Ca2+ and calmodulin-dependent phosphorylation of endogenous synaptic vesicle tubulin by a vesicle-bound calmodulin kinase system

The tubulin code and its role in controlling microtubule properties and functions

Microtubules are core components of the eukaryotic cytoskeleton with essential roles in cell division, shaping, motility and intracellular transport. Despite their functional heterogeneity, microtubules have a highly conserved structure made from almost identical molecular building blocks: the tubulin proteins. Alternative tubulin isotypes and a variety of post-translational modifications control the properties and functions of the microtubule cytoskeleton, a concept known as the 'tubulin code'. Here we review the current understanding of the molecular components of the tubulin code and how they impact microtubule properties and functions. We discuss how tubulin isotypes and post-translational modifications control microtubule behaviour at the molecular level and how this translates into physiological functions at the cellular and organism levels. We then go on to show how fine-tuning of microtubule function by some tubulin modifications can affect homeostasis and how perturbation of this fine-tuning can lead to a range of dysfunctions, many of which are linked to human disease.

The Presynaptic Microtubule Cytoskeleton in Physiological and Pathological Conditions: Lessons from Drosophila Fragile X Syndrome and Hereditary Spastic Paraplegias

The capacity of the nervous system to generate neuronal networks relies on the establishment and maintenance of synaptic contacts. Synapses are composed of functionally different presynaptic and postsynaptic compartments. An appropriate synaptic architecture is required to provide the structural basis that supports synaptic transmission, a process involving changes in cytoskeletal dynamics. Actin microfilaments are the main cytoskeletal components present at both presynaptic and postsynaptic terminals in glutamatergic synapses. However, in the last few years it has been demonstrated that microtubules (MTs) transiently invade dendritic spines, promoting their maturation. Nevertheless, the presence and functions of MTs at the presynaptic site are still a matter of debate. Early electron microscopy (EM) studies revealed that MTs are present in the presynaptic terminals of the central nervous system (CNS) where they interact with synaptic vesicles (SVs) and reach the active zone. These observations have been reproduced by several EM protocols; however, there is empirical heterogeneity in detecting presynaptic MTs, since they appear to be both labile and unstable. Moreover, increasing evidence derived from studies in the fruit fly neuromuscular junction proposes different roles for MTs in regulating presynaptic function in physiological and pathological conditions. In this review, we summarize the main findings that support the presence and roles of MTs at presynaptic terminals, integrating descriptive and biochemical analyses, and studies performed in invertebrate genetic models.

Calcium-Stimulated Protein Phosphorylation in Synaptic Membranes

Synaptic membranes from rat brain contain several calcium-requiring protein kinase (PK) activities with different substrate specificities: (a) an activity (CaH-PK) effective at high concentrations of Ca2+ ion in the absence of Mg2+ (active on class F substrates); (b) a (Ca + Mg)-PK activity that is mediated by Ca2+ ion in the presence of Mg2+ (active on class B substrates); (c) (Ca-CaM)-PK activities that exhibit simultaneous requirements for both Ca2+ ion and CaM (for class C and D substrates). Also described are three activities (d-f) that do not require Ca2+ ion: (d) a Mg-PK activity in which the presence of Ca2+ causes the inhibition of phosphorylation (active on class A substrates); (e) an activity affecting a diverse group of substrates (class E substrates), the phosphorylation of which occurs in the presence of Mg2+ ion alone (Mg-PK activity) and is unaffected by the addition of Ca2+ ion and CaM, the substrates of which show different responses to several types of inhibitors; and, finally, (f) the previously well characterized cAMP-dependent PK activities. Several of the substrates of these kinases have been identified in a fairly unambiguous manner: among them are P43 (class A), as the alpha subunit of pyruvate dehydrogenase; P54 (class B), as the presynaptic protein B50; and the doublet P75-P80, as proteins IA and IB of Ueda and Greengard. The most interesting activity is that requiring both Ca2+ and CaM. The half-maximal stimulation (K0.5) for Ca2+ in the presence of CaM was found to be 1.0 microM Ca2+F in untreated membranes. There is little change in this value on prior EGTA extraction of the membranes, which removes the bulk of its Ca2+ and reduces its residual CaM by greater than or equal to 50%. The apparent K0.5 for CaM in the presence of excess Ca2+ ion was found to equal 0.4 microgram per reaction mixture (8 micrograms/ml) or 1.35 micrograms per reaction mixture (27 micrograms/ml), for the untreated and EGTA-treated membranes, respectively.

Calmodulin increases transmitter release by mobilizing quanta at the frog motor nerve terminal

The role of calmodulin (CaM) in transmitter release was investigated using liposomes to deliver CaM and monoclonal antibodies against CaM (antiCaM) directly into the frog motor nerve terminal. Miniature endplate potentials (MEPPs) were recorded in a high K+ solution, and effects on transmitter release were monitored using estimates of the quantal release parameters m (number of quanta released), n (number of functional transmitter release sites), p (mean probability of release), and var(s) p (spatial variance in p). Administration of CaM, but not heat-inactivated CaM, encapsulated in liposomes (1000 units ml(-1)) produced an increase in m (25%) that was due to an increase in n. MEPP amplitude was not altered by CaM. Administration of antiCaM, but not heat-inactivated antiCaM, in liposomes (50 microl ml(-1)) produced a progressive decrease in m (40%) that was associated with decreases in n and p. MEPP amplitude was decreased (15%) after a 25 min lag time, suggesting a separation in time between the decreases in quantal release and quantal size. Bath application of the membrane-permeable CaM antagonist W7 (28 microM) produced a gradual decrease in m (25%) that was associated with a decrease in n. W7 also produced a decrease in MEPP amplitude that paralleled the decrease in m. The decreases in MEPP size and m produced by W7 were both reversed by addition of CaM. Our results suggest that CaM increases transmitter release by mobilizing synaptic vesicles at the frog motor nerve terminal.

Tubulin post-translational modifications--enzymes and their mechanisms of action

This review describes the enzymes responsible for the post-translational modifications of tubulin, including detyrosination/tyrosination, acetylation/deacetylation, phosphorylation, polyglutamylation, polyglycylation and the generation of non-tyrosinatable alpha-tubulin. Tubulin tyrosine-ligase, which reattaches tyrosine to detyrosinated tubulin, has been extensively characterized and its gene sequenced. Enzymes such as tubulin-specific carboxypeptidase and alpha-tubulin acetyltransferase, required, respectively, for detyrosination and acetylation of tubulin, have yet to be purified to homogeneity and examined in defined systems. This has produced some conflicting results, especially for the carboxypeptidase. The phosphorylation of tubulin by several different types of kinases has been studied in detail but drawing conclusions is difficult because many of these enzymes modify proteins other than their actual substrates, an especially pertinent consideration for in vitro experiments. Tubulin phosphorylation in cultured neuronal cells has proven to be the best model for evaluation of kinase effects on tubulin/microtubule function. There is little information on the enzymes required for polyglutamylation, polyglycylation, and production of non-tyrosinatable tubulin, but the available data permit interesting speculation of a mechanistic nature. Clearly, to achieve a full appreciation of tubulin post-translational changes the responsible enzymes must be characterized. Knowing when the enzymes are active in cells, if soluble or polymerized tubulin is the preferred substrate and the amino acid residues modified by each enzyme are all important. Moreover, acquisition of purified enzymes will lead to cloning and sequencing of their genes. With this information, one can manipulate cell genomes in order to either modify key enzymes or change their relative amounts, and perhaps reveal the physiological significance of tubulin post-translational modifications.

The synaptic vesicle and its targets

Synaptic vesicles play the central role in synaptic transmission. They are regarded as key organelles involved in synaptic functions such as uptake, storage and stimulus-dependent release of neurotransmitter. In the last few years our knowledge concerning the molecular components involved in the functioning of synaptic vesicles has grown impressively. Combined biochemical and molecular genetic approaches characterize many constituents of synaptic vesicles in molecular detail and contribute to an elaborate understanding of the organelle responsible for fast neuronal signalling. By studying synaptic vesicles from the electric organ of electric rays and from the mammalian cerebral cortex several proteins have been characterized as functional carriers of vesicle function, including proteins involved in the molecular cascade of exocytosis. The synaptic vesicle specific proteins, their presumptive function and targets of synaptic vesicle proteins will be discussed. This paper focuses on the small synaptic vesicles responsible for fast neuronal transmission. Comparing synaptic vesicles from the peripheral and central nervous systems strengthens the view of a high conservation in the overall composition of synaptic vesicles with a unique set of proteins attributed to this cellular compartment. Synaptic vesicle proteins belong to gene families encoding multiple isoforms present in subpopulations of neurons. The overall architecture of synaptic vesicle proteins is highly conserved during evolution and homologues of these proteins govern the constitutive secretion in yeast. Neurotoxins from different sources helped to identify target proteins of synaptic vesicles and to elucidate the molecular machinery of docking and fusion. Synaptic vesicle proteins and their markers are useful tools for the understanding of the complex life cycle of synaptic vesicles.

Calcium-dependent serine phosphorylation of synaptophysin

The phosphorylation of synaptophysin, a major integral membrane protein of small synaptic vesicles, was found to be regulated in a Ca(2+)-dependent manner in rat cerebrocortical slices, synaptosome preparations, and highly purified synaptic vesicles isolated from rat forebrain. K(+)-induced depolarization of slices and synaptosomes prelabeled with 32P-orthophosphate produced a rapid, transient increase in serine phosphorylation of synaptophysin. In synaptosomes, the depolarization-dependent increase in synaptophysin phosphorylation required the presence of external Ca2+ in the incubation medium. The addition of Ca2+ plus calmodulin to purified synaptic vesicles resulted in a 4-fold increase in serine phosphorylation of synaptophysin, and this phosphorylation was antagonized by a peptide inhibitor of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaM kinase II(. Purified rat forebrain CaM kinase II phosphorylated both purified synaptophysin and endogenous, vesicle-associated synaptophysin, and the resulting 2-dimensional chymotryptic phosphopeptide maps were similar to those derived from synaptophysin phosphorylated in cerebrocortical slices. These data demonstrate that Ca(2+)-dependent phosphorylation of synaptophysin, mediated by CaM kinase II, occurs under physiological conditions.

Global forebrain ischemia induces a posttranslational modification of multifunctional calcium- and calmodulin-dependent kinase II

The activity of multifunctional calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaM kinase II) has recently been shown to be inhibited by transient global ischemia. To investigate the nature of ischemia-induced inhibition of the enzyme, CaM kinase II was purified to greater than 1,000-fold from brains of control and ischemic gerbils. The characteristics of CaM kinase II from control and ischemic preparations were compared by numerous parameters. Kinetic analysis of purified control and ischemic CaM kinase II was performed for autophosphorylation properties, ATP, magnesium, calcium, and calmodulin affinity, immunoreactivity, and substrate recognition. Ischemia induced a reproducible inhibition of CaM kinase II activity, which could not be overcome by increasing the concentration of any of the reaction parameters. Ischemic CaM kinase II was not different from control enzyme in affinity for calmodulin, Ca2+, Mg2+, or exogenously added substrate or rate of autophosphorylation. CaM kinase II isolated from ischemic gerbils displayed decreased immunoreactivity with a monoclonal antibody (immunoglobulin G3) directed toward the beta subunit of the enzyme. In addition, ischemia caused a significant decrease in affinity of CaM kinase II for ATP when measured by extent of autophosphorylation. To characterize further the decrease in ATP affinity of CaM kinase II, the covalent-binding ATP analog 8-azido-adenosine-5'-[alpha-32P]triphosphate was used. Covalent binding of 25 microM azido-ATP was decreased 40.4 +/-12.3% in ischemic CaM kinase II when compared with control enzyme (n = 5; p less than 0.01 by paired Student's t test). Thus, CaM kinase II levels for ischemia and control fractions were equivalent by protein staining, percent recovery, and calmodulin binding but were significantly different by immunoreactivity and ATP binding. The data are consistent with the hypothesis that ischemia induces a posttranslational modification that alters ATP binding in CaM kinase II and that results in an apparent decrease in enzymatic activity.

Global forebrain ischemia results in decreased immunoreactivity of calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II

Previous studies utilizing crude brain homogenates have shown that forebrain ischemia results in inhibition of calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaM kinase II) activity without large-scale proteolysis of the enzyme. In this report, a monoclonal antibody (1C3-3D6) directed against the beta- (60-kDa) subunit of CaM kinase II that does not recognize ischemically altered enzyme was utilized to further investigate the ischemia-induced inhibition of CaM kinase II. Immunohistochemical investigations showed that the ischemia-induced decreased immunoreactivity of CaM kinase II occurred immediately following ischemic insult in ischemia-sensitive cells such as pyramidal cells of the hippocampus. No decrease in CaM kinase II immunoreactivity was observed in ischemia-resistant cells such as granule cells of the dentate gyrus. The decreased immunoreactivity was observed for CaM kinase II balanced for protein staining and calmodulin binding in vitro. In addition, autophosphorylation of CaM kinase II in the presence of low (7 microM) or high (500 microM) ATP did not alter immunoreactivity of the enzyme with 1C3-3D6. The data demonstrate the production of a monoclonal antibody that recognizes the beta-subunit of CaM kinase II in a highly specific manner, but does not recognize ischemic enzyme. Together with previous studies, the data support the hypothesis that rapid, ischemia-induced inhibition of CaM kinase II activity may be involved in the cascade of events that lead to selective neuronal cell loss in stroke.

Exposure of hippocampal slices to magnesium-free medium produces epileptiform activity and simultaneously decreases calcium and calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II activity

The effect of magnesium-free medium on electrical and CaM kinase II activity in the rat hippocampal slice was examined. Experimental slices were incubated in 2 mM Mg, then exposed to magnesium-free medium for 1 h. Control slices were concurrently run in 2 mM Mg. Slices were then frozen and CaM kinase II activity was measured in homogenates. Exposure of hippocampal slices to magnesium-free medium resulted in spontaneous epileptiform activity and a concurrent 38 +/- 5.47% decrease in CaM kinase II activity (range 38.8-75.4% of control; n = 7, P less than 0.001, paired Student's t test). The decrease in CaM kinase II activity was not reversible by treatment with protein phosphatases 1 and 2A (58.8 +/- 4.77% of control activity; range 28.6-69.7, P less than 0.01, paired Student's t-test), indicating that the decrease in CaM kinase II activity cannot be accounted for exclusively by autophosphorylation. The results demonstrate that magnesium-free medium treatment can induce spontaneous epileptiform activity and simultaneous changes in CaM kinase II activity.

Conditions restricting depolarization-dependent calcium influx in synaptosomes reveal a graded response of P96 dephosphorylation and a transient dephosphorylation of P65

Temporal changes in the phosphorylation level of synaptosomal phosphoproteins following depolarization of synaptosomes were investigated under conditions restricting calcium influx. High-K+ depolarization in media of low [Na+]o (32 mM during preincubation and depolarization) at pH 6.5 resulted in a pronounced fall in the cytosolic free calcium concentration transient, and in a reduction in the initial K(+)-stimulated 45Ca2+ uptake and endogenous acetylcholine release relative to the values obtained with control synaptosomes (preincubated and depolarized in Na(+)-based media). This reduction was paralleled by a decrease in the rate of dephosphorylation of the synaptosomal protein P96. A slower dephosphorylation of P96 also was observed on exposure to 20 microM veratridine at 0.5 mM external calcium. Our results indicate that, similar to synapsin I phosphorylation, P96 dephosphorylation shows a graded response to the amount of calcium entering the presynaptic terminal. Depolarization of synaptosomes under conditions restricting the influx of calcium revealed a transient dephosphorylation (reversed within 10 s) of the phosphoprotein P65. The possible significance of this finding to the process of neurotransmitter release is discussed.

Synaptic vesicle-bound phospholipase(s) acting on phosphatidylinositol exhibit(s) high susceptibility to brain ischemia

The activity of phospholipase C acting against [3H]-inositol-phosphatidylinositol (PI) and the activity of arachidonic acid (AA) release from [1-14C]arachidonoyl-phosphatidylinositol by enzyme(s) located in synaptic vesicles (SV) isolated from normoxic and ischemic brains was investigated. Brain ischemia significantly activated phospholipase C (PhLC) by about 90% and AA release by about 50%. PhLC and AA release in SV isolated from brain submitted to ischemia were not further activated by 2 mM CaCl2 contrary to the enzymes from normoxic brain. The activation of PhLC and PhLA2 may produce conformational changes and rearrangement of the SV membranes leading to vesicle-membrane fusion and subsequently to massive neurotransmitter release known to occur during ischemia.

Desensitization of central cholinergic mechanisms and neuroadaptation to nicotine

This review focuses on neuroadaptation to nicotine. The first part of the paper delineates some possible general mechanisms subserving neuroadaptation to commonly abused drugs. The postulated role of the mesocorticolimbic neuroanatomical pathway and drug-receptor desensitization mechanisms in the establishment of tolerance to, dependence on, and withdrawal from psychoactive drugs are discussed. The second part of the review deals with the pharmacological effects of nicotine at both pre- and postsynaptic locations within the central nervous system, and the still-perplexing upregulation of brain nicotine-binding sites seen after chronic nicotine administration. A special emphasis has been put on desensitization of presynaptic cholinergic mechanisms, and postsynaptic neuronal nicotinic-receptor function and its modulation by endogenous substances. A comparison with the inactivation process occurring at peripheral nicotinic receptors is also included. Finally, a hypothesis on the possible connections between desensitization of central cholinergic mechanisms and neuroadaptation to nicotine is advanced. A brief comment on the necessity of fully understanding the effects of nicotine on the developing nervous system closes this work.

Deprivation of nerve growth factor rapidly increases purine efflux from cultured sympathetic neurons

The efflux of [3H]purines from cultured sympathetic neurons prelabelled with [3H]adenine is accelerated 2-3-fold within hours of nerve growth factor (NGF) withdrawal and is reduced by readdition of NGF. Addition of 8-(4-chlorphenyl-thio) cAMP, which delays neurite degeneration, reduced the enhanced efflux of purines, as did the addition of cycloheximide, MgCl2 and the protease inhibitor tosyl-L-lysine chloromethyl ketone. Colchicine accelerated purine efflux and neurite degeneration but 2-deoxyglucose increased purine efflux without inducing degeneration, suggesting that ATP reduction itself is not the cause of neurite degeneration. The increase in purine efflux is thus an early biochemical event that has diagnostic value for the study of NGF action since deprivation is detected well before irreversible changes become established.

Evidence for a regulatory action of vanadate on protein phosphorylation in brain microvessels

We investigated the action of vanadate on protein phosphorylation in microvessels isolated from rat brain. We found that a stimulation of protein phosphorylation from 32P-ATP occurs, in the presence of different concentrations of vanadate, 10(-3) M being the most effective dose. This action was time-dependent, and it was more evident after 60 s of treatment. The contribution of ATPase inhibition caused by vanadate appears to be negligible. In addition a stimulation of cAMP-dependent protein kinase activity was observed. The pattern of protein phosphorylation showed that exposure to 10(-3) M vanadate resulted in a nonspecific stimulation of protein phosphorylation concomitantly with a selective inhibition of the 55 KDa protein phosphorylation. The nature of this protein is also discussed.

Protein kinase C and dopamine release--I. Measurement by thiophosphorylation

To examine the hypothesis that protein kinase C (PKC) plays a role in the release of dopamine (DA) in the nigrostriatal pathway, a new thiophosphorylation procedure was developed to monitor PKC activity. In this method, tissues were incubated with adenosine 5'-[gamma-thio35S]triphosphate, and the transfer of the gamma-thiophosphoryl group to histones or endogenous substrate proteins was measured. The thiophosphorylation showed a marked dependency on both calcium and lipids, and the endogenous substrate proteins being thiophosphorylated were similar to those reported as being specific substrates of PKC using [32P]ATP. Furthermore, the thiophosphorylation activity measured in the presence of calcium and lipids did not reflect cAMP-dependent or calmodulin-dependent protein kinase activities. Besides providing an accurate measure of PKC activity, thiophosphorylation has the advantage that it measures a phosphorylating activity that is independent of phosphatase activity because the thiophosphorylated substrates are resistant to the action of phosphatases.

Microtubule and plasmalemmal reorganization: acute response to estrogen

The acute ultrastructural effects of estrogen in endometrial epithelial cells were investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), with special reference to the microtubule (MT) apparatus and the luminal surface. Ovariectomized rats anesthetized with pentobarbitol sodium were injected intravenously with estradiol-17 beta (E2 beta), 0.5 micrograms/100 g body wt. At intervals from approximately 30 s to 30 min thereafter, 70-80 nm cross sections of a uterine horn were prepared for TEM. In placebo controls, cytoplasmic MT were conspicuous in length and number, whereas only a minimal population of short microvilli (MV) was evident. In contrast, the specimens subjected to E2 beta for only 35 s showed a significant decrease in MT number and length, with virtually complete depletion of these organelles by approximately 80 s. Concomitantly, the luminal MV exhibited striking enhancement in length and density. Thereafter, these rapid and reciprocal alterations of MT and MV underwent inversion. Thus MT structures began to reappear within 2 min, increasing progressively so that by 30 min their numbers were again substantial, although lengths remained diminished. During the same interval, the initial surge of luminal MV gradually subsided, to near-control appearance by 30 min. These coordinate, reciprocal, and biphasic responses are consistent with biochemical evidences of abrupt membrane perturbation associated with interception of estrogen at its cellular targets. The resultant modification of the intracellular environment may contribute to limited reorganization of cellular architecture and propagation of the hormonal signal.

Depolarization-stimulated protein phosphorylation in pure cholinergic nerve endings

Cholinergic synaptosomes obtained from the electric organ of Torpedo marmorata have been used to study chemical stimulation-stimulated protein phosphorylation. Cholinergic synaptosomes were exposed to elevated K+0 concentrations or other chemical depolarizing agents such as gramicidin or secretagogues as the calcium ionophore A23187. During depolarization several synaptosomal proteins increase their state of phosphorylation. This phenomenon depends on the presence of Ca2+ in the external medium. These results suggest that stimulation of protein phosphorylation may be implicated in the acetylcholine release process and could represent a modulation mechanism in the neurotransmitter release machinery at this cholinergic synapse.

Distribution of [3H]dihydrotetrabenazine binding in bovine striatal subsynaptic fractions: enrichment of higher affinity binding in a synaptic vesicle fraction

[3H]Dihydrotetrabenazine bound to a single class of binding sites in bovine striatal synaptic vesicles with an apparent dissociation constant of 3-9 nM. This is comparable to the inhibitory potency of dihydrotetrabenazine in catecholamine transport assays. In contrast to these results, [3H]dihydrotetrabenazine bound to at least two classes of sites in all other subsynaptic fractions investigated. The higher affinity class of sites was comparable in affinity to that of synaptic vesicles, whereas the lower affinity sites exhibited an apparent dissociation constant of 95-400 nM. Higher affinity sites were most abundant in the synaptic vesicle fraction, and little higher affinity binding was observed in mitochondrial and myelin fractions, or in highly purified synaptic plasma membranes. Lower affinity binding was not enriched in any subsynaptic fraction and was the only class of binding sites detected in homogenates of liver and diaphragm. The distribution of the presynaptic vesicle marker synaptophysin corresponded with that of higher affinity but not lower affinity binding. These results are consistent with the expectation that the higher affinity sites are associated primarily with synaptic vesicles and other neuronal entities that are in communication with these organelles.

A calmodulin dependent protein kinase in parietal cells

An enriched population of isolated rabbit gastric parietal cells, from the fundic mucosa of New Zealand White rabbit, contained an active cytosolic calmodulin-dependent protein kinase activity with a prominent 100 kDa substrate (pp100). The latter focused as a doublet with isoelectric point of 6.8-7.0. The pp100 protein was phosphorylated only on threonine residues on a single tryptic peptide. Trifluoperazine inhibited the pp100 kinase activity with a KI of 10-15 microM. Addition of exogenous calmodulin was able to restore activity to uninhibited levels. A protein band with a molecular weight and phosphopeptide map identical to pp100, phosphorylated by calcium-dependent kinase, was also observed in rabbit pancreatic cytosol. The data suggest that a type III calmodulin-dependent kinase is present in parietal cell cytosol.

The synaptic vesicle and the cytoskeleton

Images

The high-molecular-weight proteins of bovine brain plain synaptic vesicles

High molecular mass polypeptides (Mr greater than 100,000) of plain synaptic vesicles from bovine cerebral cortex were separated using porous polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate. Four major bands, of Mr 262,000, 249,000, 216,000, and 173,000, were resolved. Investigations into the membrane association of the Mr 216,000 and 173,000 proteins by means of solubilization experiments and Sepharose 4B chromatography indicate that the former is a peripheral protein and the latter is more firmly attached, possibly an integral protein. Finally, the Mr 216,000 protein was shown to be highly enriched in synaptic vesicles compared to other brain subfractions. It thus appears to be specifically associated with synaptic vesicles and therefore may have an important role specific to synaptic vesicle function or structure.

Dihydrotetrabenazine binding and monoamine uptake in mouse brain regions

Binding of [2-3H]dihydrotetrabenazine and uptake of 5-hydroxytryptamine (serotonin) were studied in mouse brain cerebellum, pons-medulla, frontal cortex, hypothalamus, hippocampus, and striatum. Binding of [2-3H]dihydrotetrabenazine to homogenates of these brain areas is stable for several hours and occurs at a homogeneous class of binding sites (KD = 2.4 nM). Subcellular fractionation and regional distribution of [2-3H]dihydrotetrabenazine binding and serotonin uptake showed that the ligand binds to synaptic vesicles. Dihydrotetrabenazine inhibited serotonin uptake with the same inhibitory constant (IC50 = 2.6 nM) for synaptic vesicles from brain regions containing 3,4-dihydroxyphenylethylamine (dopamine) or serotonin and noradrenaline in different proportions. This constant is similar to the KD of [2-3H]dihydrotetrabenazine, which suggests that the latter ligand labels specifically and with the same affinity the monoamine transporter from various monoaminergic synaptic vesicles. Therefore the regional differences in central monoamine depletion induced in vivo by tetrabenazine are not due to regional differences in inhibition of vesicular monoamine uptake. Moreover, vesicular monoamine transporters from the central and peripheral nervous systems of various mammals and from bovine adrenal glands have comparable affinity for substrate and inhibitor (Km values for serotonin and IC50 for dihydrotetrabenazine are about 0.8 microM and 3 nM, respectively) and comparable turnover number (10-35 molecules transported per transporter per minute), which suggests the involvement of a common transporter molecule in the process of monoamine uptake by the various monoaminergic storage vesicles.

Kindling induces a long-lasting change in the activity of a hippocampal membrane calmodulin-dependent protein kinase system

Septal kindling has been shown to produce a long-lasting decrease in endogenous calcium/calmodulin-dependent phosphorylation of hippocampal synaptic plasma membrane proteins, including two major bands of approximately 50,000 and 60,000 Daltons. These two proteins differ from the B-50 protein and tubulin, as evidenced by differences in migration in SDS-PAGE gels and by lack of cross-immunoreactivity with specific antibodies. Identity of these two proteins with the rho and sigma subunits of purified calmodulin-dependent kinase (CaM Kinase II) is suggested by similar migration in SDS-PAGE and two-dimensional gels, by similar calmodulin binding in two-dimensional gels, and similar 125I-peptide mapping of the 50,000 Dalton protein. These results demonstrate that septal kindling is associated with changes in the activity of a major Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent kinase system in hippocampal synaptic plasma membrane. This long-lasting modulation of kinase activity may provide a molecular insight into some aspects of neuronal plasticity.

Phosphorylation of synaptic membrane glycoproteins: the effects of Ca2+ and calmodulin

Synaptic membranes were incubated with [gamma-32P]ATP, and glycoproteins were isolated by affinity chromatography on concanavalin A agarose. Glycoproteins accounted for 1.5-2.5% of the total 32P incorporated into synaptic membrane proteins. Ca2+ and calmodulin enhanced the phosphorylation of synaptic membrane glycoproteins approximately threefold. In the presence of Ca2+ and calmodulin, the rate of glycoprotein dephosphorylation was also increased three- to four-fold. Gel electrophoretic analysis identified several synaptic membrane glycoproteins that incorporated 32P, with the most highly labeled glycoprotein under basal phosphorylating conditions having an apparent Mr of 205,000 (gpiii). Ca2+ and calmodulin produced a marked increase in the phosphorylation of a glycoprotein with an apparent Mr of 180,000 (gpiv) and lesser increases in the labeling of three other glycoproteins. Membranes that had been labeled with [gamma-32P]ATP were extracted with Triton X-100 under conditions that yield a detergent-insoluble residue enriched in postsynaptic structures. The Triton X-100 insoluble residue accounted for 20-25% of the 32P associated with synaptic membrane glycoproteins. Gpiv and other glycoproteins, the phosphorylation of which was stimulated by calmodulin, were located exclusively in the Triton X-100 insoluble residue, whereas gpiii and other calmodulin-insensitive glycoproteins partitioned predominantly into the Triton X-100-soluble fraction. Phosphopeptide maps and phosphoamino acid analysis of gpiv isolated from synaptic membranes and a postsynaptic glycoprotein of apparent Mr of 180,000 (gp180) isolated from synaptic junctions indicated that the former protein was identical to the previously identified postsynaptic-specific gp180. In addition to phosphoserine and phosphothreonine, gpiv also contained phosphotyrosine, identifying it as a substrate for tyrosine-protein kinase as well as for Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase.

Changes in in vitro brain and spinal cord protein phosphorylation after a single oral administration of tri-o-cresyl phosphate to hens

The effect of a single oral 750 mg/kg dose of tri-o-cresyl phosphate (TOCP) on the endogenous phosphorylation of brain and spinal cord proteins was assessed in hens during the development of and recovery from delayed neurotoxicity. Crude membrane and cytosolic fractions were prepared from the brains and spinal cords of control and TOCP-treated hens at 1, 7, 14, 21, 35, and 55 days after treatment. Brain and spinal cord protein phosphorylation with [gamma-32P]ATP was analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), autoradiography, and microdensitometry. TOCP administration conferred calcium and calmodulin dependence on the phosphorylation of a few brain cytosolic proteins and caused an increase in the phosphorylation of a number of other cytosolic and membrane proteins. This effect of TOCP was large in magnitude, and its time course reflected the onset of and recovery from the signs of ataxia and paralysis associated with delayed neurotoxicity in the hen. The molecular weights (Mr) and maximal phosphorylation (percent of control) for the most prominently affected bands were as follows: brain cytosol--50K (183%), 55K (575%), 60K (529%), 65K (273%), and 70K (548%); brain membranes--50K (622%) and 60K (697%); and spinal cord cytosol--20K (182%). The role of endogenous phosphorylation reactions in and their potential usefulness as biochemical indicators of delayed neurotoxicity are being explored further.

Calmodulin-dependent protein phosphorylation in synaptic junctions

Synaptic junctions (SJs) from rat forebrain were examined for Ca2+/calmodulin (CaM)-dependent kinase activity and compared to synaptic plasma membrane (SPM) and postsynaptic density (PSD) fractions. The kinase activity in synaptic fractions was examined for its capacity to phosphorylate endogenous proteins or exogenous synapsin I, in the presence or absence of Ca2+ plus CaM. When assayed for endogenous protein phosphorylation, SJs contained approximately 25-fold greater amounts of Ca2+/CAM-dependent kinase activity than SPMs, and fivefold more activity than PSDs. When kinase activities were measured by phosphorylation of exogenous synapsin I, SJs contained fourfold more activity than SPMs, and 10-fold more than PSDs. The phosphorylation of SJ proteins of 60- and 50-kilodalton (major PSD protein) polypeptides were greatly stimulated by Ca2+/CaM; levels of phosphorylation for these proteins were 23- and 17-fold greater than basal levels, respectively. Six additional proteins whose phosphorylation was stimulated 6-15-fold by Ca2+/CAM were identified in SJs. These proteins include synapsin I, and proteins of 240, 207, 170, 140, and 54 kilodaltons. The 54-kilodalton protein is a highly phosphorylated form of the major PSD protein and the 170-kilodalton component is a cell-surface glycoprotein of the postsynaptic membrane that binds concanavalin A. The CaM-dependent kinase in SJ fractions phosphorylated endogenous phosphoproteins at serine and/or threonine residues. Ca2+-dependent phosphorylation in SJ fractions was strictly dependent on exogenous CaM, even though SJs contained substantial amounts of endogenous CaM (15 micrograms CaM/mg SJ protein). Exogenous CaM, after being functionally incorporated into SJs, was rapidly removed by sequential washings. These observations suggest that the SJ-associated CaM involved in regulating Ca2+-dependent protein phosphorylation may be in dynamic equilibrium with the cytoplasm. These findings indicate that a brain CaM-dependent kinase(s) and substrate proteins are concentrated at SJs and that CaM-dependent protein phosphorylation may play an important role in mechanisms that underlie synaptic communication.

The effect of ACTH4-10 on protein synthesis, actin and tubulin during regeneration

The effects of ACTH4-10, a peptide fragment of corticotropin, on rat dorsal root ganglia (DRG), spinal cord and sciatic nerve were studied following a crush lesion of the sciatic nerve. The in vitro total protein synthesis rate of DRG L4, L5 and L6, measured one and three days after ipsilateral nerve crush, were not altered by various ACTH4-10 treatment regimes. Likewise, neither ACTH4-10 treatment of sham-operated rats nor in vitro exposure of control ganglia to peptide, resulted in changes in synthesis rate. Four days after crush lesion, the amounts of actin and tubulin in the ventral horn L2-L5 region of the spinal cord and of actin in DRG L5 were estimated following 2-dimensional separation. No significant effect of ACTH treatment was found. Degeneration-associated changes in the protein profiles of segments of sciatic nerve were not altered by ACTH4-10 treatment. The data are discussed in relation to the possible site of action of neurotrophic ACTH-like peptides.

Characterization of alpha-MSH-induced changes in the phosphorylation of a 53 kDa protein in Xenopus melanophores

alpha-Melanotropin has been shown to induce specific changes in the degree of phosphorylation of a 53 kDa melanophore protein, concomitant with pigment dispersion. To further characterize the alpha-MSH-induced changes in 53 kDa phosphorylation in melanophores from the ventral tail-fin of Xenopus tadpoles, we investigated the concentration and time dependency of the effect. A significant increase in 53 kDa phosphorylation was detectable at 5 X 10(-8) M alpha-MSH. The maximal increase in 53 kDa phosphorylation was found after an incubation time of 10-15 min, whereas pigment dispersion was optimal after 60 min. The phosphorylated 53 kDa band showed clear cross-reactivity with monoclonal anti-beta-tubulin, and migrates as a single protein after two-dimensional (2D) separation. On a 2D-separation system the 53 kDa protein (IEP 5.1) migrated in the acidic tail of purified beta-tubulin. Our data strongly indicate that the 53 kDa protein is a beta-tubulin-like protein. We suggest that the degree of 53 kDa phosphorylation may be an important factor in the regulation of microtubule function in melanophores.

Is Ca2+-calmodulin-dependent protein phosphorylation in rat brain modulated by carboxylmethylation?

Calmodulin stimulation of protein kinase activity in calmodulin-depleted preparations of rat brain cytosol or synaptosomal membranes was attenuated by prior carboxylmethylation of the enzyme source with purified protein-O-carboxylmethyltransferase. Similarly, calmodulin stimulation of highly purified Ca2+-calmodulin-dependent protein kinase was reduced if the kinase was exposed to methylating conditions prior to addition of calmodulin. Biochemical and acidic sodium dodecyl sulfate-gel electrophoretic analyses indicated that all sources of protein kinase activity were substrates for methylation. The specific activity of methyl group incorporation into protein kinase increased with increasing purity of the preparation, reaching values of 1.72 pmol CH3/micrograms protein or 0.15-1.12 mol CH3/mol of holoenzyme. Analysis of ATP binding in cytosol with the use of the photoaffinity probe [32P]8-azido-ATP indicated that carboxylmethylation reduced ATP binding. These results suggest that carboxylmethylation of Ca2+-calmodulin protein kinase may modulate the activity of this enzyme in rat brain.

Identification of endogenous calmodulin-dependent kinase and calmodulin-binding proteins in cold-stable microtubule preparations from rat brain

Calmodulin-dependent kinase activity was investigated in cold-stable microtubule fractions. Calmodulin-dependent kinase activity was enriched approximately 20-fold over cytosol in cold-stable microtubule preparations. Calmodulin-dependent kinase activity in cold-stable microtubule preparations phosphorylated microtubule-associated protein-2, alpha- and beta-tubulin, an 80,000-dalton doublet, and several minor phosphoproteins. The endogenous calmodulin-dependent kinase in cold-stable microtubule fractions was identical to a previously purified calmodulin-dependent kinase from rat brain by several criteria including (1) subunit molecular weights, (2) subunit isoelectric points, (3) calmodulin-binding properties, (4) subunit autophosphorylation, (5) calmodulin-binding subunit composition on high-resolution sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, (6) isolation of kinase on calmodulin affinity resin, (7) kinetic parameters, (8) phosphoamino acid phosphorylation sites on beta-tubulin, and (9) phosphopeptide mapping. Endogenous cold-stable calmodulin-dependent kinase activity was isolated from the microtubule fraction by calmodulin affinity resin column chromatography and specifically eluted with EGTA. This kinase fraction contained the calmodulin-binding, autophosphorylating rho and sigma subunits of the previously purified kinase. The rho and sigma subunits of this kinase represented the major calmodulin-binding proteins in the cold-stable microtubule fractions as assessed by denaturing and non-denaturing procedures. These results indicate that calmodulin-dependent kinase is a major calmodulin-binding enzyme system in cold-stable microtubule fractions and may play an important role in mediating some of the effects of calcium on microtubule and cytoskeletal dynamics.

Partial characterization of endogenous phosphorylation conditions for hen brain cytosolic and membrane proteins

The optimal conditions for endogenous protein phosphorylation with 5 microM [gamma-32P]ATP, 10 mM MgCl2 in preparations containing synaptosomal cytosol or membranes (shocked crude mitochondrial fraction P2) from adult hen brains were determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, autoradiography and microdensitometry. Phosphate incorporation increased linearly with protein concentration from 75-125 micrograms/200 microliters in brain cytosol and was maximal at 75 micrograms/200 microliters in brain membranes. Optimal incubation times were 60-90 s for brain cytosol and 10-15 s for brain membranes. With the exception of the 20 kilodalton myelin basic protein in the membrane fraction, pH 6.5 is generally optimal. While temperature optima varied considerably with different bands, most of them were found between 35 and 45 degrees C. When identical preparations from hen and rat brain were co-electrophoresed, one of the most striking differences was that the enhancement of phosphorylation of a 55 kilodalton doublet, which may be tubulin, by addition of 50 microM Ca2+ was at least 3 times greater in rat than in hen brain cytosol. Another species difference was apparent in the membrane fractions in which the 20 kilodalton hen brain presumptive myelin basic protein (MBP) was phosphorylated to approximately the same extent as that of the 16 and 20 kilodalton rat brain MBPs combined.

A unified theory of presynaptic chemical neurotransmission

The mechanism of neurotransmission and its modulation involves the direct role of calcium on membranes, and calcium's ability to activate synergistically and simultaneously a host of interdependent enzymatic cascades in synaptic and coated vesicles and the presynaptic plasma membrane. Enzymatic products formed can either amplify or depress synaptic vesicle exocytosis and synaptic vesicle regeneration via the coated pit/vesicle system. Rate amplification produced by a series of parallel, multistepped, interconnected enzymatic cascades as well as the optimal geometric spatial orientation of synaptic vesicles induced by presynaptic structures is hypothesized to explain how neurotransmitter is released within 200 musec upon calcium entry into the axon terminal.

Calmodulin, synchronous and asynchronous release of neurotransmitter

Evidence collected from studies on a wide range of secretory cells suggests that calmodulin may play an important role in stimulus-secretion coupling. Work on synaptosomes, central synaptic preparations and chromaffin cell preparations indicates that calmodulin probably also acts as the intracellular Ca2+-receptor for secretion in neuronal cells, Ca2+-binding resulting in activation of protein kinases and phosphorylation of certain secretory vesicle proteins. Studies on the effects of calmodulin-binding drugs at peripheral synapses have given surprising results, particularly the finding that evoked (synchronous) transmitter release is not suppressed by calmodulin inhibition, though asynchronous release can be markedly inhibited. It is suggested that the insensitivity of synchronous release to drug treatment is due to the fact that only vesicle-bound calmodulin is involved in this form of transmitter secretion. Asynchronous release, however, involves recruitment of cytosolic calmodulin and can therefore be inhibited by calmodulin-binding drugs.

Tubulin-associated calmodulin-dependent kinase: evidence for an endogenous complex of tubulin with a calcium-calmodulin-dependent kinase

A Ca2+ -calmodulin kinase that phosphorylates tubulin and microtubule-associated proteins as major substrates has been purified and characterized from brain cytoplasm. It is important to determine if cytoskeletal proteins are major natural substrates for this kinase system. This report demonstrates that a significant fraction of brain cytosolic calmodulin-dependent kinase activity exists in tight association with tubulin in the form of a stable complex. The tubulin-calmodulin kinase complex displayed an apparent molecular weight on gel filtration of approximately 1.8 X 10(6) daltons. The specific activity of tubulin kinase in the complex was enriched over 20-fold in comparison with brain cytosol. Although purified tubulin alone did not adhere to a calmodulin column, the tubulin associated with the calmodulin kinase complex did bind specifically to the calmodulin affinity resin. The kinase activity was shown to be tightly associated in complex with tubulin by (1) copurification, (2) isolation on gel filtration chromatography, (3) isolation on ion-exchange chromatography, and (4) binding to calmodulin. The kinase complexed with tubulin was identical to the previously purified kinase as judged by several criteria including (1) subunit molecular weights, (2) isoelectric points, (3) autophosphorylation characteristics, (4) calmodulin binding properties, (5) kinetic parameters of tubulin phosphorylation, (6) phosphoamino acid phosphorylation sites on alpha- and beta-tubulin, and (7) identical subunit 125I-tryptic peptide maps. The results indicate that a significant fraction of this previously purified calmodulin kinase is endogenously associated with tubulin in brain cytoplasm and may play a role in mediating some of the effects of calcium on neuronal function.

Depolarisation-dependent protein phosphorylation in rat cortical synaptosomes is inhibited by fluphenazine at a step after calcium entry

The sequence of molecular events linking depolarisation-dependent calcium influx to calcium-stimulated protein phosphorylation is unknown. In this study the effect of the neuroleptic drug fluphenazine on depolarisation-dependent protein phosphorylation was investigated using an intact postmitochondrial pellet isolated from rat cerebral cortex. Fluphenazine, in a dose-dependent manner, completely inhibited the increases in protein phosphorylation observed previously. The concentration of fluphenazine required for 50% inhibition varied for different phosphoproteins but for synapsin I was 123 microM. Other neuroleptics produced effects similar to fluphenazine with their order of potency being thioridazine greater than haloperidol greater than trifluoperazine greater than fluphenazine greater than chlorpromazine. Fluphenazine also increased the phosphorylation of proteins in nondepolarised controls at concentrations of 20 and 60 microM. The inhibition of depolarisation-dependent phosphorylation was apparently not due to a loss of synaptosomal integrity or viability, a decrease in calcium uptake, a change in substrate availability, or to a change in protein phosphatase activity. The data are most consistent with an inhibition of protein kinase activity by blockade of calmodulin or phospholipid activation.

Protein substrate specificity of a calmodulin-dependent protein kinase isolated from bovine heart

The protein substrate specificity of a calmodulin-dependent protein kinase activity from the cytosolic fraction of bovine heart was examined. Prior to the experiments, the kinase activity was purified more than 50-fold with a recovery of greater than 10% of the homogenate activity. Two endogenous protein substrates of molecular weight 57,000 and 73,000 were phosphorylated in these kinase preparations. The kinase preparation was also able to phosphorylate exogenous synapsin, phospholamban, glycogen synthase, MAP-2, myelin basic proteins and kappa-casein, but not tubulin, pyruvate kinase, the regulatory subunit of cAMP protein kinase II, myosin light chain or phosphorylase b. High levels of calmodulin were required for activation of the kinase activity toward the 57,000 and 73,000 molecular weight endogenous substrates (K0.5 = 93 +/- 5 nM), glycogen synthase (K0.5 = 127 +/- 10 nM), and kappa-casein (K0.5 = 321 +/- 107 nM). The kinase possessed a high affinity for glycogen synthase (half maximal activity at 0.9 +/- 0.4 microM) but a low affinity for kappa-casein (21 +/- 2 microM). Sucrose density gradient centrifugation separated the calmodulin-dependent protein kinase activity into two fractions with apparent molecular weights of approximately 900,000 and 100,000. Both fractions phosphorylated the endogenous 57,000 molecular weight substrate and glycogen synthase similarly. These results indicate that cardiac calmodulin-dependent protein kinase previously observed to phosphorylate endogenous protein substrate possesses a wide range of substrate specificity.

Endogenous substrate proteins for Ca2+-calmodulin-dependent, Ca2+-phospholipid-dependent and cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinases in mouse pancreatic islets

The occurrence of endogenous substrate proteins for Ca2+-dependent protein kinase, augmented by either phospholipid or calmodulin, and for cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase was examined in homogenates and subcellular fractions of mouse pancreatic islets. Islet protein phosphorylation was enhanced by Ca2+-calmodulin; the major endogenous substrates in the homogenate were two proteins of Mr 53000 and 100000. The Mr-100000 phosphoprotein was localized to a 27000g-supernatant fraction, whereas the Mr-53000 phosphoprotein was present in a 27000g particulate fraction of mouse islets. In the presence of Ca2+, phosphatidylserine stimulated phosphorylation of 15 proteins, of Mr 17000-190000, in a 27000g-supernatant fraction. No effects of Ca2+ plus phosphatidylserine were observed in a 27000g particulate fraction of mouse islets. Examination of cyclic AMP-dependent protein phosphorylation revealed five substrate proteins, of Mr 23000-72000, present in the 27000g supernatant of mouse islets. No common substrates for either the two Ca2+-dependent phosphorylation systems or for the cyclic AMP-dependent and the Ca2+-calmodulin-dependent phosphorylation systems were noted. On the other hand, the actions of the cyclic AMP-sensitive and the Ca2+-phospholipid-sensitive systems may be overlapping, since two common substrates for them were noted in the 27000g-supernatant fraction. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that protein phosphorylation may play a role in the regulation of insulin secretion by Ca2+ and cyclic AMP. The extensive stimulatory effect of phosphatidylserine furthermore suggests that the Ca2+-phospholipid-sensitive protein kinase may prove to be a prominent phosphorylation system in pancreatic islets.

Troponin is unlikely to occur in bovine and chick forebrain

A search for the presence of troponin in brain reveals that troponin is below 0.00037% of total bovine brain soluble protein. Troponin levels were examined using G-actin-linked Sepharose affinity chromatography and 45Ca binding. The chromatographic and 45Ca binding experiments revealed the presence of several actin and calcium-binding proteins, none of which corresponded to any troponin subunit. In addition, troponin was not found in any chick brain subfraction analyzed, and the level of troponin in chick nerve ending cytoplasm enriched for troponin was less than 0.023%. Considering that substantial amounts of myosin and actin occur in brain, these findings indicate that troponin is not likely to be a regulator of putative brain actomyosin interactions. The significance of these results and their relation to proposed models for neurotransmitter release is discussed.

Identification of the major postsynaptic density protein as homologous with the major calmodulin-binding subunit of a calmodulin-dependent protein kinase

The major postsynaptic density protein (mPSDp), comprising greater than 50% of postsynaptic density (PSD) protein, is an endogenous substrate for calmodulin-dependent phosphorylation as well as a calmodulin-binding protein in PSD preparations. The results in this investigation indicate that mPSDp is highly homologous with the major calmodulin-binding subunit (p) of tubulin-associated calmodulin-dependent kinase (TACK), and that PSD fractions also contain a protein homologous with the sigma-subunit of TACK. Homologies between mPSDp and a 63,000 dalton PSD protein and the rho- and sigma-subunits of TACK were established by the following criteria: (1) identical apparent molecular weights; (2) identical calmodulin-binding properties; (3) manifestation of Ca2+-calmodulin-stimulated autophosphorylation; (4) identical isoelectric points; (5) identical calmodulin binding and autophosphorylation patterns on two-dimensional gels; (6) homologous two-dimensional tryptic peptide maps; and (7) similar phosphoamino acid-specific phosphorylation of tubulin. The results suggest that mPSDp is a calmodulin-binding protein involved in modulating protein kinase activity in the postsynaptic density and that a tubulin kinase system homologous with TACK exists in a membrane-bound form in the PSD.

Calcium uptake and calcium-dependent phosphorylation during development of rat brain neurons in culture

The emergence of the capacities for calcium uptake and calcium-regulated protein phosphorylation during the development of embryonic brain neurons in tissue culture was examined. In the maturing cells, the enhancement in 45Ca2+-uptake upon stimulation with high K+ increased by 3-4 fold during the second week in vitro, in parallel to an increase in the capacity for high K+-induced Ca2+-dependent release of prelabeled [3H]dopamine. The pattern of incorporation of [32Pi]phosphate into the major phosphoproteins in maturing cells under nonstimulating conditions also changed during cell development: the incorporation of 32Pi into two proteins of apparent molecular weights--55,000 and 43,000 dalton--increased, but decreased in a 45,000 dalton protein. Stimulation of mature cells (after 10-11 days in vitro) resulted in a Ca2+-dependent increase in the amount of 32Pi incorporated into the 43,000 dalton protein and a decrease in the amount incorporated into the 55,000 dalton protein. This calcium-regulated phosphorylation pattern was not observed until 6 days in vitro. Introduction of Ca2+ into the immature cells by means of the Ca2+ ionophore A23187 did not alter the phosphorylation pattern and did not cause neurotransmitter release. The amount of [35S]methionine incorporated into a 43,000 dalton protein which comigrated with the 43,000 dalton phosphoprotein also increased upon cell maturation. The results suggest that this phosphoprotein (which does not comigrate with nonphosphorylated actin on two-dimensional polyacrylamide gels) develops in the cells in parallel to the emerging processes of the stimulation-induced calcium entry and calcium-dependent neurosecretion.