Genomic structure and chromosomal mapping of the human and mouse hippocalcin genes

Hippocalcin, new Ca(2+) sensor of a ROS-GC subfamily member, ONE-GC, membrane guanylate cyclase transduction system

Hippocalcin is a member of the neuronal Ca(2+) sensor protein family. Among its many biochemical functions, its established physiological function is that via neuronal apoptosis inhibitory protein it protects the neurons from Ca(2+)-induced cell death. The precise biochemical mechanism/s, through which hippocalcin functions, is not clear. In the present study, a new mechanism by which it functions is defined. The bovine form of hippocalcin (BovHpca) native to the hippocampus has been purified, sequenced, cloned, and studied. The findings show that there is the evolutionary conservation of its structure. It is a Ca(2+)-sensor of a variant form of the ROS-GC subfamily of membrane guanylate cyclases, ONE-GC. It senses physiological increments of Ca(2+) with a K(1/2) of 0.5 microM and stimulates ONE-GC or ONE-GC-like membrane guanylate cyclase. The Hpca-modulated ONE-GC-like transduction system exists in the hippocampal neurons. And hippocalcin-modulated ONE-GC transduction system exists in the olfactory receptor neuroepithelium. The Hpca-gene knock out studies demonstrate that the portion of this is about 30% of the total membrane guanylate cyclase transduction system. The findings establish Hpca as a new Ca(2+) sensor modulator of the ROS-GC membrane guanylate cyclase transduction subfamily. They support the concept on universality of the presence and operation of the ROS-GC transduction system in the sensory and sensory-linked neurons. They validate that the ROS-GC transduction system exists in multiple forms. And they provide an additional mechanism by which ROS-GC subfamily acts as a transducer of the Ca(2+) signals originating in the neurons.

Hippocalcin protects against caspase-12-induced and age-dependent neuronal degeneration

Hippocalcin is a neuronal calcium binding protein, but its physiological function in brain is unknown. We show here that hippocampal neurons from hippocalcin-deficient mice are more vulnerable to degeneration, particularly using thapsigargin, elevating intracellular calcium. Caspase-12 was activated in neurons lacking hippocalcin, while calpain was unchanged. Neuronal viability was accompanied by endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and a change in the relative induction of the ER chaperone, BiP/GRP78. Neuronal apoptosis inhibitor protein (NAIP), known to interact with hippocalcin, was not altered, but hippocampal neurons from gene-deleted mice were more sensitive to excitotoxicity caused by kainic acid. In addition, an age-dependent increase in neurodegeneration occurred in the gene-deleted mice, showing that hippocalcin contributes to neuronal viability during aging.

Hippocalcin-deficient mice display a defect in cAMP response element-binding protein activation associated with impaired spatial and associative memory

Hippocalcin is a member of the neuronal calcium sensor (NCS) protein family that is highly expressed in hippocampal pyramidal cells and moderately expressed in the neurons of cerebral cortex, cerebellum and striatum. Here we examined the physiological roles of hippocalcin using targeted gene disruption. Hippocalcin-deficient (-/-) mice displayed no obvious structural abnormalities in the brain including hippocampal formation at the light microscopic level. Deletion of hippocalcin did not result in up-regulation of the hippocalcin-related proteins; neural visinin-like Ca(2+)-binding proteins (NVP) 1, 2, and 3. The synaptic excitability of hippocampal CA1 neurons appeared to be normal, as estimated by the shape of field excitatory postsynaptic potentials elicited by single- and paired-pulse stimuli, and by tetanic stimulation. However, N-methyl-d-aspartate stimulation- and depolarization-induced phosphorylation of cAMP-response element-binding protein (CREB) was significantly attenuated in -/- hippocampal neurons, suggesting an impairment in an activity-dependent gene expression cascade. In the Morris water maze test, the performance of -/- mice was comparable to that of wild-type littermates except in the probe test, where -/- mice crossed the previous location of the platform significantly less often than +/+ mice. Hippocalcin-deficient mice were also impaired on a discrimination learning task in which they needed to respond to a lamp illuminated on the left or right side to obtain food reinforcement. No abnormalities were observed in motor activity, anxiety behavior, or fear learning. These results suggest that hippocalcin plays a crucial role in the Ca(2+)-signaling pathway that underlies long-lasting neural plasticity and that leads to spatial and associative memory.

Mouse DREAM/calsenilin/KChIP3: gene structure, coding potential, and expression

Ca2+-binding proteins containing EF-hands are important constituents of intracellular signaling pathways. Recently, three new members of the Neuronal Calcium Sensor subgroup have been cloned in humans. Calsenilin interacts with presenilins, DREAM is a calcium-regulated transcriptional repressor and KChIP3 binds and modulates A-type potassium channels. Here we describe the mouse full-length cDNA and the genomic locus, demonstrating that the three proteins are encoded by the same unique gene. Various mechanisms contribute to the coding potential of this locus. These include alternate translation starts in the first exon and alternative splicing yielding transcripts lacking the EF-hand domains. In situ hybridization, RT-PCR, and Northern blotting reveal nervous system-restricted expression largely coinciding with the distribution of the Kv4.2 alpha-subunit of potassium channels. The presence of transcripts in early embryonic stages suggests roles for the protein also during development.