinoma betaTC3 cells and isolated rat islets. In immunoprecipitation experiments employing alpha-toxin-permeabilized betaTC3 cells, elevation of intracellular Ca2+ or addition of forskolin, an adenylate cyclase activator, induced significant phosphorylation of MAP-2 in situ. The effect of Ca2+ was rapid, concentration-dependent and closely correlated with activation of CaM kinase II under similar experimental conditions. H-89, a specific and potent inhibitor of cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA), prevented forskolin-induced MAP-2 phosphorylation but had little effect on MAP-2 phosphorylation stimulated by elevated Ca2+. Phosphopeptide mapping revealed that the phosphorylation pattern observed in situ upon incubation of the betaTC3 cells with increased free Ca2+, was strikingly similar to that generated in vitro by CaM kinase II, most notably with regard to the increased phosphate incorporated into one prominent site. These data provide evidence that MAP-2 is phosphorylated by CaM kinase II in the pancreatic beta-cell in situ, and that this event may provide an important link in the mediation of Ca2+-dependent insulin secretion.

Human islets of Langerhans express multiple isoforms of calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II

Previous studies have provided evidence for the presence of calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaM kinase II) in rodent islets of Langerhans, and beta-cell CaM kinase II activity has been correlated with insulin secretion. In this study we provide the first conclusive evidence for the expression of CaM kinase II in human islets of Langerhans and show that multiple isoforms are expressed. Screening of a human islet cDNA library resulted in the isolation of a 999bp partial cDNA clone encoding CaM kinase II. The nucleotide sequence of the islet clone showed a high degree of homology (94.8%) to the two gamma isoforms of CaM kinase II previously isolated from human T lymphocytes (gammaB and gammaC). In order to obtain full length sequence for the islet clone, rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) was used to amplify the 3' end of the islet clone from human islet poly A+ RNA. Two distinct gamma isoforms of CaM kinase II were amplified from the islet RNA. They were identified as gammaB and gammaE; the latter is distinguished from gammaB by a 114bp insertion within the association domain of the cDNA. Using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) we also detected in human islets of Langerhans the novel beta3 isoform of CaM kinase II previously reported to be expressed in neonatal rat islets.

A truncated isoform of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II expressed in human islets of Langerhans may result from trans-splicing

Calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaM kinase II) has been proposed to play a key role in glucose stimulated insulin secretion. Using the rapid amplification of cDNA ends technique we amplified the 3' end of the CaM kinase II gamma gene from human islet RNA. A novel cDNA was detected composed of 5' sequence from the human CaM kinase II gamma gene joined to the 3' end of the human signal recognition particle 72 (SRP72) gene. We predict that this mRNA species will code for a truncated form of CaM kinase II, designated gammaSRP, comprising the entire catalytic and regulatory domains of the protein and with a predicted molecular weight of 37 kDa. We mapped the human SRP72 gene to chromosome 18 and, as the CaM kinase II gamma gene was previously mapped to human chromosome 10q22, we suggest this novel cDNA may have resulted from trans-splicing.

Correlation of the activation of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II with the initiation of insulin secretion from perifused pancreatic islets

An experimental procedure has been designed to permit the simultaneous assessment of the activation status of the multifunctional Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaM kinase II) with insulin secretion in perifused islets. By this procedure, the activation of CaM kinase II by glucose correlated closely with the initial and sustained phases of insulin secretion within a 30-min test period. By contrast, islets (160-200/tube) in static incubations neither supported second-phase insulin secretion nor CaM kinase II activation beyond 10-15 min. This was not the result of the accumulation of insulin, because the introduction of insulin (40-160 ng/ml) into the perifusion medium failed to mimic the suppression of glucose-induced insulin secretion or CaM kinase II activation. A similar addition of SRIF (0.01-1 microM) or epinephrine (1 microM) profoundly suppressed insulin secretion although failing to significantly influence CaM kinase II activation. Finally, on withdrawal of glucose from perifused islets, insulin secretion rapidly returned to basal rates, but CaM kinase II deactivation was significantly delayed. The correlation of kinase activation with the initiation of insulin secretion suggests that CaM kinase II may be important in the regulation of glucose-induced insulin secretion. The observed dissociation of these parameters in the presence of inhibitory hormones or after the withdrawal of a glucose stimulus, however, suggests that the kinase is not directly involved in the final steps of insulin exocytosis.

The isoquinoline derivative KN-62 a potent antagonist of the P2Z-receptor of human lymphocytes

1. Extracellular adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) is an agonist for a P2Z receptor on human lymphocytes which mediates opening of a cation-selective ion channel, activation of phospholipase D and shedding of the adhesion molecule, L-selectin, from the cell surface. The isoquinolinesulphonamides, KN-62, (1-[N, O-bis(5-isoquinolinesulphonyl)-N-methyl-L-tyrosyl]-4-phenylpiperaz ine), a selective antagonist of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII), and KN-04, (N-[1-[N-methyl-p-(5 isoquinoline sulphonyl)benzyl]-2-(4 phenylpiperazine)ethyl]-5-isoquinolinesulphonamide) an inactive analogue, were used to investigate the possible role of CaMKII in these diverse effects of extracellular ATP. 2. KN-62 potently antagonized ATP-stimulated Ba2+ influx into fura-2 loaded human lymphocytes with an IC50 of 12.7 +/- 1.5 nM (n = 3) and complete inhibition of the flux at a concentration of 500 nM. Similarly, KN-62 inhibited ATP-stimulated ethidium+ uptake, measured by time resolved flow cytometry, with an IC50 of 13.1 +/- 2.6 nM (n = 4) and complete inhibition of the flux at 500 nM. 3. KN-04 antagonized ATP-stimulated Ba2+ influx with an IC50 of 17.3 +/- 2.7 nM (n = 3). Similarly, KN-04 inhibited ATP-stimulated ethidium+ uptake with an IC50 of 37.2 +/- 8.9 nM (n = 4). Both fluxes were completely inhibited at 500 nM KN-04. 4. ATP-stimulated phospholipase D activity, measured in [3H]-oleic acid-labelled lymphocytes by the transphosphatidylation reaction, was antagonized by KN-62 and KN-04, with 50% inhibition at 5.9 +/- 1.2 and 9.7 +/- 2.8 nM (n = 3), respectively. Both KN-62 and KN-04 inhibited ATP-stimulated shedding of L-selectin, measured by flow cytometric analysis of cell surface L-selectin, with IC50 values of 31.5 +/- 4.5 and 78.7 +/- 10.8 nM (n = 3), respectively. Neither of the isoquinolinesulphonamides (500 nM) inhibited phorbol ester- or ionomycin-stimulated phospholipase D activity or phorbol ester-induced shedding of L-selectin. 5. The inhibitory effect of KN-62 or KN-04 on P2Z-mediated responses was slow in onset (5 min) and only partially reversed by washing the cells. 6. Both KN-62 and KN-04 (at 500 nM) had no effect on uridine 5'-triphosphate (UTP)-stimulated Ca2+ transients in fura-2 loaded human neutrophils, a response which is mediated by the P2Y2 receptor. 7. Thus, KN-62 and KN-04 are potent antagonists of the P2Z receptor and at nanomolar concentrations inhibit all known responses mediated by the P2Z receptor of human lymphocytes. In contrast, KN-62 and KN-04 had no effect on responses mediated by the P2Y2 receptor of neutrophils. Moreover, since KN-62 and KN-04 are almost equipotent, the P2Z-mediated responses do not involve CaMKII, but indicate that the isoquinolinesulphonamides are potent and direct inhibitors of the P2Z-receptor.

Muscarinic activation of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II in pancreatic islets. Temporal dissociation of kinase activation and insulin secretion

We have demonstrated previously that glucose activates the multifunctional Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaM kinase II) in isolated rat pancreatic islets in a manner consistent with a role of this enzyme in the regulation of insulin secretion [Wenham, Landt and Easom (1994) J. Biol. Chem. 269, 4947-4952]. In the current study, the muscarinic agonist, carbachol, has been shown to induce the conversion of CaM kinase II into a Ca(2+)-independent, autonomous form indicative of its activation. Maximal activation (2-fold) was achieved by 15 s, followed by a rapid return to basal levels by 1 min. This response was primarily the result of the mobilization of Ca2+ from intracellular stores since it was not affected by a concentration (20 microM) of verapamil that completely prevented the activation of CaM kinase II by glucose. Surprisingly, carbachol added prior to, or simultaneously with, glucose attenuated nutrient activation of CaM kinase II. This effect was mimicked by cholecystokinin-8 (CCK-8) and thapsigargin, suggesting its mediation by phospholipase C and the mobilization of intracellular Ca2+. In contrast, carbachol, CCK-8 and thapsigargin markedly potentiated glucose (12 mM)-induced insulin secretion. These results suggest that CaM kinase II activation can be temporally dissociated from insulin secretion but do not exclude the potential dependence of insulin exocytosis on CaM kinase II-mediated protein phosphorylation.

Alterations in calcium channel currents underlie defective insulin secretion in a transgenic mouse

A transgenic mouse overexpressing a mutant form of calmodulin (CaM-8) that is selectively targeted to pancreatic beta-cells has an impaired ability to secrete insulin in response to elevated blood glucose. Fluorescence measurements of cytosolic Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) showed that intracellular Ca2+ rises produced by glucose were smaller than normal in beta-cells of CaM-8 mice. Glucose utilization rates were not different between the CaM-8 and control beta-cells, suggesting that glucose metabolism was unperturbed by CaM-8. Ion channel defects were implicated in the phenotype of CaM-8 beta-cells because treatment of these cells with tolbutamide, a blocker of ATP-sensitive K+ channels, produced smaller than normal amounts of insulin secretion and Ca2+ rises. Depolarization with elevated extracellular K+ also produced smaller Ca2+ rises in beta-cells from CaM-8 mice. Whole-cell patch-clamp recordings revealed that Ca2+ channel currents of beta-cells from CaM-8 mice were half as large as Ca2+ currents in control cells, while the currents carried by delayed rectifier and ATP-sensitive K+ channels were similar in magnitude in both cell types. We conclude that expression of the CaM-8 form of calmodulin causes a down-regulation of Ca2+ channel currents, which reduces Ca2+ entry and accumulation when glucose stimulates closure of the ATP-sensitive K+ channels. The reduction in intracellular Ca2+ accumulation then prevents an adequate amount of insulin from being secreted from beta-cells of CaM-8 mice.

Expression of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase types II and IV, and reduced DNA synthesis due to the Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase inhibitor KN-62 (1-[N,O-bis(5-isoquinolinesulfonyl)-N-methyl-L-tyrosyl]-4-phenyl piperazine) in small cell lung carcinoma

Because changes in intracellular Ca2+ affect progression through the mitotic cell cycle, we investigated the role of Ca2+-binding proteins in regulating cell cycle progression. Evidence was found demonstrating that the activation of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase (CaM kinase) inhibits cell cycle progression in small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) cells. We also demonstrated that SCLC cells express both CaM kinase type II (CaMKII) and CaM kinase type IV (CaMKIV). Five independent SCLC cell lines expressed proteins reactive with antibody to the CaMKII beta subunit, but none expressed detectable proteins reactive with antibody to the CaMKII alpha subunit. All SCLC cell lines tested expressed both the alpha and beta isoforms of CaMKIV. Immunoprecipitation of CaMKII from SCLC cells yielded multiple proteins that autophosphorylated in the presence of Ca2+ / calmodulin. Autophosphorylation was inhibited by the CaMKII(281-302) peptide, which corresponds to the CaMKII autoinhibitory domain, and by 1-[N,O-bis(5-isoquinolinesulfonyl)-N-methyl-L-tyrosyl]-4- phenylpiperazine (KN-62), a specific CaM kinase antagonist. Influx of Ca2+ through voltage-gated Ca2+ channels stimulated phosphorylation of CaMKII in SCLC cells, and this was inhibited by KN-62. Incubation of SCLC cells of KN-62 potently inhibited DNA synthesis, and slowed progression through S phase. Similar anti-proliferative effects of KN-62 occurred in SK-N-SH human neuroblastoma cells, which express both CaMKII and CaMKIV, and in K562 human chronic myelogenous leukemia cells, which express CaMKII but not CaMKIV. The expression of both CaMKII and CaMKIV by SCLC cells, and the sensitivity of these cells to the anti-proliferative effects of KN-62, suggest a role for CaM kinase in regulating SCLC proliferation.

KN-62, a calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II inhibitor, inhibits high potassium-stimulated prolactin secretion and intracellular calcium increases in anterior pituitary cells

In isolated rat anterior pituitary cells, KN-62 (10 microM), an isoquinoline sulfonamide inhibitor of calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II, inhibited high KCl(50 milliM)-stimulated prolactin secretion almost completely, with an IC50 of 95 nM KN-62 inhibited TRH-induced prolactin secretion less effectively. KN-04, a compound that is over 100-fold less active in inhibiting purified calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II, also inhibited high KCl-stimulated prolactin secretion with an IC50 of 500 nM. KN-62 and KN-04 (10 microM) both inhibited high KCl-stimulated increases in intracellular Ca2+ concentrations. We conclude that KN-62 and KN-04 inhibit activation of voltage-dependent calcium channels in anterior pituitary cells either directly or indirectly.

Inhibition of regulated catecholamine secretion from PC12 cells by the Ca2+/calmodulin kinase II inhibitor KN-62

When stimulated by the cholinergic agonist carbachol, PC12 cells rapidly secrete a large fraction of the intracellular catecholamines by exocytotic release from the large dense-core secretory vesicles in a Ca(2+)-dependent manner. To investigate whether Ca2+/calmodulin kinase II plays a role in the regulated secretion of catecholamines, we examined the effect of the specific Ca2+/calmodulin kinase II inhibitor KN-62 on the carbachol-induced release of norepinephrine from PC12 cells. Approximately 50% of the regulated release of norepinephrine, stimulated either by carbachol or direct depolarization, was inhibited by pretreatment with KN-62, while the remaining 50% was resistant to KN-62 and therefore independent of Ca2+/calmodulin kinase II. In contrast, H7, an inhibitor of protein kinase C, had no effect on any of the stimulated release. FURA 2 imaging experiments demonstrated that KN-62 does not act by blocking the stimulation-induced increase in intracellular [Ca2+]. The most likely model consistent with these data is that all the dense-core vesicles fuse with the plasma membrane in a Ca(2+)-dependent process, but that approximately 50% of the vesicles require an additional step that is dependent on the action of Ca2+/calmodulin kinase II. This step occurs between the influx of Ca2+ and the fusion of vesicle membranes with the plasma membrane, and may be analogous to the Ca2+/calmodulin kinase II phosphorylation of synapsin which mobilizes small, clear synaptic vesicles for exocytosis at the synapse.

Inhibition of glucose-stimulated insulin secretion by Ro 31-8220, a protein kinase C inhibitor

The involvement of the family of protein kinase C (PKC) isoenzymes in the secretory response of rat islets of Langerhans to glucose, the major insulin secretagogue, was investigated using the PKC inhibitor Ro 31-8220, a derivative of staurosporine. Ro 31-8220 was a more selective PKC inhibitor than staurosporine in islets, having minimal effects on protein kinases activated by cyclic AMP or by Ca(2+) and calmodulin. The secretory response to 4βPMA, an activator of phorbol ester-sensitive isoforms of PKC, was abolished by Ro 31-8220. Basal insulin secretion (2MM: glucose) was not affected by Ro 31-8220, but 20MM: glucose-induced insulin release was inhibited in a dose-dependent manner, maximally by ∼50% at 10 µM: Ro 31-8220. Higher concentrations of Ro 31-8220 (507gmM: ) did not further inhibit the secretory response to glucose and also caused ∼50% inhibition of insulin secretion stimulated by 10MM: glyceraldehyde. Ca(2+)-stimulated insulin secretion from electrically permeabilised islets was not inhibited by Ro 31-8220. Calphostin C, which inhibits some isoforms of PKC by interacting with the diacylglycerol binding site, unexpectedly caused a large (∼10-fold) increase in secretion at 2MM: glucose, so could not be used in islets to further investigate the involvement of phorbol ester-sensitive PKC isoforms in the insulin secretory process. One possible explanation for our results using Ro 31-8220 is that phorbol ester-insensitive isoforms of PKC (ζ and/orι) are involved in glucose-stimulated insulin secretion from rat islets.

A novel pancreatic beta-cell isoform of calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (beta 3 isoform) contains a proline-rich tandem repeat in the association domain

There is evidence for a role for calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein phosphorylation in regulation of insulin secretion but the molecular nature of the kinase(s) responsible is unknown. In this study, the screening of a neonatal rat islet cDNA library resulted in the isolation of a 2 kb clone that was 99% homologous to the beta' isoform of calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II. The predicted 589 amino acid sequence with a calculated mass of 64,976 Da contained a 24 amino acid deletion in addition to the 15 amino acid deletion that differentiates the beta' from the beta isoform, and included an 86 amino acid novel domain consisting of a tandem repeat of proline-rich residues. The expression of this new isoform of calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (beta 3) was confirmed in beta-cell lines and testis by DNA amplification of the sequence encoding the inserted domain by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, followed by Southern analysis.

Protein phosphorylation and beta-cell function

The central role of reversible protein phosphorylation in regulation of beta-cell function is reviewed and the properties of the protein kinases so far defined in beta cells are summarised. The key effect of Ca2+ to initiate insulin secretion involves activation of a Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase. Potentiation of secretion by agents activating protein kinase A or C appears to involve an increase in the sensitivity of the secretory system to intracellular Ca2+. The effects of MgATP on the binding of [3H]-glibenclamide to the beta-cell sulphonylurea receptor suggest that the properties of this receptor, which controls the activity of ATP-sensitive K-channels, are modulated by phosphorylation. The identity of the kinases and phosphatases responsible is not known but the presence in beta-cell membranes of various kinases not dependent on Ca2+ or cyclic AMP, and including tyrosine kinase, is documented, together with the presence of both Ca(2+)-dependent and Ca(2+)-independent protein phosphatases. Protein phosphorylation is also involved in regulation of beta-cell Ca2+ fluxes and evidence is presented that protein kinase C activation inhibits Ca2+ signalling by reducing influx of Ca2+ into the beta cell. The identity of the Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase activity in beta cells is discussed. Comparison of its properties towards substrates and inhibitors with those of brain Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II suggests that the beta-cell enzyme may be similar or identical to the brain enzyme.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Activation of calcium and calmodulin dependent protein kinase II during stimulation of insulin secretion

Pancreatic islets contain an alloxan sensitive, calcium and calmodulin dependent protein kinase (CaM-PK) which may play an important part in the cellular control of insulin secretion. We have studied this activity in islets and the insulin secreting tumor cell line RINm5f with particular interest in the changes in kinase activity that accompany stimulation of secretion. Initial experiments showed that the CaM-PK activity enriched in microsomal preparations from RIN cells was similar to the islet cell kinase in terms of apparent endogenous substrates, Ca2+ and calmodulin dependence, and inactivation by alloxan. For studies of protein substrate specificity, tumor cell CaM-PK was isolated from other kinase activities and substantially purified by affinity chromatography with calmodulin-agarose. The major protein substrates of CaM-PK (54 kD and 57 kD) co-purified with the kinase activity, representing autophosphorylation of subunits of the enzyme. Exogenous substrates phosphorylated by these preparations included microtubule-associated protein 2, synapsin, and glycogen synthase; this pattern of substrate utilization identified the kinase as the Type II multifunctional kinase which has been extensively characterized in brain. A polyclonal antibody to rat brain CaM-PK II was employed to immunoprecipitate the kinase from RINm5f cells incubated with secretagogues to measure the effect of stimulation of secretion on autophosphorylation of CaM-PK (which reflects kinase activation). D-Glyceraldehyde (22 mM) and depolarizing concentrations of potassium increased autophosphorylation and insulin secretion in a parallel fashion. Potassium stimulated autophosphorylation was dose dependent and saturable, and was increased to near maximal levels at times as short as 1 min. These studies demonstrate that pancreatic islets and RINm5f cells contain a Type II CaM-PK which is activated during the secretion process.