Decreased expression of high-molecular-weight calmodulin-binding protein and its correlation with apoptosis in ischemia-reperfused rat heart

Calmodulin-binding proteins: A journey of 40 years

The proteins which bind to calmodulin in a Ca²⁺-dependent and reversible manner are known as calmodulin-binding proteins. These proteins are involved in a multitude of processes in which Ca²⁺ and calmodulin play crucial roles. Our group elucidated the mechanism and importance of these proteins in normal and diseased conditions. Various calmodulin-binding proteins were discovered and purified from bovine tissue including a heat stable calmodulin-binding protein 70, calmodulin-dependent protein kinase VI and a high molecular weight calmodulin-binding protein (HMWCaMBP). We observed a complex interplay occurs between these and other Ca²⁺ and calmodulin-binding proteins during cardiac ischemia and reperfusion. Purified cardiac HMWCaMBP is a homolog form of calpastatin and an inhibitor of the Ca²⁺-activated cysteine proteases, calpains and therefore can have cardioprotective role in ischemic conditions. Calcineurin is a Ca²⁺ and calmodulin-dependent serine/threonine protein phosphatase showed increased phosphatase activity in ischemic heart through its direct interaction with Hsp70 and expression of calcineurin following ischemia suggests self-repair and favorable survival outcomes. Calcineurin was also found to be present in other tissues including the eye; where its expression and calcineurin phosphatase activity varied. In neurons, calcineurin may play a key role in initiating apoptosis-related pathways especially in epilepsy. In colorectal cancer we demonstrated high calcineurin phosphatase activity and simultaneous overexpression of calcineurin. The impact of calcineurin signaling on neuronal apoptosis in epilepsy and its use as a diagnostic marker for colorectal cancer requires in-depth study.

Mitochondrial inner membrane protein (mitofilin) knockdown induces cell death by apoptosis via an AIF-PARP-dependent mechanism and cell cycle arrest

Mitofilin is an inner membrane protein that has been defined as a mitochondria-shaping protein in controlling and maintaining mitochondrial cristae structure and remodeling. We determined the role of mitofilin in cell survival by investigating the mechanism underlying mitofilin knockdown-induced cell death by apoptosis. Cultured H9c2 myoblasts and HEK 293 cells were treated with mitofilin siRNA or scrambled siRNA for 24 h. Cell death (apoptosis), caspase 3 activity and cell cycle phases were assessed by flow cytometry, while cytochrome c release and intracellular ATP production were measured by ELISA. Mitofilin, apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) expression were measured by Western blot analysis and calpain activity was assessed using a calpain activity kit. Mitochondrial images were taken using electron microscopy. We found that mitofilin knockdown increases apoptosis mainly via activation of the AIF-PARP pathway leading to nuclear fragmentation that is correlated with S phase arrest of the cell cycle. Knockdown of mitofilin also led to mitochondrial swelling and damage of cristae that is associated with the increase in reactive oxygen species production and mitochondrial calpain activity, as well as a marked decrease in intracellular ATP production and mitochondrial membrane potential. Together, these results indicate that mitofilin knockdown by siRNA increases calpain activity that presumably leads to mitochondrial structural degradation resulting in a critical reduction of mitochondrial function that is responsible for the increase in cell death by apoptosis via an AIF-PARP mechanism and associated with nuclear fragmentation, and S phase arrest of the cell cycle.

Expression of calcineurin, calpastatin and heat shock proteins during ischemia and reperfusion

Objective

Calcineurin (CaN) interacts with calpains (Calpn) and causes cellular damage eventually leading to cell death. Calpastatin (Calp) is a specific Calpn inhibitor, along with CaN stimulation has been implicated in reduced cell death and self-repair. Molecular chaperones, heat shock proteins (Hsp70 and Hsp90) acts as regulators in Calpn signaling. This study aims to elucidate the role of CaN, Calp and Hsps during induced ischemia and reperfusion in primary cardiomyocyte cultures (murine).

Methods and results

Protein expression was analyzed concurrently with viability using flow cytometry (FACS) in ischemia- and reperfusion-induced murine cardiomyocyte cultures. The expression of Hsp70 and Hsp90, both being molecular chaperones, increased during ischemia with a concurrent increase in death of cells expressing these proteins. The relative expression of Hsp70 and Hsp90 during ischemia with respect to CaN was enhanced in comparison to Calp. Reperfusion slightly decreased the number of cells expressing these chaperones. There was no increase in death of cells co-expressing Hsp70 and Hsp90 along with CaN and Calp. CaN expression peaked during ischemia and subsequent reperfusion reduced its expression and cell death. Calp expression increased both during ischemia and subsequent reperfusion but cell death decreased during reperfusion.

Conclusion

The present study adds to the existing knowledge that Hsp70, Hsp90, CaN and Calp interact with each other and play significant role in cardio protection.

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Differential expression of calcineurin and calpastatin during ischemia and reperfusion.

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Enhanced ischemia induced cell death in cells expressing Hsp70 and Hsp90.

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Cardio protective role of calcineurin, calpastatin, Hsp70 and Hsp90.

Ischemia and reperfusion induce differential expression of calpastatin and its homologue high molecular weight calmodulin-binding protein in murine cardiomyocytes

In the heart, calpastatin (Calp) and its homologue high molecular weight calmodulin-binding protein (HMWCaMBP) regulate calpains (Calpn) by inhibition. A rise in intracellular myocardial Ca²⁺ during cardiac ischemia activates Calpn thereby causing damage to myocardial proteins, which leads to myocyte death and consequently to loss of myocardial structure and function. The present study aims to elucidate expression of Calp and HMWCaMBP with respect to Calpn during induced ischemia and reperfusion in primary murine cardiomyocyte cultures. Ischemia and subsequently reperfusion was induced in ∼80% confluent cultures of neonatal murine cardiomyocytes (NMCC). Flow cytometric analysis (FACS) has been used for analyzing protein expression concurrently with viability. Confocal fluorescent microscopy was used to observe protein localization. We observed that ischemia induces increased expression of Calp, HMWCaMBP and Calpn. Calpn expressing NMCC on co-expressing Calp survived ischemic induction compared to NMCC co-expressing HMWCaMBP. Similarly, living cells expressed Calp in contrast to dead cells which expressed HMWCaMBP following reperfusion. A significant difference in the expression of Calp and its homologue HMWCaMBP was observed in localization studies during ischemia. The current study adds to the existing knowledge that HMWCaMBP could be a putative isoform of Calp. NMCC on co-expressing Calp and Calpn-1 survived ischemic and reperfusion inductions compared to NMCC co-expressing HMWCaMBP and Calpn-1. A significant difference in expression of Calp and HMWCaMBP was observed in localization studies during ischemia.

Altered expression of calcineurin, calpain, calpastatin and HMWCaMBP in cardiac cells following ischemia and reperfusion

A rise in intracellular myocardial Ca(2+) during cardiac ischemia activates calpain (Calpn) thereby causing damage to myocardial proteins, which leads to myocyte death and consequently to loss of myocardial structure and function. Calcineurin (CaN) interacts with Calpn and causes cellular damage eventually leading to cell death. Calpastatin (Calp) and high molecular weight calmodulin-binding protein (HMWCaMBP) (homolog of Calp), inhibit Calpn activity and thus prevent cell death. CaN stimulation can also result in self-repair of damaged cardiomyocytes. The present study attempts to elucidate the expression of these proteins in cells under pre-ischemic condition (control), following ischemia induction and also reperfusion subsequent to ischemia. For the first time, flow cytometric analysis (FACS) has been used for analyzing protein expression concurrently with viability. We induced ischemia and subsequently reperfusion in 80% confluent cultures of neonatal murine cardiomyocytes (NMCC). Viability following induction was assessed with 7-AAD staining and the cells were simultaneously checked for protein expression by FACS. We observed that ischemia induction results in increased expression of CaN, Calp and Calpn. HMWCaMBP expression was reduced in live cells following ischemia which suggests that there is a poor survival outcome of cells expressing HMWCaMBP thereby making it a potential biomarker for such cells. Most live cells following ischemia expressed CaN pointing towards self-repair and favorable survival outcomes.

Calpains, mitochondria, and apoptosis

Mitochondrial activity is critical for efficient function of the cardiovascular system. In response to cardiovascular injury, mitochondrial dysfunction occurs and can lead to apoptosis and necrosis. Calpains are a 15-member family of Ca(2+)-activated cysteine proteases localized to the cytosol and mitochondria, and several have been shown to regulate apoptosis and necrosis. For example, in endothelial cells, Ca(2+) overload causes mitochondrial calpain 1 cleavage of the Na(+)/Ca(2+) exchanger leading to mitochondrial Ca(2+) accumulation. Also, activated calpain 1 cleaves Bid, inducing cytochrome c release and apoptosis. In renal cells, calpains 1 and 2 promote apoptosis and necrosis by cleaving cytoskeletal proteins, which increases plasma membrane permeability and cleavage of caspases. Calpain 10 cleaves electron transport chain proteins, causing decreased mitochondrial respiration and excessive activation, or inhibition of calpain 10 activity induces mitochondrial dysfunction and apoptosis. In cardiomyocytes, calpain 1 activates caspase 3 and poly-ADP ribose polymerase during tumour necrosis factor-α-induced apoptosis, and calpain 1 cleaves apoptosis-inducing factor after Ca(2+) overload. Many of these observations have been elucidated with calpain inhibitors, but most calpain inhibitors are not specific for calpains or a specific calpain family member, creating more questions. The following review will discuss how calpains affect mitochondrial function and apoptosis within the cardiovascular system.

Potential role of high molecular weight calmodulin-binding protein in cardiac injury

Ca(2+) is a major determinant of many biochemical processes in various cell types and is a critical second messenger in cell signalling. High molecular weight calmodulin-binding protein (HMWCaMBP) was originally discovered and purified in the authors' laboratory. It was identified as a homologue of calpastatin - an inhibitor of Ca(2+)-activated cysteine proteases (calpains). Decreased expression of HMWCaMBP in ischemia suggests that it is proteolyzed by calpains during ischemia and reperfusion. In normal myocardial muscle, HMWCaMBP may protect its substrate from calpains, but during an early stage of ischemia/reperfusion with increased Ca(2+) influx, calpain activity exceeds HMWCaMBP activity, leading to proteolysis of HMWCaMBP and other protein substrates, resulting in cellular damage. The role of HMWCaMBP in ischemia/reperfusion is yet to be explored. The present review summarizes developments from the authors' laboratory in the area of HMWCaMBP.

DY-9760e, a Novel Calmodulin Inhibitor, Exhibits Cardioprotective Effects in the Ischemic Heart

DY-9760e (3-[2-[4-(3-chloro-2-methylphenyl)-1-piperazinyl]ethyl]-5,6-dimethoxy-1-(4-imidazolylmethyl)-1H-indazole dihydrochloride-3.5 hydrate) inhibits Ca(2+)/CaM-dependent nitric oxide synthase (NOS), thereby inhibiting nitric oxide (NO) production. In cardiomyocytes from ischemic rat heart NO and superoxide levels are increased causing protein tyrosine nitration. In hearts subjected to ischemia/reperfusion DY-9760e totally abolishes protein tyrosine nitration. Notably, DY-9760e also inhibits calpain and cas-pase-3 activation that occurs prior to apoptosis in cardiomyocytes. In ischemic hearts fodrin is the substrate for calpain. DY-9760e inhibits fodrin breakdown in the peri-infarct area rather than in the infarct core. In the ischemic rat brain DY-9760e inhibits caspase-3-induced proteolysis of calpastatin, an endogenous calpain inhibitor, suggesting that crosstalk between calpain and caspase-3 is mediated by calpastatin breakdown. Thus, DY-9760e rescues neurons and cardiomyocytes from ischemic injury by inhibiting crosstalk between calpain and caspase-3 as well as protein tyrosine nitration.

Potential role of N-myristoyltransferase in pathogenic conditions

N-Myristoyltransferase (NMT) is the enzyme that catalyzes the covalent transfer of myristic acid to the N-terminal glycine residue of a protein substrate. In this review article, I summarize that NMT may have a potential role in cardiac muscle in the experimentally induced ischemia-reperfusion rat model and also in the streptozotoein-induced diabetic rat. Both the expression and activity of NMT were increased by ischemia-reperfusion. Immunohistochemical studies showed cytosolic localization of NMT in normal rat heart and predominant nuclear localization after ischemia followed by reperfusion. However, the localization of NMT is reversed by treatment with a calpain inhibitor (ALLM N-Ac-Leu-Leu-methioninal). During ischemia-reperfusion, the degradation of c-Src, which is a substrate of NMT, was observed. These findings suggested that the Src signaling may be impaired in ischemia-reperfusion owing to the altered localization of NMT from cytoplasm to nucleus. Streptozotocin-induced diabetes (an animal model for insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus) resulted in a 2.0-fold increase in rat liver NMT activity as compared with control animals. In obese (fa/fa) Zucker rats (an animal model for non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus), there was an approximately 4.7-fold lower liver particulate NMT activity as compared with control lean rat livers. Administration of sodium orthovanadate to the diabetic rats normalized liver NMT activity. These results would indicate that rat liver particulate NMT activity appears to be inversely proportional to the level of plasma insulin, implicating insulin in the control of N-myristoylation. These are the first studies demonstrating the role of NMT in the pathogenesis of ischemia-reperfusion and diabetes mellitus. These conditions remain an important area of investigation.

Mechanisms of apoptosis in the heart

Apoptosis is a complex and highly regulated form of cell death, and believed to contribute to the continuous decline of ventricular function in heart failure. Apoptotic cell death is observed in a variety of cardiovascular diseases, including myocardial infarction, ischemia-reperfusion injury, end-stage heart failure, arrhythmias, and adriamycin cardiomyopathy. There are several pathways leading to programmed cell death. Apoptosis can be initiated by extracellular or intracellular stimuli, leading to the activation of caspases and subsequent cell death. A better understanding of the process of apoptosis in the heart is clearly important as it may lead to the identification of novel therapies for cardiovascular disease. This review is focused on the basic cellular mechanisms of apoptosis, as well as our current understanding of this process in the heart.

[Calpains and cardiac diseases]

Calpains are a large family of cytosolic cysteine proteases composed of at least fourteen distinct isoforms. The family can be divided into two groups on the basis of distribution: ubiquitous and tissue-specific. Our current knowledge about calpains properties apply mainly to the ubiquitous isozymes, micro- and milli-calpain (classic calpains). These forms are activated after autolysis. Translocation and subsequent interactions with phospholipids of these enzymes increase their activity. Calpains are able to cleave a subset of substrates, as enzymes, structural and signalling proteins. Cardiac pathologies, such as heart failure, atrial fibrillation or clinical states particularly ischemia reperfusion, are associated with an increase of cytosolic calcium and in this regards, calpain activation has been evoked as one of the mediators leading to myocardial damage. Calpain activities have been shown to be increased in hearts experimentally subjected to ischemia reperfusion or during hypertrophy, but also in atrial tissue harvested from patients suffering from atrial fibrillations. These activities have been related to an increase of the proteolysis of different myocardial components, particularly, troponins, which are major regulators of the contraction of cardiomyocytes. Moreover, recent works have demonstrated that calpains are involved in the development of myocardial cell death by necrosis or apoptosis.

Cytoprotective effect of sodium orthovanadate on ischemia/reperfusion-induced injury in the rat heart involves Akt activation and inhibition of fodrin breakdown and apoptosis

In a rat model of myocardial ischemic infarction, sodium orthovanadate rescued cells from ischemia/reperfusion injuries. Rats underwent 30 min of myocardial ischemia by occluding the left coronary artery followed by 24 h of reperfusion. Post-treatment with orthovanadate reduced infarct size in a dose-dependent manner. Orthovanadate treatment also ameliorated contractile dysfunction of the left ventricle 72 h after reperfusion. The cytoprotective action of orthovanadate treatment was closely associated with inhibition of fodrin breakdown. Since orthovanadate is a potent inhibitor for protein tyrosine phosphatases, thereby activating tyrosine kinases and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) pathways, we investigated activities of protein kinase B (Akt), a downstream target of PI3K in cardiomyocytes. Orthovanadate-induced cytoprotection was associated with partial restoration of reduced Akt activity following myocardial infarction. Restoration of Akt activity by orthovanadate treatment correlated positively with increased phosphorylation of glycogen synthase kinase-3beta and Bad in cardiomyocytes. Furthermore, orthovanadate treatment inhibited caspase-3 activation induced by ischemia. Taken together, orthovanadate post-treatment rescued cardiomyocytes from ischemia/reperfusion injuries via Akt activation and inhibition of fodrin breakdown, thereby inhibiting apoptosis.

Activation of calcineurin expression in ischemia-reperfused rat heart and in human ischemic myocardium

Calcineurin (CaN) has been reported as a critical mediator for cardiac hypertrophy and cardiac myocyte apoptosis. In the present study, we investigated the activity and expression of CaN and the effect of calpain in rat heart after ischemia and reperfusion. Rat ischemic heart showed significant increase in CaN activity. Western blot analysis of normal rat heart extract with a polyclonal antibody raised against bovine CaN indicated a prominent immunoreactive band of 60 kDa (CaN A). In ischemic-reperfused hearts, the expression of CaN A was significantly low and immunoreactivity was observed in proteolytic bands of 46 kDa. This may be due to the proteolytic degradation of CaN A in ischemic tissues by m-calpain. We also noticed in vitro proteolysis of bovine cardiac CaN A by m-calpain. Immunohistochemical studies showed strong staining of immunoreactivity in rat hearts that had gone under 30 min ischemia followed by 30 min reperfusion similar to that found in human ischemic heart. Ischemia is associated with multiple alterations in the extracellular and intracellular signaling of cardiomyocytes and may act as an inducer of apoptosis. The increase in CaN activity and strong immunostaining observed in ischemic/perfused rat heart may be due to the calpain-mediated proteolysis of this phosphatase.

Altered expression and localization of N-myristoyltransferase in experimentally induced rat model of ischemia-reperfusion

N-myristoyltransferase (NMT) catalyzes the attachment of myristate onto the amino-terminal glycine residue of select polypeptides. In the present study, we investigated the expression and activity of NMT in rat heart after ischemia and reperfusion. Western blot analysis of rat heart samples indicated a prominent immunoreactive band of 66 kDa probed with human NMT antibody. Both the expression and activity of NMT were increased by ischemia-reperfusion. Immunohistochemical studies showed cytosolic localization of NMT in normal rat heart and predominant nuclear localization after ischemia followed by reperfusion. The pre-ischemic perfusion and post-ischemic reperfusion of hearts with a cell-permeable calpain inhibitor (N-Ac-Leu-Leu-methioninal) suppressed the increase in calpain expression and reversed the localization of NMT from nucleus to cytoplasm. This is the first study demonstrating the expression and alteration of NMT localization in cardiac ischemia and pertaining to a possible role of co-translational modification of proteins in cardiac functions and injury.

Losing heart: the role of apoptosis in heart disease--a novel therapeutic target?

Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death worldwide. In recent years it has emerged that loss of myocardial cells may be a major pathogenic factor. Cell death can occur in a destructive, uncontrolled manner via necrosis or by a highly regulated programmed cell suicide mechanism termed apoptosis. As cell death in conditions such as heart failure and myocardial infarction does not always follow a typically apoptotic pathway, it remains to be established whether it occurs by apoptosis, necrosis, or a novel uncharacterized mechanism combining aspects of both types of cell death. Apoptotic pathways have been well studied in nonmyocytes and it is thought that similar pathways exist in cardiomyocytes. These pathways include death initiated by ligation of membrane-bound death receptors or death initiated by release of cytochrome c from mitochondria. Increasing evidence supports the existence of these pathways and their regulators in the heart. These regulators include inhibitors of caspases, which are the key enzymes of apoptosis, the Bcl-2 family of proteins, growth factors, stress proteins, calcium, and oxidants. It is hoped that a better understanding of the pathways of apoptosis and their regulation may yield novel therapeutic targets for cardiovascular disease.

Calmodulin-dependent cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase in an experimental rat model of cardiac ischemia-reperfusion

In the present study, we investigated the activity and expression of calmodulin-dependent cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase (CaMPDE) and the effects of calpains in rat heart after ischemia and reperfusion. Immunohistochemical studies indicated that CaMPDE in normal heart is localized in myocardial cells. Rat ischemic heart showed a decrease in CaMPDE activity in the presence of Ca2+ and calmodulin; however, in ischemic-reperfusion tissue a progressive increase in Ca2+ and calmodulin-independent cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase (CaM-independent PDE) activity was observed. Perfusion of hearts with cell-permeable calpain inhibitor suppressed the increase of Ca2+ and CaM-independent PDE activity. Protein expression of CaMPDE was uneffected by hypoxic injury to rat myocardium. The purified heart CaMPDE was proteolyzed by calpains into a 45 kDa immunoreactive fragment in vitro. Based on these results, we propose that hypoxic injury to rat myocardium results in the generation of CaM-independent PDE by calpain mediated proteolysis, allowing the maintenance of cAMP concentrations within the physiological range.

Bid is cleaved by calpain to an active fragment in vitro and during myocardial ischemia/reperfusion

Reperfusion after myocardial ischemia is associated with a rapid influx of calcium, leading to activation of various enzymes including calpain. Isolated perfused adult rabbit hearts subjected to global ischemia and reperfusion were studied. Calpain or a calpain-like activity was activated within 15 min after reperfusion, and preconditioning suppressed calpain activation. In contrast, caspase activation was not detected although cytochrome c was released after ischemia and reperfusion. The pro-apoptotic BH3-only Bcl-2 family member, Bid, was cleaved during ischemia/reperfusion in the adult rabbit heart. Recombinant Bid was cleaved by calpain to a fragment that was able to mediate cytochrome c release. The calpain cleavage site was mapped to a region within Bid that is extremely susceptible to proteolysis. These findings suggest that there is cross-talk between apoptotic and necrotic pathways in myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury.