Hydrophobic association of calpains with subcellular organelles. Compartmentalization of calpains and the endogenous inhibitor calpastatin in tissues

N terminus of calpain 1 is a mitochondrial targeting sequence

The ubiquitous m- and mu-calpains are thought to be localized in the cytosolic compartment, as is their endogenous inhibitor calpastatin. Previously, mu-calpain was found to be enriched in mitochondrial fractions isolated from rat cerebral cortex and SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells, but the submitochondrial localization of mu-calpain was not determined. In the present study, submitochondrial fractionation and digitonin permeabilization studies indicated that both calpain 1 and calpain small subunit 1, which together form mu-calpain, are present in the mitochondrial intermembrane space. The N terminus of calpain 1 contains an amphipathic alpha-helical domain, and is distinct from the N terminus of calpain 2. Calpain 1, but not calpain 2, was imported into mitochondria. Removal of the N-terminal 22 amino acids of calpain 1 blocked the mitochondrial calpain import, while addition of this N-terminal region to calpain 2 or green fluorescent protein enabled mitochondrial import. The N terminus of calpain 1 was not processed following mitochondrial import, but was removed by autolysis following calpain activation. Calpain small subunit 1 was not directly imported into mitochondria, but was imported in the presence of calpain 1. The presence of a mitochondrial targeting sequence in the N-terminal region of calpain 1 is consistent with the localization of mu-calpain to the mitochondrial intermembrane space and provides new insight into the possible functions of this cysteine protease.

Intracellular calcium level required for calpain activation in a single myocardial cell

We have hypothesized that calpain mediates myocardial injury induced by Ca(2+)overload. However, in vitro study demonstrated that the calcium requirement for calpain activation is around 10 microm, which is difficult to reach without the cell collapsing. Furthermore, because calpastatin is abundant in the myocardial cell, calpain may not be activated in physiological conditions. To elucidate whether calpain is activated by the calcium concentration reachable in myocardial living cells, we measured the calpain activity and the calcium concentration simultaneously in isolated guinea-pig cardiomyocytes. t-Butoxycarbonyl-Leu-Met-7-amino-4chlorimethylcoumarin (Boc-Leu-Met-CMAC), a fluorescent substrate of calpain, and/or fura red, a calcium indicator, were loaded into isolated cardiomyocytes together, and their fluorescence were measured separately. Intracellular Ca overload was induced by changing the superfusate from normal Tyrode solution to a sodium-free one. After changing the solution, fluorescence intensity of fura red and Boc-Leu-Met-CMAC did not change for a while, then fluorescence intensity of fura red began to rise. This was followed by the fluorescence intensity of Boc-Leu-Met-CMAC starting to rise 160+/-45 s after [Ca(2+)](i)increase. The relative fluorescence intensity of fura red increased to 1.37+/-0.32 folds of the control at the point that calpain became active. The calcium concentration at this point was estimated as 451 n m. These results indicate that calpain is activated by the slight rise of Ca concentration in intact cardiomyocytes.

Myoepithelial-specific CD44 shedding is mediated by a putative chymotrypsin-like sheddase

Our previous studies have demonstrated that myoepithelial cells, which surround incipient carcinomas in situ of the breast and other organs, exert antiinvasive and antiangiogenic effects in vitro through the elaboration of a number of different suppressor molecules among which include the shed membrane CD44. The present study addresses the mechanism of this myoepithelial CD44 shedding. This CD44 shedding is enhanced by PMA pretreatment, is specific for myoepithelial CD44, and inhibited by chymotrypsin-like inhibitors (chymostatin, alpha(1)-antichymotrypsin, TPCK, and SCCA-2) but not by trypsin-like inhibitors (TLCK), nor papain-like inhibitors (SCCA-1) nor hydroxamate-based or general metalloproteinase inhibitors (BB2516 (marimastat), 1,10-phenanthroline, and TIMP-1). The effect of PMA can be mimicked by exogenous chymotrypsin but not by other proteases. The CD44 shedding activity cannot be transferred by conditioned media, cell-cell contact, peripheral membrane, or integral membrane fractions. However, cell-free purified integral plasma membrane fractions obtained from myoepithelial cells pretreated with PMA also exhibit CD44 shedding which is inhibited by chymotrypsin-like inhibitors. These findings support the presence and activation of a putative chymotrypsin-like sheddase as the mechanism of CD44 shedding in myoepithelial cells.

Cytoplasmic processing is a prerequisite for presentation of an endogenous antigen by major histocompatibility complex class II proteins

Biochemical and functional studies have demonstrated major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II-restricted presentation of select epitopes derived from cytoplasmic antigens, with few insights into the processing reactions necessary for this alternate pathway. Efficient presentation of an immunodominant epitope derived from glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) was observed regardless of whether this antigen was delivered exogenously or via a cytoplasmic route into human histocompatibility leukocyte antigen class II-DR4(+) antigen-presenting cells. Presentation of exogenous as well as cytoplasmic GAD required the intersection of GAD peptides and newly synthesized class II proteins. By contrast, proteolytic processing of this antigen was highly dependent upon the route of antigen delivery. Exogenous GAD followed the classical pathway for antigen processing, with an absolute requirement for endosomal/lysosomal acidification as well as cysteine and aspartyl proteases resident within these organelles. Presentation of endogenous GAD was dependent upon the action of cytoplasmic proteases, including the proteasome and calpain. Thus, translocation of processed antigen from the cytoplasm into membrane organelles is necessary for class II-restricted presentation via this alternate pathway. Further trimming of these peptides after translocation was mediated by acidic proteases within endosomes/lysosomes, possibly after or before class II antigen binding. These studies suggest that processing of exogenous and cytoplasmic proteins occurs through divergent but overlapping pathways. Furthermore, two cytoplasmic proteases, the proteasome and calpain, appear to play important roles in MHC class II-restricted antigen presentation.

A sensitive, continuously recording fluorogenic assay for calpain

We have developed a sensitive and continuously recording fluorogenic assay for the thiol protease calpain. This assay uses the dipeptide substrate Suc-Leu-Tyr-4-Methoxy-2-Naphthylamine (Suc-LY-MNA) in Tris buffer (pH 7.5) in the presence of 0.1% CHAPS. The assay is linear over a wide range of enzyme concentration and is capable of detecting 10 picomolar calpain making it more sensitive than any previously published method. Moreover, this assay gives a rate that is linear for over ten minutes making it useful for mechanistic studies of inhibitors. This assay can be easily adapted to a 96-well plate format facilitating the large scale screening of inhibitors.

Dual response of calpain to rat brain postdecapitative ischemia

Calpains, Ca(2+)-dependent neutral proteinases (microM and mM Ca(2+)-sensitive), and their endogenous inhibitor calpastatin were examined in rat brain. Specific activity of m-calpain exceeded almost 10 times that of mu-calpain, and the both isoforms of calpain together with calpastatin were mainly located in the soluble fraction of homogenate. Acute postdecapitative ischemia of 15 min duration resulted in a gradual, time-dependent decrease of total mu-calpain activity (to 60% of control values) and in the moderate elevation of calpastatin activity (by 28%). The decrease of total mu-calpain activity coincided with its remarkable increase (above 300% of control values) in particulate fraction. In the case of m-calpain, the only observed effect of ischemia was its redistribution and, as a consequence, the elevation of activity in particulate fraction. The accumulation of breakdown products, resulting from calpain-catalyzed proteolysis of fodrin (as revealed by Western blotting) indicated activation of calpain under ischemia. The findings suggest that this rapid activation involves partial enzyme translocation toward membranes, and is followed (at least in acute phase) by mu-calpain downregulation and increased calpastatin activity.

Regulation of the calpain-calpastatin system by membranes (review)

Calpain, an intracellular calcium-dependent protease, is activated at cell membranes and cleaves cytoskeletal and submembranous proteins. Calpain is inferred to be a calcium-dependent regulator for cytoskeletal reorganization. Calpastatin, an endogenous calpain inhibitor, inhibits not only the proteolytic activity of calpain but also the binding of calpain to membranes. Calpain activity is strictly regulated by calcium and calpastatin. Calpain has two distinct sites for interaction with calpastatin, one the active site and the other an EF-hand domain. It is believed that calpain interacts with substrates through the same two sites. We discuss the regulation of membrane binding and the activity of calpain through these two sites.

Purification of mu-calpain by a novel affinity chromatography approach. New insights into the mechanism of the interaction of the protease with targets

A calmodulin-binding motif is a common structural feature of a number of calpain substrates (1). Since a calmodulin-like domain has been identified in both subunits of the calpain molecule, the proposal was made that the domain(s) would recognize the calmodulin-binding motifs of the substrates prior to the enzymatic modification by calpain. In keeping with the proposal, a successful attempt to purify mu-calpain from human erythrocytes was made by using an affinity chromatography approach in which the synthetic peptide C49, containing the calmodulin-binding domain of the plasma membrane Ca(2+)-ATPase, was coupled to a Sepharose matrix. The calmodulin-like domain of the catalytic subunit of human mu-calpain expressed in Escherichia coli was also retained by the C49-Sepharose column. Both mu-calpain and the calmodulin-like domain interacted with C49 in a Ca(2+)-dependent way and were eluted from the column by Ca(2+)-chelating agents. The finding confirmed the interaction between the calmodulin-binding domain of the plasma membrane Ca(2+)-ATPase and the calmodulin-like domain of mu-calpain. Experiments were performed to establish whether irreversibly inactivated mu-calpain or its expressed C-terminal portion containing the calmodulin-like domain could activate the hydrolysis of ATP by the plasma membrane Ca2+ pump, in keeping with evident ATPase stimulation of the same pump by calmodulin. A stimulation was observed, but it was much weaker than that induced by calmodulin.

Differential distribution of calpain in human lymphoid cells

Calpain, a calcium-activated neutral proteinase, is ubiquitously present in human tissues. To determine if lymphoid cells implicated in pathogenesis of demyelination may harbor calpain in a functionally active form, we determined both muCalpain and mCalpain activities in human lymphoid cell lines. DEAE-cellulose and phenylsepharose column chromatography were used to isolate the enzyme from the natural inhibitor, calpastatin. Lymphocytic lines (CCRF-CEM, MOLT-3, MOLT-4, M.R.) showed predominance of muCalpain (55-80%) whereas the monocytic line (U-937) showed predominance of mCalpain (77%). Proportion and subcellular distribution of both isoforms varied among cell lines. Calpains isolated from U-937 cells degraded myelin basic protein. These results indicate that human lymphoid cells harbor functionally active calpain that can degrade myelin components in vitro. The study suggests a degradative role for calpain in demyelinating diseases.

Modulation of thrombin-induced platelet aggregation by inhibition of calpain by a synthetic peptide derived from the thiol-protease inhibitory sequence of kininogens and S-(3-nitro-2-pyridinesulfenyl)-cysteine

Thrombin-induced platelet aggregation has been suggested to play an important role in reocclusion following thrombolytic therapy of angioplasty for treatment of myocardial infarction. We previously demonstrated that aggregation of washed platelets by thrombin is accompanied by cleavage of aggregin, a putative ADP receptor, and that these events are indirectly mediated by calpain, expressed on the surface of the external membrane. High-molecular-mass kininogen (HK) contains, in its heavy chain, domain 2, which is responsible for its action as a potent inhibitor of platelet calpain. Domain 3 of the heavy chain of HK directly inhibits binding of thrombin to platelets, confounding mechanistic studies using the entire molecule. Moreover, HK, a protease of 120 kDa, is unsuitable as a potential pharmacological agent. The highly conserved sequence Gln-Val-Val-Ala-Gly, present in HK and its evolutionary precursors, the cystatins, is thought to be involved in the binding of cysteine proteases but is, itself, not inhibitory. An affinity analog, Phe-Gln-Val-Val-Cys(Npys)-Gly-NH2(Npys, 3-nitro-2-sulfenylpyridine), P1, corresponding to the thiol-protease-binding sequence in HK and containing a ligand, Npys, that can react with the free sulfhydryl group in the active site of calpain, was synthesized. P1 was an irreversible inhibitor of platelet calpain. P1 selectively inhibited thrombin-induced aggregation of washed platelets and platelets in plasma, but did not inhibit the aggregatory effects of other platelet agonists. P1 did not inhibit the amidolytic activity and coagulant activity of thrombin. Unlike HK, P1 did not inhibit binding of thrombin to washed platelets. P1 did not inhibit thrombin-induced platelet-shape change. P1 neither raised intracellular levels of cAMP nor did it interfere with the ability of thrombin to antagonize the rise in intracellular levels of cAMP induced by iloprost, an analog of prostaglandin I2. The design and synthesis of P1 could leave to the development of a new class of inhibitors that selectively block thrombin-induced platelet aggregation while sparing other functions of this pathophysiological protease and without inhibiting the action of other platelet agonists.

Calpain concentration is elevated although net calcium-dependent proteolysis is suppressed in dystrophin-deficient muscle

The concentration, activity, and distribution of calcium-dependent proteases (calpains) are compared in dystrophin-deficient (mdx) and control mouse muscle. Calpains have been implicated previously as the protease responsible for the observed necrosis in dystrophin-deficient human muscle. Although these mouse and human muscular dystrophies have been attributed to similar genetic defects, the mouse dystrophy shows a brief necrotic episode while the human deficiency results in progressive, lethal muscle necrosis. Findings of the present study show that control mouse muscle contains more calcium-dependent proteolytic activity than dystrophin-deficient muscle. Paradoxically, adult, dystrophin-deficient mouse muscle contains higher concentrations of calpain than found in controls. Furthermore, indirect immunofluorescence using antisera produced against an oligopeptide found in the proteolytic domain of calpain shows that calpain distribution in dystrophin-deficient muscle is dispersed throughout the cytoplasm while immunolabeling of control muscle shows calpain concentrated at Z-discs. This redistribution is consistent with calpain activation in dystrophic muscle. These findings indicate that mdx mice possess the capability of suppressing calpain-mediated proteolysis. We speculate that this suppression may enable dystrophin-deficient mouse muscle to arrest necrosis and regenerate successfully.

Association of calpain with insoluble pellet of rat lens

Calpains are calcium-activated neutral proteases found in many tissues including the lens. The purpose of this research was to localize calpain in various biochemical fractions of the rat lens. Lenses were homogenized (with and without added calcium) and separated into water-soluble and -insoluble fractions, which were further extracted with urea, NaOH, and SDS. Of the total calpain 10% was insoluble. In the lens calpain was found to be both insoluble and associated with the membrane. Extraction of calpain from the insoluble fraction suggested calpain was loosely and tightly associated with the membrane. Calpain associated with membrane-rich fractions was obtained from discontinuous sucrose gradients, confirming the above. Calcium increased the amount of calpain associated with the insoluble fraction up to 30% of the total calpain. When the calcium was chelated, this calpain once again became soluble, and its specific activity was higher than water-soluble calpain. The translocation of calpain from the water-soluble fraction to insoluble fractions by calcium may be important because: (1) it may bring calpain into proximity with its substrates; and (2) it may activate calpain, since membrane phospholipids lower the protease's calcium requirement.

Calcium-activated neutral proteinase (calpain) activity in C6 cell line: compartmentation of mu and m calpain

Calcium-activated neutral proteinase (calpain) activity was determined, including in cytosol and membrane fractions, in rat glioma C6 cell line. The mu and m forms of calpain were separated by DEAE and phenylsepharose column chromatography and with removal of the endogenous inhibitor calpastatin. C6 cells contained more mcalpain than the mu isoform. More than 70% of mcalpain activity was membrane-associated and 20% was cytosolic. Isolated plasma membrane also contained 69% of the mcalpain activity. In contrast, approximately 80% of mucalpain activity was cytosolic and 16% was membranous. Half-maximal activity for mu and mcalpain was obtained at 1 microM and 0.2 mM CaCl2, respectively. Trypsin dissociation of cells reduced activity. Triton X-100 stimulated mcalpain activity of the whole homogenate and the membrane pellet but not of the cytosol. Activity of the myelin marker enzyme adenosine 2'3'-cyclic nucleotide 3'-phosphohydrolase (CNPase), was also found in C6 cells. The identification of calpain and CNPase in C6 cells is in keeping with an interpretation that C6 differentiation resembles, at least in part, that of the myelin-forming oligodendroglial cells.

Immunoassay and activity of calcium-activated neutral proteinase (mCANP): distribution in soluble and membrane-associated fractions in human and mouse brain

The millimolar form of calcium-activated neutral proteinase (mCANP) is generally regarded as a cytosolic enzyme in nonneuronal systems, although its subcellular localization in brain is less well established. To resolve conflicting reports on the localization of mCANP based on activity measurements, we developed an immunoassay for CANP and compared the content and activity of the molecule in soluble and membrane fractions of mouse and human brain. Western blot immunoassays, using two different antibodies specific for mCANP, demonstrated that mCANP content is 4.5 ng/g in human or mouse brain, about 0.0005% of the total protein. More than 95% of the total immunoreactive mCANP remained in the soluble fraction after 15,000 g centrifugation of the whole homogenate. mCANP activity was determined with [14C]azocasein as substrate after removing endogenous CANP inhibitor(s) by ion-exchange chromatography on DEAE-cellulose. Caseinolytic activity was detected only in fractions derived from the supernatant extract. The distribution of mCANP content and enzyme activity were unchanged when tissues were extracted with different concentrations of Triton X-100. These findings establish the usefulness and validity of the CANP immunoassay and demonstrate that mCANP in mouse and human brain is localized predominantly within the cytosol.

The role of ultimate pH in proteolysis and calpain/calpastatin activity in bovine muscle

Of a total of three Friesian cows, two of which had been treated with adrenalin before slaughter, Mm longissimus (LO), supraspinatus (SS), triceps brachii (TB) and rectus abdominis (RA) were sampled at different times post mortem (pm). pH, calpain/calpastatin activities and degradation of myofibrillar proteins, as evidenced by SDS-PAGE, were assessed. Contraction characteristics were measured by determining myofibrillar ATPase activities. Adrenalin treatment resulted in a high ultimate pH (6.48 +/- 0.40) and a faster decline pm of calpain I activity. The effect was similar in all four investigated muscles (72.4 +/- 5.4% decline at 24 h pm). The decline in calpain I activity in the control muscles was muscle-dependent and ranged from 22.8-74.3% at 24 h pm. Differences in ultimate pH did not lead to distinct rates of breakdown of proteins with molecular weights lower than that of myosin heavy chain. Calpastatin levels were muscle-dependent and correlated with myofibrillar ATPase activity (r = -0.99). In a second experiment Mm rectus abdominis (RA) and psoas major (PM) of adrenalin-treated (n = 6) and control (n = 6) Friesian-Holstein calves were sampled at 1 and 29 h pm for assessment of calpain activities. At seven days pm the M longissimus (LO) was sampled for tenderness evaluation. pH values were measured at 30 min, 4 h and 29 h pm. Adrenalin treatment resulted in a higher ultimate pH in the three muscles. Higher ultimate pH resulted in lower calpain activities in the RA at 29 h pm (P less than or equal to 0.025).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Localization of the Ca(2+)-dependent proteinases and their inhibitor in normal, fasted, and denervated rat skeletal muscle

Immunofluorescence and immunogold localization studies show that the two Ca(2+)-dependent proteinases (mu-calpain for the micromolar Ca(2+)-requiring proteinase and m-calpain for the millimolar Ca(2+)-requiring proteinase) and their protein inhibitor (calpastatin) are located exclusively intracellularly in normal rat soleus muscle. Quantitative immunogold studies indicate that binding of antibodies to both calpains and to calpastatin is approximately two times greater at the Z-disk of myofibrils than it is at the I-band or A-band regions. Mitochondria and nuclei in muscle cells contain both calpains and calpastatin at concentrations approximately one-tenth and one-fifth, respectively, of the concentration at the Z-disk, as estimated by antibody binding. Very little calpain or calpastatin was seen in the cytoplasmic intermyofibrillar spaces, and most of the calpain and calpastatin in muscle cells is associated with intracellular structures. Immunofluorescence results suggest that concentration of m-calpain but not mu-calpain or calpastatin is, in some instances, slightly higher near the intracellular surface of the plasma membrane than elsewhere in the muscle cell. Most m-calpain, however, is distributed throughout the interior of mature rat skeletal muscle cells. Denervation, or fasting and refeeding increases the concentration of the calpains and calpastatin in the muscle cell but does not change their distribution. Some mu- and m-calpain and calpastatin is found extracellularly in denervated soleus muscle or soleus muscle from fasting rats, but the extracellular calpains and calpastatin seem to originate from "leakage" of these proteins out of the cell because serum creatine kinase levels are much higher than normal in denervated or fasting rats.

Changes in brain calpain activity as a result of in vitro ischemia and pH alterations

Calpains and calpastatin in the brain of the rabbit were examined in experimental situations that could mimic some features of brain ischemia. Incubations of bisected brains in saline at 39 degrees C for 0.5, 1, or 1.5 h resulted in a decreased calpain I activity in the cytosol and in an increased hydrophobicity of cytosolic calpain II activity. Incubation of brain homogenates at different pH levels demonstrated an almost-complete transfer of calpains from the cytoplasmic compartment to the membranes when pH was lowered from 6 to 5. At pH values lower than 5, the total calpain activity (soluble plus membrane-bound) markedly decreased. No significant changes of calpastatin activity or its subcellular distribution was found following incubation of the homogenates at different pH levels.

Calpain inhibitor I prevents rapid postmortem degradation of benzodiazepine binding proteins: fluorographic and immunological evidence

Endogenous proteolysis of the major central benzodiazepine (BZ) binding protein of 53K occurs rapidly postmortem and leads to a fragment of 47K. To determine indirectly the protease responsible for this proteolysis, membranes of porcine cortex were prepared from homogenates, which were either frozen immediately or left at room temperature for 12 h in the presence or absence of various representative protease inhibitors. Membranes were subsequently photolabeled with [3H]flunitrazepam, and subjected to sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and fluorography or immunoblotted using an alpha-subunit-specific monoclonal antibody bd-24. Both fluorographs and immunoblots revealed that calpain inhibitor I, Ep-459 (E-64 analogue), and EDTA (greater than or equal to 1 mM) prevent endogenous proteolysis. In future studies one of these inhibitors should be added to receptor preparations. The results indicate that calpain is the responsible protease.

Digestion of proteins associated with the Z-disc by calpain

The Z-disc of striated muscle is degraded by the Ca2(+)-activated proteinase, calpain, during autolysis of muscle fibres. The effect of calpain on proteins in preparations of Z-discs isolated from Lethocerus flight muscle has been studied. Calpain releases alpha-actinin from the Z-disc and digests two hydrophobic proteins associated with the Z-disc, zeelin 1 (35 kD) and zeelin 2 (23 kD). The Ca2+ sensitivity of zeelin digestion is shifted to lower Ca2+ concentrations (within the physiological range) in the presence of the phospholipids phosphatidyl inositol or phosphatidyl choline and diacylglycerol. The release of alpha-actinin is not affected by phospholipid. Preparations of isolated Z-discs have five times as much associated phospholipid (w/w) as myofibrils and the composition of the lipid differs from that of myofibrils. In muscle fibres the action of calpain on zeelins may be controlled by the composition of phospholipid in the fibres as well as by Ca2+.

Persistent Ca2(+)-induced activation of erythrocyte membrane Ca2(+)-ATPase unrelated to calpain proteolysis

Preincubation of human erythrocyte membranes with calcium in the submillimolar to millimolar concentration range resulted in an increase of the Ca2+ affinity and apparent maximum velocity of the Ca2(+)-stimulated Mg2(+)-dependent ATPase (Ca2(+)-ATPase). The activation was persistent, as it was not reversed when the Ca2(+)-preincubated membranes were washed with ethylene glycol bis(beta-aminoethyl ether) N,N'-tetraacetic acid-containing buffers. Magnesium was not required for the activation, whereas greater than 2 mM Mg2+ partially antagonized the activation by Ca2+. In some membrane preparations ATP was required in addition to Ca2+ for activation of the Ca2(+)-ATPase, but nonhydrolyzable analogs of ATP had the same effect. Calmodulin prevented the activation by Ca2+ over the same concentration range in which it interacts with the Ca2(+)-ATPase. Taken together the results obtained provided strong evidence that the Ca2+ activation of the enzyme was not due to proteolytic cleavage by endogenous calpain. Thus, activation by Ca2+ was not blocked by leupeptin (100-200 microM), did not require dithiothreitol, and occurred at Ca2+ concentrations greater than those required for activation of calpain I. Furthermore, Ca2+ activation did not result in change in the mobility the native 136-kDa species of the Ca2(+)-ATPase on SDS-gel electrophoresis. Moreover, solubilization of the Ca2(+)-pretreated membranes with Triton X-100 reversed the Ca2+ activation of the Ca2(+)-ATPase. On the other hand, Ca2(+)-pretreatment of the membranes modified the susceptibility of the Ca2(+)-ATPase to both cleavage and activation by exogenously added calpain I. We conclude that pretreatment of Ca2(+)-ATPase in erythrocyte membranes with millimolar Ca2+ activates the enzyme by inducing a persistent conformational change of the enzyme which is, however, subsequently reversed by detergent solubilization.

Calpain and calpastatin activity in the optic pathway

The levels of the neutral proteolytic enzymes calpains and their endogenous inhibitor calpastatin were determined in the retina and in the retrobulbar optic pathway in the albino rabbit. The highest level of calpains was observed in the optic nerve with decreasing levels in the optic tract and superior colliculus. The level of calpastatin in the retina was very low compared to that in the optic nerve and tract and other parts of the nervous system.

Calpain and calpastatin in rabbit corneal epithelium

The purpose of this study was to provide a direct assay for calpain and its endogenous inhibitor calpastatin in normal rabbit epithelium. Corneal epithelial extracts were fractionated by DEAE (1) chromatography on HPLC. Fractions were analyzed for calpain by ELISA, immunoblotting, and caseinolytic enzyme activity with FITC-labeled casein. Results demonstrated immunoreactive peaks for calpains I and II. Calpain II from the soluble fraction of corneal epithelium eluted at a similar NaCl concentration (260 mM) as calpain II from other tissues, was inhibited by both E64 and the removal of Ca, contained an 80 kDa subunit in immunoblots, and was present at specific activity of 220 units/g protein (in a crude homogenate). Calpain antigen was also present in the EDTA/EGTA washed insoluble fraction of corneal epithelium. Calpastatin in corneal epithelium eluted at 130 - 160 mM NaCl on DEAE, coeluted with calpain I, and was present at 330 units/g protein (crude homogenate). The results demonstrated a calpain/calpastatin system in corneal epithelium, where it is speculated to play a role in epithelial cell turnover and wound healing.

Calpains (intracellular calcium-activated cysteine proteinases): structure-activity relationships and involvement in normal and abnormal cellular metabolism

1. Calpains (calcium-activated cysteine proteinases) have evolved by gene fusion events involving calmodulin-like genes, cysteine proteinase genes and other sequences of unknown origin. 2. The enzymes are composed of two non-identical subunits, each of which contains functional calcium-binding sequences. 3. Calpains are inhibited by the endogenous protein inhibitor, calpastatin and some calmodulin antagonists are also inhibitors of calpain. A number of synthetic proteinase inhibitors also inhibit calpains. 4. Calpains can be activated by phospholipids, an endogenous protein activator and some amino acid derivatives. 5. Various protein substrates for calpains have been recognized in vitro, but the identity of in situ substrates remains unclear. 6. Proposals have been made for calpain function, including involvement in signal transduction, platelet activation, cell fusion, mitosis and cytoskeleton and contractile protein turnover. 7. Calpain and calpastatin expression is altered in a number of abnormal states including muscular dystrophy, muscle denervation and tenotomy, hypertension and platelet abnormalities.

Age-related changes in calpain II and calpastatin in rat lens

The purpose of these experiments was to determine how the activity and regulation of calpain in rat lens changed during aging. Calpain II enzyme activity and immunoreactivity decreased with both chronological and anatomical age. Two pieces of data suggested that loss of soluble calpain II was a result of both autolysis and insolubilization during aging: (i) proteolytic fragments of calpain were detected in lenses with molecular weights similar to fragments produced during incubation of purified calpain II with calcium; (ii) the water-insoluble fraction of lens cortex contained increasing amounts of calpain antigen during aging both the 75-kDa calpain subunit and a unique high-molecular-weight immunoreactive protein. The regulation of calpain II also appeared to change with age. The activity of calpain II in vivo may be regulated by the relative concentrations of calpain II and its endogenous inhibitor calpastatin. Calpain II concentrations decreased in the rat lens with age, whereas levels of the endogenous inhibitor calpastatin were maintained. Assays of calpain II and calpastatin indicated that upon aging there was insufficient activity of calpain II to overcome the inhibition of calpastatin in the nucleus. These findings were confirmed by incubation of crude lens homogenates of 2-week- and 7-month-old rat lens regions with calcium. It is hypothesized that binding of calpain II to membrane may be important for calpain II activation, especially in older lens regions, because it may allow escape from the inhibitory action of calpastatin.

In vivo effect of a beta-adrenergic agonist on activity of calcium-dependent proteinases, their specific inhibitor, and cathepsins B and H in skeletal muscle

DEAE-Sephacel and phenyl-Sepharose chromatography were compared as methods for separating and quantitatively isolating calpain I, calpain II, and calpastatin from lamb muscle extracts. DEAE-Sephacel chromatography gave greater than 90% recovery of all three proteins, while phenyl-Sepharose gave only 70, 66, and 48% of the DEAE recovery of calpain I, calpain II, and calpastatin, respectively. Additionally, DEAE-Sephacel chromatography was shown to effectively separate calpastatin and calpain I. Consequently DEAE-Sephacel appears to be superior to phenyl-Sepharose for quantitative isolation of the components of the calcium-dependent proteinase system from muscle extracts. Dietary administration of beta-agonist (L-644, 969; Merck Sharpe & Dohme Research Laboratories) decreases extractable calpain I activity in lamb longissimus dorsi (LD) muscle by 10-14% (P less than 0.05), increases calpain II activity by 34-42% (P less than 0.001), and increases calpastatin activity by 59-75% (P less than 0.001). Additionally, net cathepsin B activity is reduced by 30% (P less than 0.05) in the LD of beta-agonist-treated lambs. Reduced activity of the calcium-dependent or catheptic proteinase systems may contribute to the increased protein accretion in muscles of beta-agonist-treated lambs.

Developmental changes of calpain and calpastatin in rabbit brain

A major part of the Ca-activated proteolytic activity in the soluble fraction from rabbit brain could be due to the activity of the neutral thiol-proteases calpain I and II. The activity of calpains exceeded that of the endogenous inhibitor, calpastatin, at all developmental stages studied. The level of calpains increased rapidly from the prenatal stage to reach a peak 10-20 days postnatally. From this period the level of calpains decreased slowly to reach the adult levels. The level of calpastatin increased steadily from the prenatal stage to old age.

Calcium-induced localization of calcium-activated neutral proteinase on plasma membranes

The location of calcium-activated neutral proteinase (CANP) was determined in human erythrocytes by crosslinking CANP to co-localizing proteins using a photolabeling bifunctional reagent, 4,4'-dithiobisphenylazide (DTBPA). The crosslinked products were selectively isolated by immunoprecipitation with a polyclonal anti-CANP antibody and analyzed by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis after cleavage of the crosslinkage. In the calcium-free incubation medium the main proteins crosslinked with CANP were cytosolic proteins such as hemoglobin. In the presence of calcium ions, on the other hand, membrane skeletal proteins such as spectrin, band 4.1, 4.2 and 6 proteins as well as band 3 were crosslinked with CANP. Addition of calcium ionophore further increased the amount of crosslinked membrane proteins. These results suggest that in the absence of calcium ions CANP exists diffusely in the cytoplasm and is crosslinked with cytoplasmic hemoglobin nonspecifically while in the presence of calcium ions CANP associated with membrane where it is crosslinked specifically with the lining proteins. Thus it is demonstrated biochemically that the localization of CANP is dynamic depending on the presence of calcium ions.

The regional and subcellular distribution of calcium activated neutral proteinase (CANP) in the bovine central nervous system

Calcium-activated neutral proteinase (CANP) activity was determined in subcellular fractions and in different regions of bovine brain. The CANP specific activity in spinal cord and corpus callosum, areas rich in myelin, were almost six-fold greater than cerebral cortex and cerebellum. Treatment of whole homogenate and myelin with 0.1% Triton X-100 increased the CANP activity by tenfold. Subcellular fractions were prepared from bovine brain gray and white matter. Most of the CANP activity (70%) was in the primary particulate fractions P1 (nuclear), P2 (mitochondrial) and P3 (microsomal). On subfractionation of each particulate fraction, the majority of the activity (greater than 50%) was recovered in the myelin-enriched fractions (P1A, P2A, P3A) which separate at the interphase of 0.32 M- and 0.85 M-sucrose. The distribution of activity was P2A greater than P1A greater than P3A. Further purification of myelin (of P2A) increased the specific activity over homogenate by more than three-fold. The same myelin fractions contained the highest proportion (60%) and specific activity (five-fold increase) of CNPase. The enzyme activity in different regions of brain and in subcellular fractions was increased by 20-39% after the inhibitor was removed. Electron microscopic study confirmed that the myelin fractions were highly purified. The cytosolic fraction contained 20-30% of the total homogenate CANP activity. Other fractions contained low enzyme activity. CANP was identified in the purified myelin fraction by electroimmublot-technique. It is concluded that the bulk of CANP in CNS is tightly bound to the membrane, may be masked or hidden and is intimately associated with the myelin sheath.

Calpain and calpastatin levels in different organs of the rabbit

1. The levels of Ca-independent and Ca-dependent proteolytic activity as well as the activities of calpains and calpastatin in different organs of the rabbit was examined at various developmental stages. 2. Calpain and calpastatin levels were highest in the lung and in the kidney. 3. In all organs examined except the thymus the total level of calpain was higher than that of calpastatin. 4. In the thymus the levels of calpains and calpastatin decreased markedly with age.

Age-dependent changes in murine protein kinase and protease enzymes

Hormone responsiveness is mediated by signal transduction mechanisms involving second messengers, such as cAMP and Ca2+, which regulate reversible changes in the phosphorylation state of proteins. During senescence individuals frequently exhibit a diminished responsiveness to hormones. We examined changes in enzymes involved in protein phosphorylation reactions that might account for this decreased adaptiveness in old mice, and observed the following post-maturational changes: (1) cAMP-dependent protein kinase (Pk-A) specific activity decreased in spleen cytosol and in the particulate fractions of lung, spleen and liver of 24-month-old mice as compared to 2-month-old mice. Splenic cytosolic Pk-A activity decreased by 18 months of age, while particulate activity decreased by 6 months; (2) The amount of 8-N3-[32P]cAMP, a photoaffinity analog of cAMP, incorporated into Pk-A regulatory (R)-subunits from spleen and liver particulate fractions decreased, while photolabeling of R-subunit degradative products with this analog in heart and spleen cytosol increased. (3) Age-dependent increases in membrane-associated protease activities were found in all organs, along with a decrease in cytosolic lung calpain activity. These proteolytic changes may account for the enhanced R-subunit degradation and decreased Pk-A activities observed during senescence. (4) Age-dependent alterations in Ca2+/phospholipid-dependent protein kinase (Pk-C) are organ specific: lung, liver, brain, and heart demonstrate no change in Pk-C activity, while spleen exhibits decreased activity. We hypothesize that these age-dependent alterations in kinase and proteolytic activities may be in part responsible for changes in cellular response to hormonal stimulation, differentiation signals, and antigen responsiveness during senescence.

The relation between dietary restriction or clenbuterol (a selective beta 2 agonist) treatment on muscle growth and calpain proteinase (EC 3.4.22.17) and calpastatin activities in lambs

1. Lamb growth trials were designed to modify growth and protein content of muscle by diet and also by beta-agonist treatment, and to correlate any changes to the activities of calpain proteinases (EC 3.4.22.17) and their inhibitor calpastatin. 2. Wether lambs in a control group were fed on a barley-based diet designed to give a growth rate of 350 g/d; a second group was fed on the same diet but the intake was restricted to give an expected gain of 44 g/d; a third group was fed on the same diet as the first group but the diet included 2 mg clenbuterol/kg. At the end of a 6-week trial, longissimus dorsi wet weights were 635 (n6), 377 (n4) and 788 g (n6) (standard error of difference 53.0) in the three groups respectively. 3. Minced L. dorsi was extracted in low-salt buffers and analysed by a fast protein liquid-chromatographic system for calpain I (low calcium-requiring), calpain II (high Ca2+-requiring) and calpastatin activities. No significant changes in the three activities were associated with reduced muscle weight in the restricted-intake group. The inclusion of clenbuterol in the diet, however, led to highly significant increases (P less than 0.001) in calpain II and calpastatin to approximately double the control values. 4. The results did not support a direct relation between these activities and muscle growth, except when protein accretion was stimulated by a beta-agonist, suggesting a role for this enzyme system in the mechanism by which these agents exert their effect.

Myelin-associated calpain II

Anti-chicken muscle calpain (calcium-activated neutral protease) antibody (ACAb) was found to be absorbed by purified human brain myelin when titrated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, suggesting the close association of the protease with myelin. To confirm this, calcium-dependent protease was extracted from myelin membrane and purified on a phenyl Sepharose CL 4B column. It was activated by calcium ion in the millimolar range, and therefore was determined to be calpain II. This enzyme fraction was electrophoresed and immunostained with ACAb, resulting in staining as a single band with apparent molecular weight of 80K. This protease degraded exogenous myelin-associated glycoprotein. From the present results, it is suggested that calpain is bound to myelin membrane and involved in the turnover of myelin proteins.

Calcium-activated neutral proteinase in rat brain myelin and subcellular fractions

The activity of calcium-activated neutral proteinase (mM CANP) was determined in subcellular fractions of rat brain. The CANP activity in whole homogenate and its membrane fractions including myelin was increased ten-fold following treatment with Triton X-100. The majority of the activity (60%) was in the primary particulate fractions P1 (nuclear), P2 (mitochondrial), and P3 (microsomal). Following subfractionation of each particulate fraction, most of the activity (50%) was found in the myelin-enriched fractions (P1A, P2A, and P3A) and separated at the interface of 0.32-0.85 M sucrose. Only 20-30% of the total homogenate activity was in cytosol. The enrichment in the myelin fractions resembled that for 2',3'-cyclic nucleotide 3'-phosphohydrolase (CNPase) activity. Immunoblotting revealed that the CANP was mainly in myelin and cytosol. In addition to the presence of 72-76 Kd and 80 Kd bands, there were faint high-molecular-weight CANP bands ranging from 110-150 Kd and lower-molecular-weight forms in the region of 30-50 Kd in both purified myelin and cytosol. These studies suggested that CANP is present in myelin and cytosol and that it exists in the brain in membrane-bound and soluble forms.

The Ca2+-dependent protease inhibitor of rat ventral prostate: properties of the inhibitor and effects of castration on Ca2+-dependent protease and inhibitor activities

1. The rat ventral prostate contains a heat stable inhibitor of Ca2+-dependent protease. This inhibitor was found to exist in a wide range of molecular weights (approx. 40-270 kDa) in adult rats. 2. However, in rats immediately post puberty (45 days of age) the inhibitor was predominantly of the higher molecular weight forms. 3. The inhibitor was also found in the dorsolateral and anterior (coagulating gland) prostate lobes but was of lower specific activity than in the ventral lobe. 4. Although the activities of the Ca2+-dependent protease and inhibitor decreased per ventral prostate gland after castration, these activities were not different during the first 10 days postcastration when expressed per g wet wt or per unit cytosol protein. 5. With a longer duration of castration, there was a decline in the specific activity (per unit protein) of the protease and an increase in that of the inhibitor. 6. Thus, the activities of the protease and inhibitor change in concert with the amount of cellular cytosol protein during the active period of castration-induced atrophy. 7. However, in long term castrated rats, functions carried out by the Ca2+-dependent protease may be effectively suppressed. 8. These data suggest that the Ca2+-activated protease probably is involved in the regulation of some metabolic processes in the active gland and is not prominent in the castration induced atrophy of the ventral prostate unless it functions through the proteolysis of some select protein(s).

Regulation of activity of calcium activated neutral protease

Various lines of evidence suggest that calcium dependent protease (CANP, calpain) exists in the cytosol as an inactive proenzyme which is converted to an active form by autolysis. During autolysis only the N-terminal regions of both subunits of proCANP are modified. About 20 and 90 residues are removed from the large and small subunits, respectively. The N-terminal region (domain I) of the large subunit modified during autolysis precedes the protease domain and corresponds to the propeptides of various cysteine proteinases. Analyses of the autocatalytic activation of CANP in the presence of plasma membranes reveal that proCANP translocates to the membrane in the presence of microM Ca2+ and is activated at the membrane. The CANP inhibitor and Ca2+ are the most important factors for the regulation of CANP activity. The primary translation product of the mRNA for rabbit liver CANP inhibitor contains four internal repeats. Structural analyses of the liver and erythrocyte inhibitors reveal that they contain four and three repeats, respectively. The repeating unit was identified as the functional unit of the inhibitor and each unit inhibits one mole of CANP. On the basis of these results, an activation mechanism for proCANP at the membrane was proposed. The native enzyme, which has been called CANP or calpain, should now be called proCANP or calpainogen. CANP and calpain should be used for the autolyzed active form.

Calpain and calpastatin levels in dystrophic hamster skeletal muscles

1. Two fast-twitch skeletal muscles from normal and dystrophic hamsters were analysed for their calpain and calpastatin contents. 2. Assays of wide-specificity calpain II showed that the activity levels in the two muscles were increased 1.5 and 1.6 times in dystrophic animals. 3. Analysis of calpastatin levels showed that the respective dystrophic muscles had activity levels of 2.2 and 2.8 times those of control muscles. 4. These results contrast with previous studies on denervated hamster muscles which showed that denervation causes an increase in calpain levels but a decrease in calpastatin levels.

Susceptibility of protein kinase C to oxidative inactivation: loss of both phosphotransferase activity and phorbol diester binding

Exposure of protein kinase C to low concentrations of either N-chlorosuccinimide or H2O2 resulted in rapid and parallel loss of phosphotransferase activity and phorbol ester binding. This oxidative inactivation of protein kinase C also occurred in intact cells exposed to a low concentration of H2O2. With H2O2 treatment the rate of inactivation of protein kinase C in the cytosol of MCF-7 cells was rather slower than that which occurred in the cytosol of PYS cells. However, in both cell types, the oxidative inactivation of membrane-associated protein kinase C occurred rapidly in comparison to the enzyme in the cytosol. Prior treatment of cells with phorbol ester to induce membrane association (stabilization) of protein kinase C, followed by exposure to H2O2, resulted in increased inactivation of protein kinase C, suggesting that membrane association of protein kinase C increases its susceptibility to oxidative inactivation.

Preferential localization of calcium-activated neutral protease in epithelial tissues

Immunohistochemical localization of calcium-activated neutral protease (CANP) in rabbit organs was determined using a monoclonal antibody against CANP. In most organs, epithelial tissues reacted intensely: these tissues include great alveolar and squamous alveolar cells in lung; interlobular artery, vein, and bile duct in liver; small vessels in skeletal muscle; glomeruli, juxtanglomerular cells, distal and collecting tubules in kidney; mucous epithelium in gallbladder; interstitial cells in testis; and cuboidal epithelial cells in brain choroid plexus. On the other hand, hepatocytes, epithelial cells which have ill defined basal lamina, were stained very faintly. These observations suggest that the physiological function of CANP is involved with transport systems in epithelial tissues through basal lamina.