Sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum Ca2+ pump isoform SERCA3 is more resistant than SERCA2b to peroxide

Suppression of Ca2+ oscillations by SERCA inhibition in human alveolar type 2 A549 cells: rescue by ochratoxin A but not CDN1163

AIMS

Lung type 2 alveolar cells, by secreting surfactant to lower surface tension, contribute to enhance lung compliance. Stretching, as a result of lung expansion, triggers type 1 alveolar cell to release ATP, which in turn stimulates Ca²⁺-dependent surfactant secretion by neighboring type 2 cells. In this report, we studied ATP-triggered Ca²⁺ signaling in human alveolar type 2 A549 cells.

MAIN METHODS

Ca²⁺ signaling was examined using microfluorimetric measurement with fura-2 as fluorescent dye.

KEY FINDINGS

Ca²⁺ oscillations triggered by ATP relied on inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate-induced Ca²⁺ release and store-operated Ca²⁺ entry. Pathological conditions such as influenza virus infection and diabetes reportedly inhibit sarcoplasmic/endoplasmic reticulum Ca²⁺ ATPase (SERCA). We found that a very mild inhibition of SERCA by cyclopiazonic acid (CPA) sufficed to decrease Ca²⁺ oscillation frequency and the percentage of cells exhibiting Ca²⁺ oscillations. Ochratoxin A (OTA), an activator of SERCA, could prevent the suppressive effects by CPA. Inhibition of SERCA by hydrogen peroxide also suppressed Ca²⁺ oscillations. Interestingly, hydrogen peroxide-induced inhibition was prevented by OTA but aggravated by CDN1163, an allosteric activator of SERCA. CDN1163 also had an untoward effect of releasing intracellular Ca²⁺.

SIGNIFICANCE

Different modes of activation of SERCA may determine the outcome of rescue of Ca²⁺ oscillations in case of SERCA inhibition in alveolar type 2 cells.

Calcium, a pivotal player in photodynamic therapy?

Photodynamic therapy combines three non-toxic components: light, oxygen and a photosensitizer to generate singlet oxygen and/or other ROS molecules in order to target destruction of cancer cells. The damage induced in the targeted cells can furthermore propagate to non-exposed bystander cells thereby exacerbating the damage. Ca²⁺ signaling is strongly intertwined with ROS signaling and both play crucial roles in cell death. In this review we aimed to review current knowledge on the role of Ca²⁺ and ROS signaling, their effect on cell-cell propagation via connexin-linked mechanisms and the outcome in terms of cell death. In general, photodynamic therapy results in an increased cytosolic Ca²⁺ concentration originating from Ca²⁺ entry or Ca²⁺ release from internal stores. While photodynamic therapy can certainly induce cell death, the outcome depends on the cell type and the photosensitizer used. Connexin channels propagating the Ca²⁺ signal, and presumably regenerating ROS at distance, may play a role in spreading the effect to neighboring non-exposed bystander cells. Given the various cell types and photosensitizers used, there is currently no unified signaling scheme to explain the role of Ca²⁺ and connexins in the responses following photodynamic therapy. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Calcium signaling in health, disease and therapy edited by Geert Bultynck and Jan Parys.

Theoretical assessment of the Ca2+ oscillations in the afferent arteriole smooth muscle cell of the rat kidney

The afferent arteriole (AA) of rat kidney exhibits the myogenic response, in which the vessel constricts in response to an elevation in blood pressure and dilates in response to a pressure reduction. Additionally, the AA exhibits spontaneous oscillations in vascular tone at physiological luminal pressures. These time-periodic oscillations stem from the dynamic exchange of Ca[Formula: see text] between the cytosol and the sarcoplasmic reticulum, coupled to the stimulation of Ca[Formula: see text]-activated potassium and chloride channels, and to the modulation of voltage-gated L-type Ca[Formula: see text] channels. The effects of physiological factors, including blood pressure and vasoactive substances, on AA vasomotion remain to be well characterized. In this paper, we analyze a mathematical model of Ca[Formula: see text] signaling in an AA smooth muscle cell. The model represents detailed transmembrane ionic transport, intracellular Ca[Formula: see text] dynamics as well as kinetics of nitric oxide (NO) and superoxide (O[Formula: see text]) formation, diffusion and reaction. NO is an important factor in the maintenance of blood pressure and O[Formula: see text] has been shown to contribute significantly to the functional alternations of blood vessels in hypertension. We perform a bifurcation analysis of the model equations to assess the effect of luminal pressure, NO and O[Formula: see text] on the behaviors of limit cycle oscillations.

Hydrogen peroxide inhibits Ca2+ efflux through plasma membrane Ca2+-ATPase in mouse parotid acinar cells

Intracellular Ca²⁺ mobilization is closely linked with the initiation of salivary secretion in parotid acinar cells. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are known to be related to a variety of oxidative stress-induced cellular disorders and believed to be involved in salivary impairments. In this study, we investigated the underlying mechanism of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) on cytosolic Ca²⁺ accumulation in mouse parotid acinar cells. Intracellular Ca²⁺ levels were slowly elevated when 1 mM H₂O₂ was perfused in the presence of normal extracellular Ca²⁺. In a Ca²⁺-free medium, 1 mM H₂O₂ still enhanced the intracellular Ca²⁺ level. Ca²⁺ entry tested using manganese quenching technique was not affected by perfusion of 1 mM H₂O₂. On the other hand, 10 mM H₂O₂ induced more rapid Ca²⁺ accumulation and facilitated Ca²⁺ entry from extracellular fluid. Ca²⁺ refill into intracellular Ca²⁺ store and inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (1 µM)-induced Ca²⁺ release from Ca²⁺ store was not affected by 1 mM H₂O₂ in permeabilized cells. Ca²⁺ efflux through plasma membrane Ca²⁺-ATPase (PMCA) was markedly blocked by 1 mM H₂O₂ in thapsigargin-treated intact acinar cells. Antioxidants, either catalase or dithiothreitol, completely protected H₂O₂-induced Ca²⁺ accumulation through PMCA inactivation. From the above results, we suggest that excessive production of H₂O₂ under pathological conditions may lead to cytosolic Ca²⁺ accumulation and that the primary mechanism of H₂O₂-induced Ca²⁺ accumulation is likely to inhibit Ca²⁺ efflux through PMCA rather than mobilize Ca²⁺ ions from extracellular medium or intracellular stores in mouse parotid acinar cells.

Interactions of Mitochondria/Metabolism and Calcium Regulation in Alzheimer's Disease: A Calcinist Point of View

Decades of research suggest that alterations in calcium are central to the pathophysiology of Alzheimer's Disease (AD). Highly reproducible changes in calcium dynamics occur in cells from patients with both genetic and non-genetic forms of AD relative to controls. The most robust change is an exaggerated release of calcium from internal stores. Detailed analysis of these changes in animal and cell models of the AD-causing presenilin mutations reveal robust changes in ryanodine receptors, inositol tris-phosphate receptors, calcium leak channels and store activated calcium entry. Similar anomalies in calcium result when AD-like changes in mitochondrial enzymes or oxidative stress are induced experimentally. The calcium abnormalities can be directly linked to the altered tau phosphorylation, amyloid precursor protein processing and synaptic dysfunction that are defining features of AD. A better understanding of these changes is required before using calcium abnormalities as therapeutic targets.

Inhibition and conformational change of SERCA3b induced by Bcl-2

An interaction of Bcl-2 with SERCA had been documented in vitro using the SERCA1a isoform isolated from rat skeletal muscle [Dremina, E. S., Sharov, V. S., Kumar, K., Azidi, A., Michaelis, E. K., Schöneich, C. (2004) Biochem. J. 383 (361-370)]. Here, we demonstrate the interaction of Bcl-2 with the SERCA3b isoform both in vitro and in cell culture. In vitro, the interaction of Bcl-2 with SERCA3b was studied using Bcl-2∆21, a truncated form of human Bcl-2, and microsomes isolated from SERCA3b-overexpressing HEK-293 cells. For these experiments, SERCA3b was quantified by a combination of amino acid analysis and Western blotting. We observed that Bcl-2∆21 both inactivates SERCA3b and co-immunoprecipitates with SERCA3b. The incubation with Bcl-2∆21 changes the distribution of SERCA3b during sucrose density gradient centrifugation, likely as the result of Bcl-2∆21-induced conformational change of SERCA3b. When SERCA3b-overexpressing HEK-293 cells were co-transfected with Bcl-2, Bcl-2-dependent SERCA3b inactivation was observed. In these cells, Bcl-2 interaction with SERCA3b was demonstrated by co-immunoprecipitation. Furthermore, overexpression of Bcl-2 reduced fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) labeling of SERCA3b. Together, our data provide evidence for the interaction of Bcl-2 with SERCA3b in vitro and in cell culture, and for Bcl-2-dependent conformational and functional changes of SERCA3b.

Redox regulation of store-operated Ca2+ entry

SIGNIFICANCE

Store-operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE) is a ubiquitous Ca2+ signaling mechanism triggered by Ca2+ depletion of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and by a variety of cellular stresses. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are often concomitantly produced in response to these stresses, however, the relationship between redox signaling and SOCE is not completely understood. Various cardiovascular, neurological, and immune diseases are associated with alterations in both Ca2+ signaling and ROS production, and thus understanding this relationship has therapeutic implications.

RECENT ADVANCES

Several reactive cysteine modifications in stromal interaction molecule (STIM) and Orai proteins comprising the core SOCE machinery were recently shown to modulate SOCE in a redox-dependent manner. Moreover, STIM1 and Orai1 expression levels may reciprocally regulate and be affected by responses to oxidative stress. ER proteins involved in oxidative protein folding have gained increased recognition as important sources of ROS, and the recent discovery of their accumulation in contact sites between the ER and mitochondria provides a further link between ROS production and intracellular Ca2+ handling.

CRITICAL ISSUES AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS

Future research should aim to establish the complete set of SOCE controlling molecules, to determine their redox-sensitive residues, and to understand how intracellular Ca2+ stores dynamically respond to different types of stress. Mapping the precise nature and functional consequence of key redox-sensitive components of the pre- and post-translational control of SOCE machinery and of proteins regulating ER calcium content will be pivotal in advancing our understanding of the complex cross-talk between redox and Ca2+ signaling.

Redox control of cardiac excitability

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) have been associated with various human diseases, and considerable attention has been paid to investigate their physiological effects. Various ROS are synthesized in the mitochondria and accumulate in the cytoplasm if the cellular antioxidant defense mechanism fails. The critical balance of this ROS synthesis and antioxidant defense systems is termed the redox system of the cell. Various cardiovascular diseases have also been affected by redox to different degrees. ROS have been indicated as both detrimental and protective, via different cellular pathways, for cardiac myocyte functions, electrophysiology, and pharmacology. Mostly, the ROS functions depend on the type and amount of ROS synthesized. While the literature clearly indicates ROS effects on cardiac contractility, their effects on cardiac excitability are relatively under appreciated. Cardiac excitability depends on the functions of various cardiac sarcolemal or mitochondrial ion channels carrying various depolarizing or repolarizing currents that also maintain cellular ionic homeostasis. ROS alter the functions of these ion channels to various degrees to determine excitability by affecting the cellular resting potential and the morphology of the cardiac action potential. Thus, redox balance regulates cardiac excitability, and under pathological regulation, may alter action potential propagation to cause arrhythmia. Understanding how redox affects cellular excitability may lead to potential prophylaxis or treatment for various arrhythmias. This review will focus on the studies of redox and cardiac excitation.

Trolox-sensitive reactive oxygen species regulate mitochondrial morphology, oxidative phosphorylation and cytosolic calcium handling in healthy cells

AIMS

Cell regulation by signaling reactive oxygen species (sROS) is often incorrectly studied through extracellular oxidant addition. Here, we used the membrane-permeable antioxidant Trolox to examine the role of sROS in mitochondrial morphology, oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS), and cytosolic calcium (Ca(2+)) handling in healthy human skin fibroblasts.

RESULTS AND INNOVATION

Trolox treatment reduced the levels of 5-(and-6)-chloromethyl-2',7'-dichlorodihydro-fluorescein (CM-H(2)DCF) oxidizing ROS, lowered cellular lipid peroxidation, and induced a less oxidized mitochondrial thiol redox state. This was paralleled by increased glutathione- and mitofusin-dependent mitochondrial filamentation, increased expression of fully assembled mitochondrial complex I, elevated activity of citrate synthase and OXPHOS enzymes, and a higher cellular O(2) consumption. In contrast, Trolox did not alter hydroethidium oxidation, cytosolic thiol redox state, mitochondrial NAD(P)H levels, or mitochondrial membrane potential. Whole genome expression profiling revealed that Trolox did not trigger significant changes in gene expression, suggesting that Trolox acts downstream of this process. Cytosolic Ca(2+) transients, induced by the hormone bradykinin, were of a higher amplitude and decayed faster in Trolox-treated cells. These effects were dose-dependently antagonized by hydrogen peroxide.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that Trolox-sensitive sROS are upstream regulators of mitochondrial mitofusin levels, morphology, and function in healthy human skin fibroblasts. This information not only facilitates the interpretation of antioxidant effects in cell models (of oxidative-stress), but also contributes to a better understanding of ROS-related human pathologies, including mitochondrial disorders.

Store operated Ca2+ entry dependent contraction of coronary artery smooth muscle: inhibition by peroxide pretreatment

The sarco/endoplasmic reticulum (SER) Ca(2+) pool is refilled by the SER Ca(2+) pump (SERCA) using cytosolic Ca(2+) and/or extracellular Ca(2+) entering the cell. The effects of the SERCA pump inhibitor cyclopiazonic acid (CPA) were studied in pig coronary artery smooth muscle using two protocols. In protocol A, the SERCA pump was inhibited by adding CPA to cells/tissues in Ca(2+)-containing solution, whereas in protocol B, CPA was added to cells/tissues in Ca(2+)-free solution, followed by reintroduction of extracellular Ca(2+). Addition of CPA increased cytosolic Ca(2+) in cultured smooth muscle cells and elicited contraction in de-endothelialized coronary arteries in both protocols. Based on pharmacological experiments, the CPA-induced contraction of de-endothelialized arteries in protocol B resulted from store operated Ca(2+) entry (SOCE). Reactive oxygen species such as peroxides are known to damage the SERCA pump in this tissue. Consistently, CPA-induced contractions were decreased in arteries pre-treated with hydrogen peroxide in protocol A. However, this pretreatment also decreased the force of contraction due to SOCE in protocol B, suggesting that it closed SOCE. We propose that the closure of SOCE triggered by exposure to reactive oxygen species may be a protective mechanism, so that Ca(2+) entry by this pathway is disallowed when SERCA is damaged in pathologies such as ischemia-reperfusion.

Calcium overload induces C6 rat glioma cell apoptosis in sonodynamic therapy

PURPOSE

Our aim was to study calcium overload-induced apoptosis and its relation to reactive oxygen species (ROS) in rat C6 glioma cells after sonodynamic treatment (SDT).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Hematoporphyrin monomethyl ether (HMME) was used as the sonosensitizer. The concentration of intracellular Ca(2+) ([Ca(2+)](i)) was measured by fluorometry. Apoptosis and necrosis rates were evaluated by a flow cytometry. Moreover, sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+) -ATPase (SERCA(2)), cytochrome c (cyto-c) and cleaved caspase-3 were investigated by immunoblotting.

RESULTS

Our study indicated that [Ca(2 +)](i) and ROS increased in cells of SDT group, the apoptosis rate, quantity of cyto-c and cleaved caspase-3 markedly increased after SDT. Furthermore, N-Acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) or 1,2-bisethane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid tetrakis ester (BAPTA-AM) could decrease the apoptosis rate, the release of cyto-c and cleaved caspase-3 in SDT group, SERCA(2) degradation was found in SDT group and could also be prevented by the addition of NAC.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results show that HMME-SDT can induce C6 cell death through both necrosis and apoptosis. ROS in C6 cells play a decisive role in HMME-SDT-induced cell death. The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) may be a major target of HMME-SDT, ROS can induce SERCA(2) degradation, causing the elevation of [Ca(2+)](i).

Cellular mechanisms underlying nitric oxide-induced vasodilation of descending vasa recta

It has been observed that vasoactivity of explanted descending vasa recta (DVR) is modulated by intrinsic nitric oxide (NO) and superoxide (O(2)(-)) production (Cao C, Edwards A, Sendeski M, Lee-Kwon W, Cui L, Cai CY, Patzak A, Pallone TL. Am J Physiol Renal Physiol 299: F1056-F1064, 2010). To elucidate the cellular mechanisms by which NO, O(2)(-) and hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) modulate DVR pericyte cytosolic Ca(2+) concentration ([Ca](cyt)) and vasoactivity, we expanded our mathematical model of Ca(2+) signaling in pericytes. We incorporated simulations of the pathways that translate an increase in [Ca](cyt) to the activation of myosin light chain (MLC) kinase and cell contraction, as well as the kinetics of NO and reactive oxygen species formation and their effects on [Ca](cyt) and MLC phosphorylation. The model reproduced experimentally observed trends of DVR vasoactivity that accompany exposure to N(ω)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester, 8-Br-cGMP, Tempol, and H(2)O(2). Our results suggest that under resting conditions, NO-induced activation of cGMP maintains low levels of [Ca](cyt) and MLC phosphorylation to minimize basal tone. This results from stimulation of Ca(2+) uptake from the cytosol into the SR via SERCA pumps, Ca(2+) efflux into the extracellular space via plasma membrane Ca(2+) pumps, and MLC phosphatase (MLCP) activity. We predict that basal concentrations of O(2)(-) and H(2)O(2) have negligible effects on Ca(2+) signaling and MLC phosphorylation. At concentrations above 1 nM, O(2)(-) is predicted to modulate [Ca(cyt)] and MCLP activity mostly by reducing NO bioavailability. The DVR vasoconstriction that is induced by high concentrations of H(2)O(2) can be explained by H(2)O(2)-mediated downregulation of MLCP and SERCA activity. We conclude that intrinsic generation of NO by the DVR wall may be sufficient to inhibit vasoconstriction by maintaining suppression of MLC phosphorylation.

CYP2E1 overexpression inhibits microsomal Ca2+-ATPase activity in HepG2 cells

Cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) is a microsomal enzyme that generates reactive oxygen species during its catalytic cycle. We previously found an important role for calcium in CYP2E1-potentiated injury in HepG2 cells. The possibility that CYP2E1 may oxidatively damage and inactivate the microsomal Ca2+-ATPase in intact liver cells was evaluated, in order to explain why calcium is elevated during CYP2E1 toxicity. Microsomes were isolated by differential centrifugation from two liver cell line: E47 cells (HepG2 cells transfected with the pCI neo expression vector containing the human CYP2E1 cDNA, which overexpress active microsomal CYP2E1), and control C34 cells (HepG2 cells transfected with the pCI neo expression vector alone, which do not express significantly any cytochrome P450). The Ca2+-dependent ATPase activity was determined by measuring the accumulation of inorganic phosphate from ATP hydrolysis. CYP2E1 overexpression produced a 45% decrease in Ca2+-dependent ATPase activity (8.6 nmol Pi/min/mg protein in C34 microsomes versus 4.7 nmol Pi/min/mg protein in microsomes). Saturation curves with Ca2+ or ATP showed that CYP2E1 overexpression produced a decrease in Vmax but did not affect the Km for either Ca2+ or ATP. The decrease in activity was not associated with a decrease in SERCA protein levels. The ATP-dependent microsomal calcium uptake was evaluated by fluorimetry using fluo-3 as the fluorogenic probe. Calcium uptake rate in E47 microsomes was 28% lower than in C34 microsomes. Treatment of E47 cells with 2mM N-acetylcysteine prevented the decrease in microsomal Ca2+-ATPase found in E47 cells. These results suggest that CYP2E1 overexpression produces a decrease in microsomal Ca2+-ATPase activity in HepG2 cells mediated by reactive oxygen species. This may contribute to elevated cytosolic calcium and to CYP2E1-potentiated injury.

Hydrogen Peroxide Potentiates the EDHF Phenomenon by Promoting Endothelial Ca 2+ Mobilization

Objective— The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that H 2 O 2 contributes to the EDHF phenomenon by mobilizing endothelial Ca 2+ stores.

Methods and Results— Myograph studies with rabbit iliac arteries demonstrated that EDHF-type relaxations evoked by the SERCA inhibitor cyclopiazonic acid (CPA) required activation of K Ca channels and were potentiated by exogenous H 2 O 2 and the thiol oxidant thimerosal. Preincubation with a submaximal concentration of CPA unmasked an ability of exogenous H 2 O 2 to stimulate an EDHF-type response that was sensitive to K Ca channel blockade. Imaging of cytosolic and endoplasmic reticulum [Ca 2+ ] in rabbit aortic valve endothelial cells with Fura-2 and Mag-fluo-4 demonstrated that H 2 O 2 and thimerosal, which sensitizes the InsP 3 receptor, both enhanced CPA-evoked Ca 2+ release from stores, and that the potentiating effect of H 2 O 2 was suppressed by the cell-permeant thiol reductant glutathione monoethylester. CPA-evoked relaxations were attenuated by exogenous catalase and potentiated by the catalase inhibitor 3-aminotriazole, and were abolished by the connexin-mimetic peptide 43 Gap26, which interrupts intercellular communication via gap junctions constructed from connexin 43.

Conclusions— H 2 O 2 can enhance EDHF-type relaxations by potentiating Ca 2+ release from endothelial stores, probably via redox modification of the InsP 3 receptor, leading to the opening of hyperpolarizing endothelial K Ca channels and an electrotonically-mediated relaxant response.

Cysteine-674 oxidation and degradation of sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+) ATPase in diabetic pig aorta

The sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ ATPase (SERCA) is redox-regulated by posttranslational thiol modifications of cysteine-674 to regulate smooth muscle relaxation and migration. To detect oxidation of cysteine-674 that irreversibly prevents redox regulation, a polyclonal, sequence-specific antibody was developed toward a peptide containing cysteine-674 sulfonic acid. The antibody stained intact 110-kDa SERCA in pig cardiac SR that was oxidized in vitro by peroxynitrite in a sequence-specific manner, and histochemically stained atherosclerotic pig and rabbit aorta. Surprisingly, immunoblots of the pig aorta failed to stain intact 110-kDa SERCA protein, but rather, higher molecular mass aggregates and lower molecular mass bands. Of the latter bands at 70 and 60 kDa, the largest were observed in diabetic, hyperlipidemic pigs, and coincided with the most positive histochemical staining. The 70- and 60-kDa molecular mass bands also coincided with the majority of the protein detected by a monoclonal total anti-SERCA antibody, which detected the intact 110-kDa protein in normal pigs. Mass spectrometry identified SERCA in all the major bands detected by the sulfonic acid antibody as well as the oxidation of cysteine-674 in the 70-kDa band. These studies demonstrate a sequence-specific antibody that detects partial degradation products of SERCA, which represent the majority of the protein in some diabetic hypercholesterolemic pig aortae. In addition, the results suggest an association between irreversible oxidation of SERCA and its degradation, and that an important portion of the oxidized protein in tissue samples may be partially degraded.

Trifluoperazine protects brain plasma membrane Ca(2+)-ATPase from oxidative damaging

In the central nervous system (CNS), a number of different pathological processes such as necrosis, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases are related to disturbance in calcium homeostasis associated with oxidative stress. Here we compare the susceptibility of rat brain plasma membrane Ca(2+)-ATPase (PMCA) and sarco-endoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase (SERCA) isoforms to in vitro oxidative stress, and investigate a putative role of trifluoperazine (TFP), an antipsychotic drug that is also a powerful inhibitor of Ca(2+)-transporter proteins, in protecting these enzymes. It is shown that, in rat brain, PMCA is very sensitive to the damage induced by preincubation with Fe(2+)-ascorbate, or Fe(2+)-ascorbate plus H2O2, while SERCA is resistant. Inhibition of PMCA activity promoted by Fe(2+)/ascorbate medium is fully prevented by the presence of microM concentrations of either butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) or TFP, but only partially protected, or reversed, by dithiothreitol (DTT), pointing to some protein cysteine(s) as one of the main targets for a lipid peroxidation-dependent damaging mechanism. However, when 0.5-1 mM H2O2 is added together with Fe(2+)/ascorbate, both BHT and TFP only partially prevent ATPase activity inhibition, and DTT does not confer any protection, suggesting two possible additional mechanisms involving both lipid peroxidation and direct damage to PMCA at amino acid residues other than cysteines. A possible use of micromolar concentrations of TFP as a direct antioxidant protector for PMCA under oxidative stress conditions is discussed.

Homoharringtonine-induced apoptosis of MDS cell line MUTZ-1 cells is mediated by the endoplasmic reticulum stress pathway

Homoharringtonine has been shown to lead to apoptosis of leukemic cells in several studies. Here we showed that the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) may be the initial site of apoptotic signal induced by homoharringtonine in MUTZ-1 cells. After incubation with homoharringtonine, the percentage of apoptotic MUTZ-1 cells increased in a time-dependent manner, Ca(2+) translocated from ER pool to cytosol, the mitochondrial membrane potential decreased, and Bid protein translocated from ER to mitochondria. The activation of ER stress-associated proapoptotic factor CHOP and ER chaperones BiP and XBP1 genes followed by cleavage of caspase-3 but not caspase-4 protein were also observed.

Ca2+-pumps and Na2+-Ca2+-exchangers in coronary artery endothelium versus smooth muscle

Vascular endothelial cells (EC) and smooth muscle cells (SMC) require a decrease in cytoplasmic Ca²⁺ concentration after activation. This can be achieved by Ca²⁺ sequestration by the sarco-/endoplasmic reticulum Ca²⁺ pumps (SERCA) and Ca²⁺ extrusion by plasma membrane Ca²⁺ pumps (PMCA) and Na⁺–Ca²⁺-exchangers (NCX). Since the two cell types differ in their structure and function, we compared the activities of PMCA, NCX and SERCA in pig coronary artery EC and SMC, the types of isoforms expressed using RT-PCR, and their protein abundance using Western blots. The activity of NCX is higher in EC than in SMC but those of PMCA and SERCA is lower. Consistently, the protein abundance for NCX protein is higher in EC than in SMC and those of PMCA and SERCA is lower. Based on RT-PCR experiments, the types of RNA present are as follows: EC for PMCA1 while SMC for PMCA4 and PMCA1; EC for SERCA2 and SERCA3 and SMC for SERCA2. Both EC and SMC express NCX1 (mainly NCX1.3). PMCA, SERCA and NCX differ in their affinities for Ca²⁺ and regulation. Based on these observations and the literature, we conclude that the tightly regulated Ca²⁺ removal systems in SMC are consistent with the cyclical control of contractility of the filaments and those in EC are consistent with Ca²⁺ regulation of the endothelial nitric oxide synthase near the cell surface. The differences between EC and SMC should be considered in therapeutic interventions of cardiovascular diseases.

Ouabain decreases sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum calcium ATPase activity in rat hearts by a process involving protein oxidation

The effect of cardiac glycosides to increase cardiac inotropy by altering Ca(2+) cycling is well known but still poorly understood. The studies described in this report focus on defining the effects of ouabain signaling on sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase function. Rat cardiac myocytes treated with 50 microM ouabain demonstrated substantial increases in systolic and diastolic Ca(2+) concentrations. The recovery time constant for the Ca(2+) transient, tau(Ca(2+)), was significantly prolonged by ouabain. Exposure to 10 microM H(2)O(2), which causes an increase in intracellular reactive oxygen species similar to that of 50 microM ouabain, caused a similar increase in tau(Ca(2+)). Concurrent exposure to 10 mM N-acetylcysteine or an aqueous extract from green tea (50 mg/ml) both prevented the increases in tau(Ca(2+)) as well as the changes in systolic or diastolic Ca(2+) concentrations. We also observed that 50 microM ouabain induced increases in developed pressure in addition to diastolic dysfunction in the isolated perfused rat heart. Coadministration of ouabain with N-acetylcysteine prevented these increases. Analysis of sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase protein revealed increases in both the oxidation and nitrotyrosine content in the ouabain-treated hearts. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometric analysis confirmed that the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase protein from ouabain-treated hearts had modifications consistent with oxidative and nitrosative stress. These data suggest that ouabain induces oxidative changes of the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase structure and function that may, in turn, produce some of the associated changes in Ca(2+) cycling and physiological function.

Redox modulation of contractile function in respiratory and limb skeletal muscle

For the last half century, scientists have studied the biological importance of free radicals in respiratory and limb muscles. We now know that muscle fibers continually produce both reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitric oxide (NO) and that both cascades play critical roles in contractile regulation. Under basal conditions, muscle-derived ROS and NO exert opposing effects. Low-level ROS activity is an essential part of the homeostatic milieu and is required for normal force production whereas NO derivatives function as a brake on the system, limiting force. The modulatory effects of ROS and NO are disrupted by conditions that exaggerate production including mechanical unloading, inflammatory disease, and strenuous exercise. Marked increases in ROS or NO levels cause contractile dysfunction, resulting in muscle weakness and fatigue. These principles provide a foundation for ongoing research to identify the mechanisms of ROS and NO action and develop interventions that protect muscle function.

Ascorbate uptake in pig coronary artery endothelial cells

Although smooth muscle and endothelial cells in pig coronary artery are morphologically and functionally distinct, ascorbate uptake has been characterized only in smooth muscle cells. Ascorbate transporters in kidney and intestinal epithelial cells differ from those in smooth muscle. We examined ascorbate transport and mRNA expression of sodium-dependent vitamin C transporters (SVCT) by RT-PCR in the pig coronary artery endothelial cell cultures. When 14C-ascorbate uptake in endothelial cells was examined as 14C or by HPLC, the two values did not differ from each other. 14C-ascorbate uptake was Na(+)-dependent, stereoselective for L-ascorbate and inhibited by sulfinpyrazone. The kinetic characteristics of the uptake were: Km = 27 +/- 3 microM (Hill coefficient = 1) for ascorbate and Km = 73 +/- 14 mM (Hill coefficient = 2) for Na+. Surprisingly, endothelial cells had similar kinetic parameters as smooth muscle cells, except for a slightly lower uptake velocity in endothelial cells. Comparison with the smooth muscle showed that both tissue types expressed mRNA for SVCT2. Endothelial cells differ from epithelial cells which express mainly SVCT1 but resemble smooth muscle cells in this respect.

Cytokines downregulate the sarcoendoplasmic reticulum pump Ca2+ ATPase 2b and deplete endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+, leading to induction of endoplasmic reticulum stress in pancreatic beta-cells

Cytokines and free radicals are mediators of beta-cell death in type 1 diabetes. Under in vitro conditions, interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) + gamma-interferon (IFN-gamma) induce nitric oxide (NO) production and apoptosis in rodent and human pancreatic beta-cells. We have previously shown, by microarray analysis of primary beta-cells, that IL-1beta + IFN-gamma decrease expression of the mRNA encoding for the sarcoendoplasmic reticulum pump Ca(2+) ATPase 2b (SERCA2b) while inducing expression of the endoplasmic reticulum stress-related and proapoptotic gene CHOP (C/EBP [CCAAT/enhancer binding protein] homologous protein). In the present study we show that cytokine-induced apoptosis and necrosis in primary rat beta-cells and INS-1E cells largely depends on NO production. IL-1beta + IFN-gamma, via NO synthesis, markedly decreased SERCA2b protein expression and depleted ER Ca(2+) stores. Of note, beta-cells showed marked sensitivity to apoptosis induced by SERCA blockers, as compared with fibroblasts. Cytokine-induced ER Ca(2+) depletion was paralleled by an NO-dependent induction of CHOP protein and activation of diverse components of the ER stress response, including activation of inositol-requiring ER-to-nucleus signal kinase 1alpha (IRE1alpha) and PRK (RNA-dependent protein kinase)-like ER kinase (PERK)/activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4), but not ATF6. In contrast, the ER stress-inducing agent thapsigargin triggered these four pathways in parallel. In conclusion, our results suggest that the IL-1beta + IFN-gamma-induced decrease in SERCA2b expression, with subsequent depletion of ER Ca(2+) and activation of the ER stress pathway, is a potential contributory mechanism to beta-cell death.

Peroxynitrite resistance of sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ pump in pig coronary artery endothelium and smooth muscle

We examined the effects of peroxynitrite pre-treatment on sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+) (SERCA) pump in pig coronary artery smooth muscle and endothelium. In saponin-permeabilized cells, smooth muscle showed much greater rates of the SERCA Ca(2+) pump-dependent (45)Ca(2+) uptake/mg protein than did the endothelial cells. Peroxynitrite treatment of cells inhibited the SERCA pump more severely in smooth muscle cells than in endothelial cells. To determine implications of this observation, we next examined the effect of the SERCA pump inhibitor cyclopiazonic acid (CPA) on intracellular Ca(2+) concentration of intact cultured cells. CPA produced cytosolic Ca(2+) transients in cultured endothelial and smooth muscle cells. Pre-treatment with peroxynitrite (200 microM) inhibited the Ca(2+) transients in the smooth muscle but not in the endothelial cells. CPA contracts de-endothelialized artery rings and relaxes precontracted arteries with intact endothelium. Peroxynitrite (250 microM) pre-treatment inhibited contraction in the de-endothelialized artery rings, but not the endothelium-dependent relaxation. Thus, endothelial cells appear to be more resistant than smooth muscle to the effects of peroxynitrite at the levels of SERCA pump activity, CPA-induced Ca(2+) transients in cultured cells, and the effects of CPA on contractility. The greater resistance of endothelium to peroxynitrite may play a protective role in pathological conditions such as ischemia-reperfusion when excess free radicals are produced.

Hematoporphyrin monomethyl ether photodynamic damage on HeLa cells by means of reactive oxygen species production and cytosolic free calcium concentration elevation

Hematoporphyrin monomethyl ether (HMME) is a novel and promising porphyrin-related photosensitizer for photodynamic therapy (PDT). HMME-PDT-induced cell death and its mechanisms were investigated in HeLa cells. We demonstrated that HMME-PDT could induce cell death through both necrosis and apoptosis. Sodium azide (the singlet oxygen quencher) or D-mannitol (the hydroxyl radical scavenger) could protect HeLa cells from the apoptosis and necrosis induced by HMME-PDT, showing that reactive oxygen species (ROS), such as singlet oxygen and hydroxyl radical, played a decisive role in HMME-PDT-induced HeLa cells death. Sodium azide or D-mannitol also inhibited HMME-PDT-mediated [Ca2+]i elevation. Cytochrome C (Cyto C) release from mitochondria into cytosol and Caspase-3 activation after HMME-PDT were inhibited by BAPTA/AM (an intracellular calcium chelator). These results demonstrated that ROS generated in HeLa cells by HMME-PDT-induced apoptosis may be through [Ca2+]i elevation which mediates Cyto C release and Caspase-3 activition and initiates the subsequent late stages of apoptosis.

Functional effect of hydrogen peroxide on the sarcoplasmic reticulum membrane: uncoupling and irreversible inhibition of the Ca2+-ATPase protein

The chemical treatment of sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles with H2O2 affects both Ca2+ transport and the hydrolytic activity supported by the Ca2+-ATPase protein. Ca2+ transport was much more sensitive to inhibition than ATPase activity and the decrease in Ca2+ transport was not the result of an increase in membrane permeability. The Ca2+/Pi uncoupling can be attributed to the own catalytic mechanism of the enzyme. Under conditions of high uncoupling, Ca2+ binding to the transport sites was barely affected and accumulation of phosphorylated species during the enzyme cycling gave almost maximal levels. These are features defining intramolecular uncoupling mediated by a phosphorylated form of the enzyme. Severe inhibition of the hydrolytic activity was observed when higher peroxide concentrations and leaky vesicles were used. These experimental conditions diminished maximal Ca2+ binding and the steady-state phosphoenzyme level. The low hydrolytic activity can be ascribed to a decrease in the rate of enzyme dephosphorylation.

Modulation of sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase by chronic and acute exposure to peroxynitrite

The Ca(2+)-ATPase of skeletal muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum (SERCA), an integral membrane protein, becomes irreversibly inactivated in vitro by the addition of a single bolus of peroxynitrite with a K(0.5) of 200-300 microm, and this results in a large decrease of the ATP-dependent Ca2+ gradient across the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) membranes. The inactivation of SERCA is raised by treatment of SR vesicles with repetitive micromolar pulses of peroxynitrite. The inhibition of the SERCA is due to the oxidation of thiol groups and tyrosine nitration. Scavengers that react directly with peroxynitrite, such as cysteine, reduced glutathione, NADH, methionine, ascorbate or Trolox, a water-soluble analog of alpha-tocopherol, afforded significant protection. However, dimethyl sulfoxide and mannitol, two hydroxyl radical scavengers, and alpha-tocopherol did not protect SERCA from inactivation. Our results showed that the target of peroxynitrite is the cytosolic globular domain of the SERCA and that major skeletal muscle intracellular reductants (ascorbate, NADH and reduced glutathione) protected against inhibition of this ATPase by peroxynitrite.

Effects of peroxynitrite on sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ pump isoforms SERCA2b and SERCA3a

Sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum Ca2+ (SERCA) pumps are important for cell signaling. Three different genes, SERCA1, 2, and 3, encode these pumps. Most tissues, including vascular smooth muscle, express a splice variant of SERCA2 (SERCA2b), whereas SERCA3a is widely distributed in tissues such as vascular endothelium, tracheal epithelium, mast cells, and lymphoid cells. SERCA2b protein is readily inactivated by peroxynitrite that may be formed during cardiac ischemia reperfusion or during immune response after infection. Here, we compared the peroxynitrite sensitivity of SERCA2b and SERCA3a by using microsomes prepared from HEK-293T cells overexpressing the pumps. We incubated the microsomes with different concentrations of peroxynitrite and determined Ca2+ uptake, Ca2+-Mg2+-ATPase, Ca2+-dependent formation of acylphosphate intermediate, and protein mobility in Western blots. Ca2+ uptake, Ca2+-Mg2+-ATPase, and Ca2+-dependent formation of acylphosphate intermediate were inactivated for both SERCA2b and SERCA3a, but the latter was more resistant to the inactivation. Western blots showed that SERCA2b and SERCA3a proteins oligomerized after treatment with peroxynitrite, but each with a slightly different pattern. Compared with monomers, the oligomers may be less efficient in forming the acylphosphate intermediate and in conducting the remainder of the steps in the reaction cycle. We conclude that the resistance of SERCA3a to peroxynitrite may aid the cells expressing them in functioning during exposure to oxidative stress.

Ca2+-dependent redox modulation of SERCA 2b by ERp57

We demonstrated previously that calreticulin (CRT) interacts with the lumenal COOH-terminal sequence of sarco endoplasmic reticulum (ER) calcium ATPase (SERCA) 2b to inhibit Ca2+ oscillations. Work from other laboratories demonstrated that CRT also interacts with the ER oxidoreductase, ER protein 57 (also known as ER-60, GRP58; ERp57) during folding of nascent glycoproteins. In this paper, we demonstrate that ERp57 overexpression reduces the frequency of Ca2+ oscillations enhanced by SERCA 2b. In contrast, overexpression of SERCA 2b mutants defective in cysteines located in intralumenal loop 4 (L4) increase Ca2+ oscillation frequency. In vitro, we demonstrate a Ca2+-dependent and -specific interaction between ERp57 and L4. Interestingly, ERp57 does not affect the activity of SERCA 2a or SERCA 2b mutants lacking the CRT binding site. Overexpression of CRT domains that disrupt the interaction of CRT with ERp57 behave as dominant negatives in the Ca2+ oscillation assay. Our results suggest that ERp57 modulates the redox state of ER facing thiols in SERCA 2b in a Ca2+-dependent manner, providing dynamic control of ER Ca2+ homeostasis.

Endothelium and smooth muscle of pig coronary artery: differences in metabolism

Here, we report that the smooth muscle and endothelium of the pig coronary artery differ in the profiles of energy metabolism nucleotides. ATP levels in the freshly isolated smooth muscle (1490 +/- 93, all the values are in pmol/mg protein) were significantly greater than in the endothelium (418 +/- 68). In contrast, endothelium contained higher levels of NADH (328 +/- 21), NAD+ (1210 -/+ 28), NADPH (87 +/- 2), and NADP+ (77 +/- 4) than smooth muscle (17 +/- 2, 96 +/- 14, 7 +/- 1, and 8 +/- 1, respectively). However, smooth muscle and endothelium do not differ from each other in the ratios of NADH/NAD+ or NADPH/NADP+. Cells cultured from smooth muscle and endothelium contained less ATP (93 +/- 2, 141 +/- 6) and had lower ratios of NADH/ NAD+ than the freshly isolated tissues but the NADPH/NADP+ ratios remained similar. We conclude that (a) freshly isolated smooth muscle and endothelium differ in their profiles of the energy metabolism nucleotides, and (b) culturing the cells alters the profile.

Effects of peroxynitrite on sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ pump in pig coronary artery smooth muscle

Peroxynitrite generated in arteries from superoxide and NO may damage Ca(2+) pumps. Here, we report the effects of peroxynitrite on ATP-dependent azide-insensitive uptake of Ca(2+) into pig coronary artery vesicular membrane fractions F2 [enriched in plasma membrane (PM)] and F3 [enriched in sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR)]. Membranes were pretreated with peroxynitrite and then with DTT to quench this agent. This pretreatment inhibited Ca(2+) uptake in a peroxynitrite concentration-dependent manner, but the effect was more severe in F3 than in F2. The inhibition was thus not overcome by excess DTT used to quench peroxynitrite and was not affected if catalase, SOD, or mannitol was added along with peroxynitrite. Such damage to the pump protein would be difficult to repair if produced during ischemia-reperfusion. The acylphosphates formed with ATP in F3 corresponded mainly to the SR Ca(2+) pump (110 kDa), but in F2 both PM (140 kDa) and 110-kDa bands were observed. Peroxynitrite treatment of F2 inhibited only the 110-kDa band. Inhibition of Ca(2+) uptake and acylphosphate formation from ATP correlated well in peroxynitrite-treated F3 samples. However, inhibition of acylphosphates from orthophosphate (reverse reaction of the pump) was slightly poorer. Peroxynitrite treatment also covalently cross-linked the pump protein, yielding no dimers but only larger oligomers. In contrast, cross-linking of the SR Ca(2+) pump in skeletal and cardiac muscles gives dimers as the first oligomers. Therefore, we speculate that SERCA2 has a different quaternary structure in the coronary artery smooth muscle.

Oxidative stress increases internal calcium stores and reduces a key mitochondrial enzyme

Fibroblasts from patients with genetic and non-genetic forms of Alzheimer's disease (AD) show many abnormalities including increased bombesin-releasable calcium stores (BRCS), diminished activities of the mitochondrial alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase complex (KGDHC), and an altered ability to handle oxidative stress. The link between genetic mutations (and the unknown primary event in non-genetic forms) and these other cellular abnormalities is unknown. To determine whether oxidative stress could be a convergence point that produces the other AD-related changes, these experiments tested in fibroblasts the effects of H(2)O(2), in the presence or absence of select antioxidants, on BRCS and KGDHC. H(2)O(2) concentrations that elevated carboxy-dichlorofluorescein (c-H(2)DCF)-detectable ROS increased BRCS and decreased KGDHC activity. These changes are in the same direction as those in fibroblasts from AD patients. Acute treatments with the antioxidants Trolox, or DMSO decreased c-H(2)DCF-detectable ROS by about 90%, but exaggerated the H(2)O(2)-induced increases in BRCS by about 4-fold and did not alter the reduction in KGDHC. Chronic pretreatments with Trolox more than doubled the BRCS, tripled KGDHC activities, and reduced the effects of H(2)O(2). Pretreatment with DMSO or N-acetyl cysteine diminished the BRCS and either had no effect, or exaggerated the H(2)O(2)-induced changes in these variables. The results demonstrate that BRCS and KGDHC are more sensitive to H(2)O(2) derived species than c-H(2)DCF, and that oxidized derivatives of the antioxidants exaggerate the actions of H(2)O(2). The findings support the hypothesis that select abnormalities in oxidative processes are a critical part of a cascade that leads to the cellular abnormalities in cells from AD patients.

Molecular pathways of protein synthesis inhibition during brain reperfusion: implications for neuronal survival or death

Protein synthesis inhibition occurs in neurons immediately on reperfusion after ischemia and involves at least alterations in eukaryotic initiation factors 2 (eIF2) and 4 (eIF4). Phosphorylation of the alpha subunit of eIF2 [eIF2(alphaP)] by the endoplasmic reticulum transmembrane eIF2alpha kinase PERK occurs immediately on reperfusion and inhibits translation initiation. PERK activation, along with depletion of endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ and inhibition of the endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ -ATPase, SERCA2b, indicate that an endoplasmic reticulum unfolded protein response occurs as a consequence of brain ischemia and reperfusion. In mammals, the upstream unfolded protein response components PERK, IRE1, and ATF6 activate prosurvivial mechanisms (e.g., transcription of GRP78, PDI, SERCA2b ) and proapoptotic mechanisms (i.e., activation of Jun N-terminal kinases, caspase-12, and CHOP transcription). Sustained eIF2(alphaP) is proapoptotic by inducing the synthesis of ATF4, the CHOP transcription factor, through "bypass scanning" of 5' upstream open-reading frames in ATF4 messenger RNA; these upstream open-reading frames normally inhibit access to the ATF4 coding sequence. Brain ischemia and reperfusion also induce mu-calpain-mediated or caspase-3-mediated proteolysis of eIF4G, which shifts message selection to m 7 G-cap-independent translation initiation of messenger RNAs containing internal ribosome entry sites. This internal ribosome entry site-mediated translation initiation (i.e., for apoptosis-activating factor-1 and death-associated protein-5) can also promote apoptosis. Thus, alterations in eIF2 and eIF4 have major implications for which messenger RNAs are translated by residual protein synthesis in neurons during brain reperfusion, in turn constraining protein expression of changes in gene transcription induced by ischemia and reperfusion. Therefore, our current understanding shifts the focus from protein synthesis inhibition to the molecular pathways that underlie this inhibition, and the role that these pathways play in prosurvival and proapoptotic processes that may be differentially expressed in vulnerable and resistant regions of the reperfused brain.

Effect of xanthine oxidase-catalyzed reactive oxygen species generation on secretagogue-evoked calcium mobilization in mouse pancreatic acinar cells

In the present study we have employed fura-2 loaded isolated mouse pancreatic acinar cells to monitor the effect that xanthine oxidase (XOD)-catalyzed reactive oxygen species generation presents on Ca(2+) mobilization by the secretagogue cholecystokinin octapeptide (CCK-8). Our results show that perfusion of pancreatic acinar cells with CCK-8 at a physiological concentration (20 pM) induced low frequency oscillations in intracellular free calcium concentration ([Ca(2+)](i)) at a rate of 1 per minute; this oscillatory pattern was completely inhibited by the introduction in the perifusion medium of 20 mU/mL XOD to generate reactive oxygen species. In addition, perfusion of pancreatic acinar cells with 20 mU/mL XOD in the absence of extracellular calcium led to a transient increase in [Ca(2+)](i,) that blocked the initiation of the Ca(2+) signals in response to 20 pM CCK-8. Similarly, XOD was also able to block acetylcholine evoked Ca(2+) spikes. However, reactive oxygen species had no effect either on Ca(2+) extrusion or on re-uptake into intracellular stores, but CCK-8-evoked Ca(2+) entry was reduced by XOD. In conclusion, our results show that XOD-evoked reactive oxygen species generation leads to a reduction either of Ca(2+) mobilization, following stimulation of pancreatic acinar cells with the Ca(2+)-mobilizing agonists CCK-8 and acetylcholine, and Ca(2+) influx evoked by CCK-8 depletion of intracellular stores. The possible XOD inhibitory mechanism on Ca(2+) mobilization by agonists is discussed.

Bcl-2 increases emptying of endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ stores during photodynamic therapy-induced apoptosis

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is clinically approved for the treatment of several types of cancer as well as age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness in the elderly. PDT using the photosensitizer verteporfin has been previously shown to induce rapid apoptosis via a mitochondrial-caspase activation pathway. The impact of PDT on other cellular organelles such as the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is undefined. The effect of PDT on intracellular Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) in control and Bcl-2-overexpressing HeLa cells was assessed. A greater [Ca2+]i transient was observed for Bcl-2 overexpressing cells in response to PDT. The PDT-induced Ca2+ release was due to the emptying of Ca2+ from ER and possibly mitochondrial stores and was not due to an influx of Ca2+ from the medium. For Bcl-2-transfected cells, the release of Ca2+ was incomplete as determined by a further [Ca2+]i transient produced by the addition of the Ca2+ ionophore ionomycin after PDT. Furthermore, extrusion of Ca2+ was not hindered while ER-mediated sequestration of Ca2+ was impaired after PDT. Impairment of ER-mediated sequestration of Ca2+ may be due to the immediate caspase-independent depletion of sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ ATPase-2 (SERCA2) that occurred in response to PDT in birth HeLa/Neo and Bcl-2 overexpressed HeLa cells. In summary, PDT induced the rapid degradation of SERCA2 and release of ER and mitochondrial Ca2+ stores. Although overexpression of Bcl-2 did not protect against SERCA2 degradation, it may influence the release of Ca2+ from ER and mitochondrial stores in PDT-treated cells.

Nitric oxide, reactive oxygen species, and skeletal muscle contraction

Nitric oxide (NO) derivatives and reactive oxygen species (ROS) modulate contractile function of respiratory and limb skeletal muscle. The intracellular processes regulated by NO and ROS remain enigmatic, however. Studies of reduced preparations have identified a number of regulatory proteins that exhibit altered function when exposed to exogenous NO or ROS donors ex vivo. The relative importance of these targets in the intact cell is not known and conflicting theories abound regarding the mechanism(s) whereby NO and ROS regulate contraction. This review article provides a personal perspective on the processes regulated by NO and ROS by addressing three major topics: 1) the regulatory mechanisms by which endogenous NO depresses force production, 2) the processes whereby endogenous ROS modulate contraction of unfatigued muscle, and 3) the site(s) of action and reversibility of ROS effects in muscle fatigue.

Invited Review: redox modulation of skeletal muscle contraction: what we know and what we don't

Over the past decade, reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitric oxide (NO) derivatives have been established as physiological modulators of skeletal muscle function. This mini-review addresses the roles of these molecules as endogenous regulators of muscle contraction. The article is organized in two parts. First, established concepts are briefly outlined. This section provides an overview of ROS production by muscle, antioxidant buffers that oppose ROS effects, enzymatic synthesis of NO in muscle, the effects of endogenous ROS on contractile function, and NO as a contractile modulator. Second, a selected group of unresolved topics are highlighted. These more controversial issues include putative source(s) of regulatory ROS, the relative importance of the two NO synthase isoforms constitutively coexpressed by muscle fibers, molecular mechanisms of ROS and NO action, and the physiological relevance of redox regulation. By discussing current questions, as well as the established paradigm, this article is intended to further debate and stimulate research in this area.

Effects of hydrogen peroxide on pig coronary artery endothelium

Peroxides and other reactive oxygen species damage arteries during ischemia-reperfusion. Here, we report on the effects of H(2)O(2) on contractility of pig coronary artery. We either treated 3-mm coronary artery rings with 0 to 0.5 mM H(2)O(2) in organ baths or we perfused the arteries with H(2)O(2) and then cut them into rings. In each instance, we monitored the force of contraction of 3-mm rings in H(2)O(2)-free solution with 30 mM KCl and then we determined the A23187 induced endothelium dependent relaxation as a percent of this contraction. Treatment with H(2)O(2) in the organ bath caused a decrease in the contraction but it did not affect the percent relaxation. Treating arteries with H(2)O(2) by luminal perfusion did not affect the contraction but it decreased the percent relaxation. Perfusion alone decreased the amount of endothelium remaining in the arteries and perfusing with H(2)O(2) decreased it further. The percent relaxation with A23187 correlated well with the endothelium remaining in the arteries. We propose that H(2)O(2) and shear stress can cause a loss of endothelium and that endothelium can also protect the underlying smooth muscle against luminal H(2)O(2).

Nerve growth factor treatment alters Ca2+ pump levels in PC12 cells

Nerve growth factor (NGF) treatment converts rapidly dividing PC12 cells into a neuronal phenotype. To understand the Ca2+ sequestration mechanisms accompanying this differentiation, we examined the endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ (SERCA) pump levels using two different assays: ATP-dependent azide insensitive oxalate stimulated 45Ca2+ uptake by PC12 cells permeabilized with saponin, and Western blots using a monoclonal antibody which reacts with all the SERCA isoforms. We also examined the reaction to an antibody against the plasma membrane Ca2+ (PMCA) pump. NGF treatment decreased the SERCA pump expression but it increased the PMCA pump level. These results are consistent with a greater role of PMCA pumps in neuronal cells than in most other cells and with an increased role of SERCA pumps during cell proliferation.

Catalase activity in coronary artery endothelium protects smooth muscle against peroxide damage

Cyclopiazonic acid contracts pig coronary artery de-endothelialized rings, and pretreating the rings with hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) inhibits this contraction (IC(50)=0.097+/-0.013 mM). We used the cyclopiazonic acid contraction to test the novel hypothesis that endothelium can protect underlying smooth muscle against luminal H(2)O(2). We perfused the arteries with Krebs' solution containing 0. 3 or 1 mM H(2)O(2), removing endothelium from the arteries either before or after the perfusion. We then cut rings from them to monitor their contraction to 10 microM cyclopiazonic acid in a H(2)O(2)-free solution. The inhibition of the cyclopiazonic acid contraction by perfusion with H(2)O(2) was significantly less when endothelium was removed after the perfusion than when it was removed before it. The specific activity of catalase in post-nuclear supernatants from freshly isolated endothelium (14.1+/-2.7 micromol/min/mg protein) was 17+/-3-fold greater than in those from smooth muscle (0.83+/-0.22 micromol/min/mg protein). Thus endothelium contained high catalase activity and protected the underlying smooth muscle against luminal peroxide.

Sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-pump isoform SERCA3a is more resistant to superoxide damage than SERCA2b

Endo/sarcoplasmic reticulum (ER) Ca2+-pumps are important for cell survival and communication but they are inactivated by reactive oxygen species (ROS). We have previously reported that the Ca2+-pump isoform SERCA3a is more resistant than SERCA2b to damage by peroxide. Since peroxide and superoxide differ in their redox potentials, we now report the effects of superoxide on the two Ca2+-pump isoforms. We isolated microsomes from HEK293 cells transiently transfected with SERCA2b or SERCA3a cDNA. We exposed these microsomes to superoxide which was generated using xanthine plus xanthine oxidase and catalase to prevent accumulation of peroxide due to superoxide dismutation. Superoxide damaged the Ca2+-transport activity of both isoforms but SERCA3a was damaged at higher concentrations of superoxide and upon longer periods of exposures than was SERCA2b. Thus the SERCA3a isoform is more resistant than SERCA2b to inactivation by both superoxide and peroxide.

Signal transduction and regulation of lung endothelial cell permeability. Interaction between calcium and cAMP

Pulmonary endothelium forms a semiselective barrier that regulates fluid balance and leukocyte trafficking. During the course of lung inflammation, neurohumoral mediators and oxidants act on endothelial cells to induce intercellular gaps permissive for transudation of proteinaceous fluid from blood into the interstitium. Intracellular signals activated by neurohumoral mediators and oxidants that evoke intercellular gap formation are incompletely understood. Cytosolic Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) and cAMP are two signals that importantly dictate cell-cell apposition. Although increased [Ca2+]i promotes disruption of the macrovascular endothelial cell barrier, increased cAMP enhances endothelial barrier function. Furthermore, during the course of inflammation, elevated endothelial cell [Ca2+]i decreases cAMP to facilitate intercellular gap formation. Given the significance of both [Ca2+]i and cAMP in mediating cell-cell apposition, this review addresses potential sites of cross talk between these two intracellular signaling pathways. Emerging data also indicate that endothelial cells derived from different vascular sites within the pulmonary circulation exhibit distinct sensitivities to permeability-inducing stimuli; that is, elevated [Ca2+]i promotes macrovascular but not microvascular barrier disruption. Thus this review also considers the roles of [Ca2+]i and cAMP in mediating site-specific alterations in endothelial permeability.

Structure of the human sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase 3 gene. Promoter analysis and alternative splicing of the SERCA3 pre-mRNA

Human chromosome 17-specific genomic clones extending over 90 kilobases (kb) of DNA and coding for sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase 3 (SERCA3) were isolated. The presence of the D17S1828 genetic marker in the cosmid contig enabled us to map the SERCA3 gene (ATP2A3) 11 centimorgans from the top of the short arm p of chromosome 17, in the vicinity of the cystinosis gene locus. The SERCA3 gene contains 22 exons spread over 50 kb of genomic DNA. The exon/intron boundaries are well conserved between human SERCA3 and SERCA1 genes, except for the junction between exons 8 and 9 which is found in the SERCA1 gene but not in SERCA3 and SERCA2 genes. The transcription start site (+1) is located 152 nucleotides (nt) upstream of the AUG codon. The 5'-flanking region, including exon 1, is embedded in a 1.5-kb CpG island and is characterized by the absence of a TATA box and by the presence of 14 putative Sp1 sites, 11 CACCC boxes, 5 AP-2-binding motifs, 3 GGCTGGGG motifs, 3 CANNTG boxes, a GATA motif, as well as single sites for Ets-1, c-Myc, and TFIIIc. Functional promoter analysis indicated that the GC-rich region (87% G + C) from -135 to -31 is of critical importance in initiating SERCA3 gene transcription in Jurkat cells. Exon 21 (human, 101 base pairs; mouse, 86 base pairs) can be alternatively excluded, partially included, or totally included, thus generating, respectively, SERCA3a (human and mouse, 999 amino acids (aa)), SERCA3b (human, 1043 aa; mouse, 1038 aa), or SERCA3c (human, 1024 aa; mouse, 1021 aa) isoforms with different C termini. Expression of the mouse SERCA3 isoforms in COS-1 cells demonstrated their ability to function as active pumps, although with different apparent affinities for Ca2+.

Characterization of the 3' end of the mouse SERCA 3 gene and tissue distribution of mRNA spliced variants

The sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum Ca2+ ATPase (SERCA) type 1 and 2 genes are alternatively spliced at their 3' end. We hypothesized that similar mechanism may occur for SERCA 3. Two spliced variants were identified by RNase protection analysis. We then isolated and sequenced the 3' end portion of the mouse SERCA 3 gene, and confirmed the presence of an alternative mRNA transcript by sequencing a cDNA fragment obtained by RT-PCR. Tissue distribution of the alternatively spliced mRNAs was studied by RT-PCR: SERCA 3b was the only isoform expressed in endothelial cells from aorta and heart and also was the major isoform in lung and kidney whereas SERCA 3a and 3b were coexpressed in trachea, intestine, thymus, spleen, and fetal liver.

Functional properties of the type-3 InsP3 receptor in 16HBE14o- bronchial mucosal cells

The type-3 inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (InsP3) receptor is the major isoform expressed in 16HBE14o- cells from bronchial mucosa, representing 93% at the mRNA level as determined by ratio reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and about 81% at the protein level as determined with isoform-specific antibodies (Sienaert, I., Huyghe, S., Parys, J. B., Malfait, M., Kunzelmann, K., De Smedt, H., Verleden, G. M., and Missiaen, L., Pflügers Arch. Eur. Y. Physiol., in press). The present 45Ca2+ efflux experiments indicate that these InsP3 receptors were 3 times less sensitive to InsP3 and 11 times less sensitive to ATP than those in A7r5 cells, where the type-1 InsP3 receptor is the main isoform. ATP did not increase the cooperativity of the InsP3-induced Ca2+ release in 16HBE14o- cells, in contrast to its effect in A7r5 cells. The sulfhydryl reagent thimerosal also did not stimulate InsP3-induced Ca2+ release in 16HBE14o- cells, again in contrast to its effect in A7r5 cells. Adenophostin A was more potent than InsP3 in stimulating the release in both cell types. The biphasic activation of the InsP3 receptor by cytosolic Ca2+ occurred in both cell types. We conclude that Ca2+ release mediated by the type-3 InsP3 receptor mainly differs from that mediated by the type-1 InsP3 receptor by its lack of stimulation by sulfhydryl oxidation and its lower ATP and InsP3 sensitivity. The predominant expression of the type-3 InsP3 receptor in the bronchial mucosa may be part of a mechanism coping with oxidative stress in that tissue.

Peroxide resistance of ER Ca2+ pump in endothelium: implications to coronary artery function

We examined the effects of peroxide on the sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum Ca2+ (SERCA) pump in pig coronary artery endothelium and smooth muscle at three organizational levels: Ca2+ transport in permeabilized cells, cytosolic Ca2+ concentration in intact cells, and contractile function of artery rings. We monitored the ATP-dependent, azide-insensitive, oxalate-stimulated 45Ca2+ uptake by saponin-permeabilized cultured cells. Low concentrations of peroxide inhibited the uptake less effectively in endothelium than in smooth muscle whether we added the peroxide directly to the Ca2+ uptake solution or treated intact cells with peroxide and washed them before the permeabilization. An acylphosphate formation assay confirmed the greater resistance of the SERCA pump in endothelial cells than in smooth muscle cells. Pretreating smooth muscle cells with 300 microM peroxide inhibited (by 77 +/- 2%) the cyclopiazonic acid (CPA)-induced increase in cytosolic Ca2+ concentration in a Ca2+-free solution, but it did not affect the endothelial cells. Peroxide pretreatment inhibited the CPA-induced contraction in deendothelialized arteries with a 50% inhibitory concentration of 97 +/- 13 microM, but up to 500 microM peroxide did not affect the endothelium-dependent, CPA-induced relaxation. Similarly, 500 microM peroxide inhibited the angiotensin-induced contractions in deendothelialized arteries by 93 +/- 2%, but it inhibited the bradykinin-induced, endothelium-dependent relaxation by only 40 +/- 13%. The greater resistance of the endothelium to reactive oxygen may be important during ischemia-reperfusion or in the postinfection immune response.