Purification and characterization of posterior pituitary calmodulin and its activation of neurosecretosome Ca2+ + Mg2+-ATPase activities

Effect of anti-calmodulin agents on vasopressin release in vitro to depolarization and calcium ionophore

Calmodulin has been implicated in transducing the effects of Ca2+ on synaptic transmission and hormone release, including osmotically-stimulated vasopressin (AVP) release. If the anti-calmodulin agents block AVP release secondary to inhibition of Ca2(+)-calmodulin interactions, these drugs should inhibit AVP release to stimuli increasing Ca2+ influx via different mechanisms. Hypothalamo-neurohypophysial complexes (HNC) were exposed to ionomycin, Bay K 8644, or veratridine either alone, with any one of three distinct chemical classes of anti-calmodulin agent, or with a Ca2+ channel antagonist. All the anti-calmodulin agents impaired AVP release to ionomycin, while Ca2+ channel blockade did not. Conversely, Ca2+ channel antagonism completely blocked AVP release in response to Bay K 8644, but the anti-calmodulin agents had no effect. None of the inhibitors prevented veratridine-induced AVP release. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that the anti-calmodulin agents tested inhibit AVP release by their membrane stabilizing properties rather than by antagonizing Ca2(+)-calmodulin in HNC. Depolarization initiated by Na+ influx may stimulate Na(+)-Ca2+ exchange by a mechanism independent of slow Ca2+ channels as well.

Anti-calmodulin agents affect osmotic and angiotensin II-induced vasopressin release

Calcium ions and particularly calcium influx play a crucial part in initiating the intracellular events that result in arginine vasopressin (AVP) release to both osmotic and nonosmotic stimuli. Calmodulin appears to modulate the effects of calcium on synaptic transmission and hormone release in other systems. This study tested the effects of three distinct classes of anti-calmodulin agents on the release of AVP to either a rise in osmolality of 20 mosmol/kg water or to 1 X 10(-5) angiotensin II (ANG II) in cultured hypothalamo-neurohypophysical complexes. Micromolar concentrations of R 24571, the active naphthalenesulfonamides, W 7 and W 13, and trifluoperazine (TFP) inhibited AVP release to osmotic stimulation. In contrast, W 5, a severalfold less active anti-calmodulin agent, had no effect on osmotically stimulated AVP release. The active naphthalenesulfonamides, but not R 24571 or TFP, blocked release of AVP to ANG II. In contrast, neither R 24571 nor TFP inhibited AVP release to ANG II stimulation. Collectively, the data demonstrated a dissociation between inhibition of AVP release and the anti-calmodulin properties of the drugs, thereby suggesting that nonspecific actions masked the calmodulin-blocking effects of the drugs or that the inhibition occurred by some alternative mechanism(s).

Effect of phenothiazines on Hymenolepis diminuta with special reference to the brush border Ca2+-dependent ATPase

Incubation of Hymenolepis diminuta with the calmodulin antagonist trifluoperazine causes lesions in the brush border of the cestode. Exposure to a phenothiazine of lower lipophilicity, trifluoperazine sulphoxide, had little effect. Characterisation of isolated brush border revealed two forms of Ca2+-ATPase which exhibited maximum activity at pH 5.5 and 7.5. Both forms were Ca2+-dependent but only the latter was influenced by calmodulin and trifluoperazine. It is suggested that the Ca2+-ATPase present in the tapeworm brush border may be the site of trifluoperazine toxicity.

Isolation, purification and cell-free synthesis of calmodulin from the pig anterior pituitary gland

Calmodulin was extracted and purified from pig anterior pituitary gland. The protein was characterized by its migration on sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis in the presence of Ca2+ or EGTA, its U.V. spectrum between 240 and 290 nm and the activation of calmodulin-deficient cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase. The yield was 370 mg/kg wet wt. mRNA was also extracted from the same tissue and translated in a wheat-germ cell-free translation system. Translated calmodulin was identified by its heat-stability, its co-migration with authentic anterior-pituitary calmodulin on sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis, its acidic isoelectric point (4.15) on flat-bed isoelectric focusing, its Ca2+-dependent binding to fluphenazine-Sepharose 6B, and its co-elution from this gel with authentic unlabelled calmodulin with EGTA buffer. Calmodulin was not translated as a precursor form. In this tissue it was calculated that calmodulin accounted for 0.5-1% of the total translated protein.