Enterocyte isolation procedure specifically effects ATP-dependent Ca2+-transport in small intestinal plasma membranes

Quantification of Ca(2+)-ATPases in porcine duodenum. Effects of 1,25(OH)2D3 deficiency

Previous studies have identified a calmodulin-stimulated ATP-dependent Ca2+ pump as the major Ca2+ efflux pathway in enterocytes. Here, we developed methods to quantify the number of Ca2+ pumps in basolateral and intracellular membranes from porcine duodenum. By the use of a pig strain with a genetic defect in renal 1 alpha-hydroxylase, we were able to investigate the influence of 1,25(OH)2D3-deficiency on the number of Ca(2+)-ATPases in porcine duodenum. The amount of Ca(2+)-ATPase in isolated basolateral membranes was 5.5 +/- 0.7 micrograms/mg protein, while the Vmax of ATP-dependent Ca2+ transport into inside-out resealed basolateral membrane vesicles was 2.6 +/- 0.4 nmol/mg protein per min. From these data we estimated roughly about 95 x 10(3) plasma membrane Ca2+ pump sites per enterocyte. In addition, the amount of intracellular Ca(2+)-ATPase in microsomal fractions was 0.41 +/- 0.02 microgram/mg protein. Comparison of these parameters between control and rachitic animals showed that Ca2+ pump capacities in both basolateral membranes and microsomal fractions of porcine duodenum are not influenced by 1,25(OH)2D3-deficiency. In conclusion, stimulatory effects of 1,25(OH)2D3 on intestinal Ca2+ transport most likely result from specific effects on apical influx and facilitation of cytosolic Ca2+ diffusion by Ca(2+)-binding proteins and not from an increase in Ca2+ pumping capacity in basolateral membranes.

Active Ca2+ transport systems in basolateral membranes from rabbit distal colon

Active Na+ absorption by tight epithelia such as frog skin and distal colon share common features like feedback inhibition of cellular [Na+] on Na+ influx through amiloride-sensitive Na+ channels. It is postulated that the negative feedback of increasing cell [Na+] is mediated via a rise in cell [Ca2+]. In this model, cell [Na+] is coupled to cell [Ca2+] via a Na+/Ca2+ exchange system in the basolateral membrane. In the present study, the Ca2+ transporting systems in rabbit distal colon basolateral membranes were characterized. ATP-dependent Ca2+ uptake could be demonstrated in membrane vesicles from surface cells with the following kinetic parameters: Km = 0.09 microM Ca2+ and Vm = 3.8 nmol Ca2+ mg-1 protein min-1. The ATP-dependent Ca2+ transport was not responsive to ruthenium red and oxalate, suggesting a plasmalemmal origin. The addition of 75 mM Na+ to the uptake medium, 10 min after addition of ATP, did not release Ca2+ from the vesicles in significant amounts. In the absence of ATP, outwardly directed Na+ gradients were incapable of stimulating Ca2+ uptake. This study demonstrates that rabbit distal colon epithelium lacks a well-defined Na+/Ca2+ exchange system, and (Ca2+, Mg2+)-ATPase appears to be the sole Ca2+ extrusion system. Alternatives for the coupling of cell [Na+] to cell [Ca2+] are discussed.

On the molecular mechanism of intestinal calcium transport

The intestinal absorption of calcium is certainly a complex process, dependent on several factors of which vitamin D, via 1,25(OH)2D3, is the major controlling hormone. The efficiency of calcium absorption is a function of calcium status and calcium need. As the body's demand for calcium increases, the process commonly termed, adaptation, is activated in which the synthesis of 1,25(OH)2D3 from precursor is increased, resulting in the stimulation of the rate of calcium absorption. The increased demand for calcium might result from the ingestion of a diet deficient in calcium, from growth, pregnancy, lactation and egg shell formation in the laying hen. Accomapanying the change in calcium absorptive efficiency are molecular modifications of the transporting enterocytes, some mentioned herein and elsewhere (Wasserman & Chandler, 1985; Wasserman, 1980; Wasserman et al., 1984). Highly correlated with the rate of calcium absorption under a wide variety of conditions is the concentration of the vitamin D-induced calcium-binding protein, calbindin-D28K (avian type) and calbindin-D9K (mammalian intestinal type). The role of calbindin-D in this transport process is not precisely known but is considered to act at the present time as a cytosolic facilitator of Ca2+ diffusion from the brush border membrane to the basolateral membrane. In addition to the induction of calbindin-D synthesis, 1,25(OH)2D3 exerts other effects on the intestinal epithelium that can have consequences on the calcium absorptive process. Some of these effects are summarized in Figure 14. Vitamin D-dependent reactions might be either direct effects of 1,25(OH)2D3 or indirect effects due to elevated intracellular Ca2+ concentrations. These include changes in the fluidity of the brush border membrane, an increase in microvillar alkaline phosphatase-low affinity Ca-activated ATPase activity, an association of calmodulin with the 105 kD brush border cytoskeletal protein and, following calbindin D synthesis, the binding of calbindin D to a 60 kD brush border protein and to microtubules. The latter has been suggested to be related to the proposed transfer of Ca2+ by an endocytotic-exocytotic mechanism. In addition, a vitamin D-dependent intestinal membrane calcium-binding protein has been identified (Kowarski & Schachter, 1980). Playing into this multi-component system is a stimulation of cyclic nucleotide synthesis by 1,25(OH)2D3 which, through activation of cyclic nucleotide-dependent protein kinases, might modify membrane Ca2+ "channels" by phosphorylation reactions.4+ Intracellular organelles, i.e., the endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria, the Golgi apparatus, are potent sequesters of Ca2+ and could contribute to the protection of the cell from excessively high Ca2+ concentrations by transiently storing absorbed Ca2+.

Identification and isolation of the phosphorylated intermediate of the calcium pump in rat intestinal basolateral membranes

Transport of Ca2+ by the ATP-dependent Ca2+ pump has been demonstrated previously in rat intestinal basolateral-membrane vesicles. To identify the Ca2+-pump protein, duodenal basolateral membranes were phosphorylated with [gamma-32P]ATP in the presence of Ca2+ and La3+, under conditions conducive for maximal formation of the phosphorylated intermediate of the Ca2+ pump. Four major phosphoprotein bands were seen on autoradiograms of acidic SDS/polyacrylamide gels; the properties of a phosphoprotein (pp) at 130 kDa (pp130) were consistent with those expected for the plasma-membrane Ca2+ pump. This phosphoprotein was markedly enhanced by La3+, exhibited the characteristics of an acyl-phosphate bond, was preferentially phosphorylated from ATP and inhibited by micromolar concentrations of vanadate. Another phosphoprotein of 115 kDa possibly represented the endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ pump or a fragment of pp130. Other phosphoproteins of 75 and 95 kDa were predominantly expressions of alkaline phosphatase. Formation of pp130 was highest in duodenal basolateral-membrane preparations when compared with those of jejunum and ileum or other subcellular fractions. A similar correlation between Ca2+-pump activity and pp130 formation was not found in membranes from villus-tip and crypt cells or in vitamin D-deficient animals. pp130 was isolated as a single phosphoprotein by calmodulin-affinity chromatography. We conclude that pp130 represents the phosphorylated intermediate of the rat intestinal basolateral-membrane Ca2+ pump, which can be separated from other phosphoproteins using its properties as a calmodulin-binding protein.

Intestinal basolateral membrane Ca-ATPase activity with properties distinct from those of the Ca-pump

The Ca-pump in rat intestinal basolateral membranes had been studied previously as vesicular ATP-dependent Ca-uptake. In the present studies, Ca-stimulated ATP hydrolysis (Ca-ATPase activity) was measured and found to differ from the Ca-pump in having higher activity and being insensitive to vanadate. Whereas the pump was specific for ATP, hydrolytic activity was found with ATP, GTP or ADP but not with AMP or p-nitro-phenyl-phosphate. In contrast to Ca-pump activity, Ca-ATPase activities were similar for different intestinal segments, for duodenal villus/crypt cell-fractions and for vitamin D-deficient animals. Thus, as usually measured, intestinal basolateral membrane Ca-ATPase activity is not equivalent to the Ca-pump.