Isolation of chromaffin cell thapsigargin-sensitive Ca2+ store in light microsomes from bovine adrenal medulla

Calcium signaling in lizard red blood cells

The ion calcium is a ubiquitous second messenger, present in all eukaryotic cells. It modulates a vast number of cellular events, such as cell division and differentiation, fertilization, cell volume, decodification of external stimuli. To process this variety of information, the cells display a number of calcium pools, which are capable of mobilization for signaling purposes. Here we review the calcium signaling on lizards red blood cells, an interesting model that has been receiving an increasing notice recently. These cells possess a complex machinery to regulate calcium, and display calcium responses to extracellular agonists. Interestingly, the pattern of calcium handling and response are divergent in different lizard families, which enforces the morphological data to their phylogenetic classification, and suggest the radiation of different calcium signaling models in lizards evolution.

Characterization of subcellular fractions and distribution profiles of transport components involved in Ca(2+) homeostasis in rat vas deferens

INTRODUCTION

The sarcoplasmic reticulum present in eukaryotic cells contains Ca(2+) pumps (SERCA type) that accumulate Ca(2+) from the cytosol and Ca(2+) channels, such as ryanodine receptors and inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptors, that release Ca(2+) from the lumen of this organelle. The use of a preparation rich in sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles and poorly contaminated with plasmalemmal vesicles would be a prerequisite for studies of Ca(2+) efflux through ryanodine and inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptors, so the present work was aimed to characterize the distribution profiles of various markers of sarcoplasmic reticulum and plasma membrane among fractions obtained from rat vas deferens.

METHODS

Oxalate-dependent Ca(2+) uptake, thapsigargin-sensitive (Ca(2+)-Mg(2+)) ATPase activity and binding of [3H]ryanodine and [3H]inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate were measured in the nuclear, mitochondrial, and microsomal fractions obtained by differential centrifugation of rat vas deferens homogenate.

RESULTS

The recovery of the thapsigargin-resistant (Ca(2+)-Mg(2+)) ATPase activity, supposed to label the plasma membrane, was the same among nuclear, mitochondrial, and microsomal fractions, whereas the recovery of the thapsigargin-sensitive (Ca(2+)-Mg(2+)) activity, oxalate-dependent Ca(2+) uptake, and [3H]inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate binding, used as sarcoplasmic reticulum markers, was higher in nuclear fraction than in the others. The recovery profiles of the four sarcoplasmic reticulum markers, including [3H]ryanodine binding, were statistically the same among the different subcellular fractions. Caffeine, an agonist of ryanodine receptors, induced the release of 17% of Ca(2+) taken up by the vesicles present in the nuclear fraction but had no effect in microsomes.

DISCUSSION

Although this nuclear fraction is less purified in sarcoplasmic reticulum markers than the microsomal fraction, it is more suitable for studying Ca(2+) release through ryanodine receptors, primarily because it is less contaminated with vesicles from the plasma membrane which are able to take up Ca(2+) but are insensitive to caffeine.

Heterogeneous increases of cytoplasmic calcium: distinct effects on down-regulation of cell surface sodium channels and sodium channel subunit mRNA levels

1. Long-term (> or = 12 h) treatment of cultured bovine adrenal chromaffin cells with A23187 (a Ca(2+) ionophore) or thapsigargin (TG) [an inhibitor of sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase (SERCA)] caused a time- and concentration-dependent reduction of cell surface [(3)H]-saxitoxin (STX) binding capacity, but did not change the K:(D:) value. In A23187- or TG-treated cells, veratridine-induced (22)Na(+) influx was reduced (with no change in veratridine EC(50) value) while it was enhanced by alpha-scorpion venom, beta-scorpion venom, or Ptychodiscus brevis toxin-3, like in nontreated cells. 2. The A23187- or TG-induced decrease of [(3)H]-STX binding was diminished by BAPTA-AM. EGTA also inhibited the decreasing effect of A23187. A23187 caused a rapid, monophasic and persistent increase in intracellular concentration of Ca(2+) ([Ca(2+)](i)) to a greater extent than that observed with TG. 2,5-Di-(t-butyl)-1,4-benzohydroquinone (DBHQ) (an inhibitor of SERCA) produced only a rapid monophasic increase in [Ca(2+)](i), without any effect on [(3)H]-STX binding. 3. Reduction in [(3)H]-STX binding capacity induced by A23187 or TG was attenuated by Gö6976 (an inhibitor of conventional protein kinase C) or calpastatin peptide (an inhibitor of calpain). When the internalization rate of cell surface Na(+) channels was measured in the presence of brefeldin A (an inhibitor of vesicular exit from the trans-Golgi network), A23187 or TG accelerated the reduction of [(3)H]-STX binding capacity. 4. Six hours treatment with A23187 lowered Na(+) channel alpha- and beta(1)-subunit mRNA levels, whereas TG had no effect. 5. These results suggest that elevation of [Ca(2+)](i) caused by A23187, TG or DBHQ exerted differential effects on down-regulation of cell surface functional Na(+) channels and Na(+) channel subunit mRNA levels.

Effect of nitric oxide on endoplasmic reticulum calcium homeostasis, protein synthesis and energy metabolism

It has been suggested that nitric oxide (NO) may contribute to ischemia-induced cell injury. However, the mechanisms underlying NO toxicity have not yet been fully elucidated. In the present study, we investigated the effect of NO on the level of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) calcium stores, on ER Ca2+ pump activity, on protein synthesis, on concentrations of high-energy phosphates, and on gadd153 mRNA levels. Primary neuronal cells were exposed to the NO-donor (+/-)-S-Nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine (SNAP) for 1 h, 2 h, 6 h or 24 h. The level of ER calcium stores was evaluated by measuring the increase in cytoplasmic calcium activity induced by exposing cells to thapsigargin, an irreversible inhibitor of ER Ca(2+)-ATPase; the activity of ER Ca(2+)-ATPase was determined by measuring a phosphorylated intermediate; SNAP-induced changes in gadd153 expression were evaluated by quantitative PCR; SNAP-induced changes in protein synthesis were investigated by measuring the incorporation of L-[4,5-3H]leucine into proteins, and changes in the levels of ATP, ADP, AMP were measured by HPLC. Exposing cells to SNAP for 1 h to 2 h induced a marked depletion of ER calcium stores through an inhibition of ER Ca(2+)-ATPase (to 58% of control), and a concentration-dependent suppression of protein synthesis which was reversed in the presence of hemoglobin, suggesting NO-related effects. ATP levels and adenylate energy charge were significantly decreased only when cells were exposed to the highest SNAP concentration for 6 h or 24 h, excluding significant effects of NO on the energy state of cells in the acute state, i.e. when ER calcium stores were already completely depleted and protein synthesis severely suppressed. In light of the regulatory role of ER calcium homeostasis in the control of protein synthesis, the results imply that the suppression of protein synthesis resulted from NO-induced inhibition of ER Ca(2+)-ATPase and depletion of ER calcium stores, and that NO-induced disturbances of energy metabolism are secondary to the effect of NO on ER calcium homeostasis. It is, therefore, concluded that ER calcium stores are a primary target of NO-toxicity.

Evidence for the presence of two (Ca(2+)-Mg2+) ATPases with different sensitivities to thapsigargin and cyclopiazonic acid in the human flatworm Schistosoma mansoni

The subcellular localization of the (Ca(2+)-Mg2+)ATPase activities present in heterogeneous (P1), nuclear (P2), mitochondrial (P3) and microsomal (P4) fractions obtained by differential centrifugation of Schistosoma mansoni homogenate was investigated. In the microsomal fraction (P4), the (Ca(2+)-Mg2+)ATPase activity was completely blocked by 3 microM thapsigargin, whereas in the more heterogeneous fraction (P1), about 20-30% of this activity was resistant to the drug. The same pattern of inhibition was observed using 20 microM cyclopiazonic acid. The distribution pattern of (Ca(2+)-Mg2+)ATPase activity among the four subcellular fractions (P1 > P4 > > P3 > P2) was completely different from that of [3H]-ouabain binding sites (P1 > or = P4 = P2 > or = P3). These results indicate that the (Ca(2+)-Mg2+)ATPase in S. mansoni is predominantly of the SERCA type (localized in the endoplasmic reticulum). However, there is another enzyme, present in lower proportion that could have a plasma membrane origin (PMCA type), because it is resistant to thapsigargin and cyclopiazonic acid and its inhibition by tamoxifen is antagonized by calmodulin.

Thapsigargin discriminates strongly between Ca(2+)-ATPase phosphorylated intermediates with different subcellular distributions in bovine adrenal chromaffin cells

We studied the effects of thapsigargin on the formation of the phosphorylated intermediates (E approximately Ps) of endoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPases in microsomes from bovine adrenal medulla. When submicrosomal fractions were separated on a sucrose gradient, two components of 100 kDa Ca(2+)-ATPase E approximately P displaying distinct subcellular distributions were resolved. The first component was defined by Ca(2+)-induced protection against thapsigargin inhibition. The second component did not display such protection, with a 3 orders of magnitude difference in thapsigargin inhibitory potency towards the 2 components. In the absence of Ca2+, both E approximately P components were highly sensitive to thapsigargin inhibition, revealing the presence of high-affinity thapsigargin-binding sites characteristic of SERCA ATPases. These data demonstrate a new level of molecular heterogeneity among Ca(2+)-ATPases of endoplasmic reticulum, and provide the first evidence of differential subcellular localization of individual Ca2+ pump subtypes in cells of neural origin.

Thapsigargin-sensitive Ca(2+)-ATPases account for Ca2+ uptake to inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate-sensitive and caffeine-sensitive Ca2+ stores in adrenal chromaffin cells

In chromaffin cells of adrenal medulla, heterogeneity of Ca2+ stores has been suggested with respect to the mechanisms of Ca2+ uptake and release. We have examined Ca(2+)-ATPases responsible for loading of Ca2+ stores in these cells for their sensitivity to thapsigargin, a highly selective inhibitor of the SERCA [sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum calcium ATPase] family of intracellular Ca2+ pumps. Using immunostaining, we studied the distribution of Ca(2+)-ATPases, and of receptors for inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (InsP3) and ryanodine, in the density-gradient fractions of microsomes from bovine adrenal medulla. In parallel, we examined distribution profiles of ATP-dependent Ca2+ uptake in the same fractions, along with subcellular markers for plasma membranes and endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Two Ca(2+)-ATPase-like proteins (116 and 100 kDa) were detected, consistent with the presence of SERCA 2b and SERCA 3 isoenzymes of Ca2+ pumps. The distribution of these putative Ca(2+)-ATPase iso-enzymes paralleled that of InsP3 and ryanodine receptors. This distribution of ER Ca(2+)-ATPases, as determined immunologically, was consistent with that of thapsigargin-sensitive, but not of thapsigargin-insensitive, ATP-dependent Ca2+ uptake. In contrast, the distribution profile of the thapsigargin-insensitive Ca2+ uptake was strongly correlated to that of plasma membranes, and co-distributed with plasma membrane Ca(2+)-ATPase detected immunologically. In isolated, permeabilized chromaffin cells, InsP3 and caffeine induced Ca2+ release following an ATP-dependent Ca2+ accumulation to the stores. This accumulation was abolished by thapsigargin. Together, these data strongly indicate that the thapsigargin-sensitive, presumably SERCA-type Ca(2+)-ATPases account for Ca2+ uptake to InsP3-sensitive, as well as to caffeine-sensitive, Ca2+ stores in bovine adrenal chromaffin cells.

Derivatives of thapsigargin as probes of its binding site on endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ ATPase. Stereoselectivity and important functional groups

The naturally occurring sesquiterpene lactone thapsigargin is a potent and selective inhibitor of SERCA ATPases, a family of Ca(2+)-pumping ATPases present in the endoplasmic reticulum of all mammalian cells. We have studied some of the molecular features of thapsigargin responsible for its inhibitory action towards these Ca2+ ATPases. A series of thapsigargin analogues were synthesised and their inhibitory potencies determined using the uptake of 45Ca2+ in bovine cerebellar microsomes as a sensitive marker of Ca2+ ATPase activity. An attenuation of the inhibitory potency relative to the parent compound was found ranging from slight to over 3 orders of magnitude. The inhibitory activity showed a very strong configuration dependence, a major contribution from the ester groups at C3 and C10, and an apparently minor contribution from the lactone ring substituents. The data are consistent with thapsigargin fitting to a sterically discriminating cleft involving the hydrophobic transmembrane region of the ATPase, and is compatible with available kinetic evidence of thapsigargin-mediated inhibition.