L-type Ca channel facilitation mediated by H2O2-induced activation of CaMKII in rat ventricular myocytes

The Ca²⁺-dependent facilitation (CDF) of L-type Ca²⁺ channels, a major mechanism for force-frequency relationship of cardiac contraction, is mediated by Ca²⁺/CaM-dependent kinase II (CaMKII). Recently, CaMKII was shown to be activated by methionine oxidation. We investigated whether oxidation-dependent CaMKII activation is involved in the regulation of L-type Ca²⁺ currents (I_Ca,L) by H₂O₂ and whether Ca²⁺ is required in this process. Using patch clamp, I_Ca,L was measured in rat ventricular myocytes. H₂O₂ induced an increase in I_Ca,L amplitude and slowed inactivation of I_Ca,L. This oxidation-dependent facilitation (ODF) of I_Ca,L was abolished by a CaMKII blocker KN-93, but not by its inactive analog KN-92, indicating that CaMKII is involved in ODF. ODF was not affected by replacement of external Ca²⁺ with Ba²⁺ or presence of EGTA in the internal solutions. However, ODF was abolished by adding BAPTA to the internal solution or by depleting sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca²⁺ stores using caffeine and thapsigargin. Alkaline phosphatase, β-iminoadenosine 5′-triphosphate (AMP-PNP), an autophosphorylation inhibitor autocamtide-2-related inhibitory peptide (AIP), or a catalytic domain blocker (CaM-KIINtide) did not affect ODF. In conclusion, oxidation-dependent facilitation of L-type Ca²⁺ channels is mediated by oxidation-dependent CaMKII activation, in which local Ca²⁺ increases induced by SR Ca²⁺ release is required.     

Excitation-contraction coupling in voltage-clamped cardiac myocytes

Summary Myocytes isolated from guinea pig ventricles were voltage-clamped using patch pipettes in the whole-cell configuration. For proper voltage control fast Na⁺ current was blocked by TTX or inactivated by an appropriate prepulse. Zero-load cell shortening was monitored by a photoelectric device. The mechanical response to a short depolarizing clamp was mainly a phasic (transient) contraction. Long-lasting depolarizations caused a tonic (sustained) shortening of a cell. Different clamp patterns were used to study the mode of activation of phasic contraction. 1) With a constant Ca²⁺ preload established by a train of conditioning pulses, the shortening-voltage relation measured with test pulses of varying height was a bell-shaped curve reflecting the slow inward current (I_Ca)-voltage relation. The test pulse had a striking influence on the first contraction of the following conditioning series, resulting in an S-shaped relation between post-test contraction and test potential. 2) With series of identical clamps of varying height, steady-state contraction was maximal around 40 mV and not in proportion to I_Ca. In these measurements Ca²⁺ preload was likely to increase with increasing potential. It is concluded that I_Ca initiates phasic contraction by inducing a release of Ca²⁺ from internal stores while replenishment of the stores is largely determined by an electrogenic transsarcolemmal Na⁺–Ca²⁺ exchange. The data suggest that Na⁺–Ca²⁺ exchange is not only involved in long-term changes of cardiac contractility but also in beat-to-beat regulation.     

Intracellular Ca2+ signaling and store-operated Ca2+ entry are required in Drosophila neurons for flight

Neuronal Ca²⁺ signals can affect excitability and neural circuit formation. Ca²⁺ signals are modified by Ca²⁺ flux from intracellular stores as well as the extracellular milieu. However, the contribution of intracellular Ca²⁺ stores and their release to neuronal processes is poorly understood. Here, we show by neuron-specific siRNA depletion that activity of the recently identified store-operated channel encoded by dOrai and the endoplasmic reticulum Ca²⁺ store sensor encoded by dSTIM are necessary for normal flight and associated patterns of rhythmic firing of the flight motoneurons of Drosophila melanogaster. Also, dOrai overexpression in flightless mutants for the Drosophila inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor (InsP₃R) can partially compensate for their loss of flight. Ca²⁺ measurements show that Orai gain-of-function contributes to the quanta of Ca²⁺-release through mutant InsP₃Rs and elevates store-operated Ca²⁺ entry in Drosophila neurons. Our data show that replenishment of intracellular store Ca²⁺ in neurons is required for Drosophila flight.     

Syntaxin 5 regulates the endoplasmic reticulum channel-release properties of polycystin-2

Polycystin-2 (PC2), the gene product of one of two genes mutated in dominant polycystic kidney disease, is a member of the transient receptor potential cation channel family and can function as intracellular calcium (Ca²⁺) release channel. We performed a yeast two-hybrid screen by using the NH₂ terminus of PC2 and identified syntaxin-5 (Stx5) as a putative interacting partner. Coimmunoprecipitation studies in cell lines and kidney tissues confirmed interaction of PC2 with Stx5 in vivo. In vitro binding assays showed that the interaction between Stx5 and PC2 is direct and defined the respective interaction domains as the t-SNARE region of Stx5 and amino acids 5 to 72 of PC2. Single channel studies showed that interaction with Stx5 specifically reduces PC2 channel activity. Epithelial cells overexpressing mutant PC2 that does not bind Stx5 had increased baseline cytosolic Ca²⁺ levels, decreased endoplasmic reticulum (ER) Ca²⁺ stores, and reduced Ca²⁺ release from ER stores in response to vasopressin stimulation. Cells lacking PC2 altogether had reduced cytosolic Ca²⁺ levels. Our data suggest that PC2 in the ER plays a role in cellular Ca²⁺ homeostasis and that Stx5 functions to inactivate PC2 and prevent leaking of Ca²⁺ from ER stores. Modulation of the PC2/Stx5 interaction may be a useful target for impacting dysregulated intracellular Ca²⁺ signaling associated with polycystic kidney disease.     

Ca2+ regulation in the Na+/Ca2+ exchanger features a dual electrostatic switch mechanism

Regulation of ion-transport in the Na⁺/Ca²⁺ exchanger (NCX) occurs via its cytoplasmic Ca²⁺-binding domains, CBD1 and CBD2. Here, we present a mechanism for NCX activation and inactivation based on data obtained using NMR, isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). We initially determined the structure of the Ca²⁺-free form of CBD2-AD and the structure of CBD2-BD that represent the two major splice variant classes in NCX1. Although the apo-form of CBD2-AD displays partially disordered Ca²⁺-binding sites, those of CBD2-BD are entirely unstructured even in an excess of Ca²⁺. Striking differences in the electrostatic potential between the Ca²⁺-bound and -free forms strongly suggest that Ca²⁺-binding sites in CBD1 and CBD2 form electrostatic switches analogous to C₂-domains. SAXS analysis of a construct containing CBD1 and CBD2 reveals a conformational change mediated by Ca²⁺-binding to CBD1. We propose that the electrostatic switch in CBD1 and the associated conformational change are necessary for exchanger activation. The response of the CBD1 switch to intracellular Ca²⁺ is influenced by the closely located cassette exons. We further propose that Ca²⁺-binding to CBD2 induces a second electrostatic switch, required to alleviate Na⁺-dependent inactivation of Na⁺/Ca²⁺ exchange. In contrast to CBD1, the electrostatic switch in CBD2 is isoform- and splice variant-specific and allows for tailored exchange activities.     

Hyperpolarization induced by K+ channel openers inhibits Ca2+ influx and Ca2+ release in coronary artery

The vasodilating mechanisms of the K⁺ channel openers—cromakalim, pinacidil, nicorandil, KRN2391, and Ki4032—were examined by measurement of the cytoplasmic Ca²⁺ concentration ([Ca²⁺]_i) using the fura-2 method in canine or porcine coronary arterial smooth muscle. The five K⁺ channel openers all produced a reduction of [Ca²⁺]_i in 5 and 30 mM KCl physiological salt solution (PSS), the effects of which were antagonized by tetrabutylammonium (TBA) or glibenclamide, but failed to affect [Ca²⁺]_i in 45 and 90 mM MCl-PSS. Cromakalim and Ki4032 only partially inhibited the 30 mM KCl-induced contractures, whereas pinacidil, nicorandil, and KRN2391 nearly abolished contractions produced by high KCl-PSS. The increased [Ca²⁺]_i and force produced by a thromboxane A₂ analogue, U46619, were inhibited by K⁺ channel openers and verapamil. In the absence of extracellular Ca²⁺, U46619 induced a transient increase in [Ca²⁺]_i with a contraction, which is effectively inhibited by cromakalim and Ki4032. Their inhibitory effects were blocked by TBA and counteracted by 20 mM KCl-induced depolarization. Cromakalim and Ki4032 did not affect caffeine-induced Ca²⁺ release. Cromakalim reduced U46619-induced IP₃ production and TBA blocked this inhibitory effect. Thus, cromakalim and Ki4032 are more specific K⁺ channel openers than pinacidil, nicorandil, and KRN2391. The vasodilation related with a reduction of [Ca²⁺]_i produced by K⁺ channel openers is due to the hyperpolarization of the plasma membrane resulting in not only the closure of voltage-dependent Ca²⁺ channels but also inhibition of the production of IP₃ and Ca²⁺ release from intracellular stores related to stimulation of the thromboxane A₂ receptor.     

Ca2+ release-activated Ca2+ channel blockade as a potential tool in antipancreatitis therapy

Alcohol-related acute pancreatitis can be mediated by a combination of alcohol and fatty acids (fatty acid ethyl esters) and is initiated by a sustained elevation of the Ca²⁺ concentration inside pancreatic acinar cells ([Ca²⁺]_i), due to excessive release of Ca²⁺ stored inside the cells followed by Ca²⁺ entry from the interstitial fluid. The sustained [Ca²⁺]_i elevation activates intracellular digestive proenzymes resulting in necrosis and inflammation. We tested the hypothesis that pharmacological blockade of store-operated or Ca²⁺ release-activated Ca²⁺ channels (CRAC) would prevent sustained elevation of [Ca²⁺]_i and therefore protease activation and necrosis. In isolated mouse pancreatic acinar cells, CRAC channels were activated by blocking Ca²⁺ ATPase pumps in the endoplasmic reticulum with thapsigargin in the absence of external Ca²⁺. Ca²⁺ entry then occurred upon admission of Ca²⁺ to the extracellular solution. The CRAC channel blocker developed by GlaxoSmithKline, GSK-7975A, inhibited store-operated Ca²⁺ entry in a concentration-dependent manner within the range of 1 to 50 μM (IC₅₀ = 3.4 μM), but had little or no effect on the physiological Ca²⁺ spiking evoked by acetylcholine or cholecystokinin. Palmitoleic acid ethyl ester (100 μM), an important mediator of alcohol-related pancreatitis, evoked a sustained elevation of [Ca²⁺]_i, which was markedly reduced by CRAC blockade. Importantly, the palmitoleic acid ethyl ester-induced trypsin and protease activity as well as necrosis were almost abolished by blocking CRAC channels. There is currently no specific treatment of pancreatitis, but our data show that pharmacological CRAC blockade is highly effective against toxic [Ca²⁺]_i elevation, necrosis, and trypsin/protease activity and therefore has potential to effectively treat pancreatitis.     

Intracellular calcium activates TRPM2 and its alternative spliced isoforms

Melastatin-related transient receptor potential channel 2 (TRPM2) is a Ca²⁺-permeable, nonselective cation channel that is involved in oxidative stress-induced cell death and inflammation processes. Although TRPM2 can be activated by ADP-ribose (ADPR) in vitro, it was unknown how TRPM2 is gated in vivo. Moreover, several alternative spliced isoforms of TRPM2 identified recently are insensitive to ADPR, and their gating mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we report that intracellular Ca²⁺ ([Ca²⁺]_i) can activate TRPM2 as well as its spliced isoforms. We demonstrate that TRPM2 mutants with disrupted ADPR-binding sites can be activated readily by [Ca²⁺]_i, indicating that [Ca²⁺]_i gating of TRPM2 is independent of ADPR. The mechanism by which [Ca²⁺]_i activates TRPM2 is via a calmodulin (CaM)-binding domain in the N terminus of TRPM2. Whereas Ca²⁺-mediated TRPM2 activation is independent of ADPR and ADPR-binding sites, both [Ca²⁺]_i and the CaM-binding motif are required for ADPR-mediated TRPM2 gating. Importantly, we demonstrate that intracellular Ca²⁺ release activates both recombinant and endogenous TRPM2 in intact cells. Moreover, receptor activation-induced Ca²⁺ release is capable of activating TRPM2. These results indicate that [Ca²⁺]_i is a key activator of TRPM2 and the only known activator of the spliced isoforms of TRPM2. Our findings suggest that [Ca²⁺]_i-mediated activation of TRPM2 and its alternative spliced isoforms may represent a major gating mechanism in vivo, therefore conferring important physiological and pathological functions of TRPM2 and its spliced isoforms in response to elevation of [Ca²⁺]_i.     

Diabetes-induced activation of protein kinase C inhibits store-operated Ca<Superscript>2+</Superscript> uptake in rat retinal microvascular smooth muscle

Aims/Hypothesis To assess the effects of diabetes-induced activation of protein kinase C (PKC) on voltage-dependent and voltage-independent Ca²⁺ influx pathways in retinal microvascular smooth muscle cells.Methods Cytosolic Ca²⁺ was estimated in freshly isolated rat retinal arterioles from streptozotocin-induced diabetic and non-diabetic rats using fura-2 microfluorimetry. Voltage-dependent Ca²⁺ influx was tested by measuring rises in [Ca²⁺]_i with KCl (100 mmol/l) and store-operated Ca²⁺ influx was assessed by depleting [Ca²⁺]_i stores with Ca²⁺ free medium containing 5 µmol/l cyclopiazonic acid over 10 min and subsequently measuring the rate of rise in Ca²⁺ on adding 2 mmol/l or 10 mmol/l Ca²⁺solution.Results Ca²⁺ entry through voltage-dependent L-type Ca²⁺ channels was unaffected by diabetes. In contrast, store-operated Ca²⁺ influx was attenuated. In microvessels from non-diabetic rats 20 mmol/l D-mannitol had no effect on store-operated Ca²⁺ influx. Diabetic rats injected daily with insulin had store-operated Ca²⁺ influx rates similar to non-diabetic control rats. The reduced Ca²⁺ entry in diabetic microvessels was reversed by 2-h exposure to 100 nmol/l staurosporine, a non-specific PKC antagonist and was mimicked in microvessels from non-diabetic rats by 10-min exposure to the PKC activator phorbol myristate acetate (100 nmol/l). The specific PKC antagonist LY379196 (100 nmol/l) also reversed the poor Ca²⁺ influx although its action was less efficacious than staurosporine.Conclusion/interpretation These results show that store-operated Ca²⁺ influx is inhibited in retinal arterioles from rats having sustained increased blood glucose and that PKC seems to play a role in mediating this effect.Abbreviations DAG Diacylglycerol - PKC protein kinase C - [Ca²⁺]_i intracellular calcium concentration - STZ streptozotocin - SPP staurosporine - SR sarcoplasmic reticulum - MVSM microvascular smooth muscle - CPA cyclopiazonic acid - PMA phorbol myristate acetate - VDCC voltage-dependent Ca²⁺ channels     

From the Cover: Salt stress-induced Ca2+ waves are associated with rapid,long-distance root-to-shoot signaling in plants

Their sessile lifestyle means that plants have to be exquisitely sensitive to their environment, integrating many signals to appropriate developmental and physiological responses. Stimuli ranging from wounding and pathogen attack to the distribution of water and nutrients in the soil are frequently presented in a localized manner but responses are often elicited throughout the plant. Such systemic signaling is thought to operate through the redistribution of a host of chemical regulators including peptides, RNAs, ions, metabolites, and hormones. However, there are hints of a much more rapid communication network that has been proposed to involve signals ranging from action and system potentials to reactive oxygen species. We now show that plants also possess a rapid stress signaling system based on Ca²⁺ waves that propagate through the plant at rates of up to ∼400 µm/s. In the case of local salt stress to the Arabidopsis thaliana root, Ca²⁺ wave propagation is channeled through the cortex and endodermal cell layers and this movement is dependent on the vacuolar ion channel TPC1. We also provide evidence that the Ca²⁺ wave/TPC1 system likely elicits systemic molecular responses in target organs and may contribute to whole-plant stress tolerance. These results suggest that, although plants do not have a nervous system, they do possess a sensory network that uses ion fluxes moving through defined cell types to rapidly transmit information between distant sites within the organism.Plants are constantly tailoring their responses to current environmental conditions via a complex array of chemical regulators that integrate developmental and physiological programs across the plant body. Environmental stimuli are often highly localized in nature, but the subsequent plant response is often elicited throughout the entire organism. For example, soil is a highly heterogeneous environment and the root encounters stimuli that are presented in a patchy manner. Thus, factors including dry or waterlogged regions of the soil, variations in the osmotic environment, and stresses such as elevated levels of salt are all likely to be encountered locally by individual root tips, but the information may have to be acted on by the plant as a whole.In animals, long-range signaling to integrate activities across the organism occurs through rapid ionic/membrane potential-driven signaling through the nervous system in addition to operating via long-distance chemical signaling. Plants have also been proposed to possess a rapid, systemic communication network, potentially mediated through signals ranging from changes in membrane potential/ion fluxes (1–3) and levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) (4, 5) to altered hydraulics in the vasculature (6). Even so, the molecular mechanisms behind rapid, systemic signaling in plants and whether such signals indeed carry regulatory information remains largely unknown. Suggestions that Ca²⁺ channels play a role in signals that occlude sieve tube elements (7), or that mediate systemic electrical signaling (2) in response to remote wounding, highlight Ca²⁺-dependent signaling events as a strong candidate for mediating some of these long-range responses. Similarly, cooling of roots elicits Ca²⁺ increases in the shoot within minutes (8), suggesting systemic signals can elicit Ca²⁺-dependent responses at distal sites within the plant. However, despite extensive characterization of Ca²⁺ signals (reviewed in ref. 9), their roles in a possible plant-wide communication network remain poorly understood. Therefore, to visualize how Ca²⁺ might act in local and systemic signaling, we generated Arabidopsis plants expressing the highly sensitive, GFP-based, cytoplasmic Ca²⁺ sensor YCNano-65 (10). We observed that a range of abiotic stresses including H₂O₂, touch, NaCl, and cold shock triggered Ca²⁺ increases at the point of application. However, NaCl also elicited a Ca²⁺ increase that moved away from the point of stress application. Propagation of this Ca²⁺ increase was associated with subsequent systemic changes in gene expression. We also report that this salt stress-induced long-distance Ca²⁺ wave is dependent on the activity of the ion channel protein Two Pore Channel 1 (TPC1), which also appears to contribute to whole-plant stress tolerance.     

Changes of intra-mitochondrial Ca in adult ventricular cardiomyocytes examined using a novel fluorescent Ca indicator targeted to mitochondria

In this study a Ca²⁺ sensitive protein was targeted to the mitochondria of adult rabbit ventricular cardiomyocytes using an adenovirus transfection technique. The probe (Mitycam) was a Ca²⁺-sensitive inverse pericam fused to subunit VIII of human cytochrome c oxidase. Mitycam expression pattern and Ca²⁺ sensitivity was characterized in HeLa cells and isolated adult rabbit cardiomyocytes. Cardiomyocytes expressing Mitycam were voltage-clamped and depolarized at regular intervals to elicit a Ca²⁺ transient. Cytoplasmic (Fura-2) and mitochondrial Ca²⁺ (Mitycam) fluorescence were measured simultaneously under a range of cellular Ca²⁺ loads. After 48 h post-adenoviral transfection, Mitycam expression showed a characteristic localization pattern in HeLa cells and cardiomyocytes. The Ca²⁺ sensitive component of Mitycam fluorescence was 12% of total fluorescence in HeLa cells with a K_d of  220 nM. In cardiomyocytes, basal and beat-to-beat changes in Mitycam fluorescence were detected on initiation of a train of depolarizations. Time to peak of the mitochondrial Ca²⁺ transient was slower, but the rate of decay was faster than the cytoplasmic signal. During spontaneous Ca²⁺ release the relative amplitude and the time course of the mitochondrial and cytoplasmic signals were comparable. Inhibition of mitochondrial respiration decreased the mitochondrial transient amplitude by  65% and increased the time to 50% decay, whilst cytosolic Ca²⁺ transients were unchanged. The mitochondrial Ca²⁺ uniporter (mCU) inhibitor Ru360 prevented both the basal and transient components of the rise in mitochondrial Ca²⁺. The mitochondrial-targeted Ca²⁺ probe indicates sustained and transient phases of mitochondrial Ca²⁺ signal, which are dependent on cytoplasmic Ca²⁺ levels and require a functional mCU.     

SR Ca store refill—a key factor in cardiac pacemaking

This study presents a theoretical analysis of the role of store Ca²⁺ uptake on sinoatrial node (SAN) cell pacemaking. Two mechanisms have been shown to be involved in SAN pacemaking, these being: 1) the membrane oscillator model where rhythm generation is based on the interaction of voltage-dependent membrane ion channels and, 2) the store oscillator model where cyclical release of Ca²⁺ from intracellular Ca²⁺ stores depolarizes the membrane through activation of the sodium-calcium exchanger (NCX). The relative roles of these oscillators in generation and modulation of pacemaker rate have been vigorously debated and have many consequences. The main new outcomes of our study are: 1) uptake of Ca²⁺ by intracellular Ca²⁺ stores increases the maximum diastolic potential (MDP) by reducing the cytosolic Ca²⁺ concentration [Ca²⁺]_c and hence decreasing the NCX current; 2) this hyperpolarization enhances recruitment of key pacemaker currents (e.g. the hyperpolarization-activated HCN current (I_f) and T-type Ca²⁺ current (I_T-Ca)); 3) the resultant enhanced Ca²⁺ entry during the pacemaker depolarization increases [Ca²⁺]_c causing advancement of the store Ca²⁺ release cycle and increased NCX current. In overview, the novel feature of our study is an investigation of the role of store Ca²⁺ uptake on SAN pacemaking. This occurs during the early diastolic period and causes enhanced I_f, I_T-Ca and store release (and hence I_NCX) during the later diastolic period. There is thus a symbiotic interaction between the two pacemaker “clocks” over the entire diastolic period, this providing robust and highly malleable SAN pacemaking. Accounting for store Ca²⁺ uptake also provides insight into hitherto unexplained SAN behaviour, as we exemplify for the sinus bradycardia exhibited in catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT).     

SR-targeted CaMKII inhibition improves SR Ca²+ handling, but accelerates cardiac remodeling in mice overexpressing CaMKIIδC

Cardiac myocyte overexpression of CaMKIIδ_C leads to cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure (HF) possibly caused by altered myocyte Ca²⁺ handling. A central defect might be the marked CaMKII-induced increase in diastolic sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca²⁺ leak which decreases SR Ca²⁺ load and Ca²⁺ transient amplitude. We hypothesized that inhibition of CaMKII near the SR membrane would decrease the leak, improve Ca²⁺ handling and prevent the development of contractile dysfunction and HF. To test this hypothesis we crossbred CaMKIIδ_C overexpressing mice (CaMK) with mice expressing the CaMKII-inhibitor AIP targeted to the SR via a modified phospholamban (PLB)-transmembrane-domain (SR-AIP). There was a selective decrease in the amount of activated CaMKII in the microsomal (SR/membrane) fraction prepared from these double-transgenic mice (CaMK/SR-AIP) mice. In ventricular cardiomyocytes from CaMK/SR-AIP mice, SR Ca²⁺ leak, assessed both as diastolic Ca²⁺ shift into SR upon tetracaine in intact myocytes or integrated Ca²⁺ spark release in permeabilized myocytes, was significantly reduced. The reduced leak was accompanied by enhanced SR Ca²⁺ load and twitch amplitude in double-transgenic mice (vs. CaMK), without changes in SERCA expression or NCX function. However, despite the improved myocyte Ca²⁺ handling, cardiac hypertrophy and remodeling was accelerated in CaMK/SR-AIP and cardiac function worsened. We conclude that while inhibition of SR localized CaMKII in CaMK mice improves Ca²⁺ handling, it does not necessarily rescue the HF phenotype. This implies that a non-SR CaMKIIδ_C exerts SR-independent effects that contribute to hypertrophy and HF, and this CaMKII pathway may be exacerbated by the global enhancement of Ca transients.     

Enhanced L-type calcium currents in cardiomyocytes from transgenic rats overexpressing SERCA2a

BACKGROUND:

Previous research reported that transgenic rats overexpressing the sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum Ca²⁺-ATPase SERCA2a exhibit improved contractile function of the myocardium. Furthermore, impaired Ca²⁺ uptake and reduced relaxation rates in rats with diabetic cardiomyopathy were partially rescued by transgenic expression of SERCA2a in the heart.

OBJECTIVE:

To explore whether enhanced Ca²⁺ cycling in the cardiomyocytes of SERCA2a transgenic rats is associated with changes in L-type Ca²⁺ (I_Ca-L) currents.

METHODS:

The patch-clamp technique was used to measure whole-cell currents in cardiomyocytes from transgenic rats overexpressing SERCA2a and from wild-type (nontransgenic) animals.

RESULTS:

The amplitudes of I_Ca-L currents at depolarizing pulses ranging from −45 mV to 0 mV (350 ms duration, 1 Hz) were significantly higher in cardiomyocytes of SERCA2a transgenic rats than in nontransgenic rats (1985±48 pA [n=32] versus 1612±55 pA [n=28], respectively). The inactivation kinetics of I_Ca-L showed subtle differences with increased tau fast and tau slow decay constants in cardiomyocytes of SERCA2a transgenic animals. Beta-adrenergic stimulation with 50 nM isoproterenol reduced tau fast and tau slow decay constants in cardiomyocytes of transgenic rats to values that were not significantly different from those in normal cardiomyocytes. Furthermore, isoproterenol enhanced I_Ca-L currents 3.2-fold and 2.3-fold in cardiomyocytes with and without the SERCA2a transgene, respectively, and this effect was abolished by buffering intracellular Ca²⁺ with BAPTA.

CONCLUSIONS:

These findings indicate that enhanced Ca²⁺ cycling in the hearts of SERCA2a transgenic rats, both under normal conditions and during beta-adrenergic stimulation, involves changes in I_Ca-L currents. Modified I_Ca-L kinetics may contribute, to some extent, to the improved contractile function of the myocardium of transgenic rats.     

Sarcoplasmic Reticulum Function in Murine Ventricular Myocytes Overexpressing SR CaATPase

To examine the effects of the overexpression of sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) CaATPase on function of the SR and Ca²⁺homeostasis, we measured [Ca²⁺]_itransients (fluo-3), and L-type Ca²⁺currents (I_Ca,L), Na/Ca exchanger currents (I_Na/Ca), and SR Ca²⁺content with voltage clamp in ventricular myocytes isolated from wild type (WT) mice and transgenic (SRTG) mice. The amplitude of [Ca²⁺]_itransients was insignificantly increased in SRTG myocytes, while the diastolic [Ca²⁺]_itended to be lower. The initial and terminal declines of [Ca²⁺]_itransients were significantly accelerated in SRTG myocytes, implying a functional upregulation of the SR CaATPase. We examined the functional contribution of only the SR CaATPase to the initial and the terminal phase of the decline of [Ca²⁺]_i, by abruptly inhibiting Na/Ca exchange with a rapid switcher device. The rate of [Ca²⁺] decline mediated by the SR CaATPase was increased by 40% in SRTG compared with WT myocytes. The function of the L-type Ca²⁺channel was unchanged in SRTG myocytes, while INa/Ca density was slightly (10%) decreased. Measured SR Ca²⁺content was significantly increased by 29% in SRTG myocytes. Thus, overexpression of SR CaATPase markedly accelerates the decline of [Ca²⁺]_itransients, and induces an increase in SR Ca²⁺content, with some downregulation of the Na/Ca exchanger.     

Experimental diabetes enhances Ca2+ mobilization and glutamate exocytosis in cerebral synaptosomes from mice

The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of the diabetic condition on the Ca²⁺ mobilization and glutamate release in cerebral nerve terminals (synaptosomes). Diabetes was induced in male mice by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin. Cytosolic free Ca²⁺ concentration ([Ca²⁺]_i) and glutamate release in synaptosomes were determined using fura-2 and enzyme-linked fluorometric assay, respectively. Diabetes significantly enhanced the ability of the depolarizing agents K⁺ and 4-aminopyridine (4-AP) to increase [Ca²⁺]_i. In addition, diabetes significantly enhanced K⁺- and 4-AP-evoked Ca²⁺-dependent glutamate release. The pretreatment of synaptosomes with a combination of ω-agatoxin IVA (a P-type Ca²⁺ channel blocker) and ω-conotoxin GVIA (an N-type Ca²⁺ channel blocker) inhibited K⁺- or 4-AP-induced increases in [Ca²⁺]_i and Ca²⁺-dependent glutamate release in synaptosomes from the control and diabetic mice to a similar extent, respectively. These results indicate that diabetes enhances a K⁺- or 4-AP-evoked Ca²⁺-dependent glutamate release by increasing [Ca²⁺]_i via stimulation of Ca²⁺ entry through both P- and N-type Ca²⁺ channels.     

The store-operated Ca2+ entry complex comprises a small cluster of STIM1 associated with one Orai1 channel

Increases in cytosolic Ca²⁺ concentration regulate diverse cellular activities and are usually evoked by opening of Ca²⁺ channels in intracellular Ca²⁺ stores and the plasma membrane (PM). For the many signals that evoke formation of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP₃), IP₃ receptors coordinate the contributions of these two Ca²⁺ sources by mediating Ca²⁺ release from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Loss of Ca²⁺ from the ER then activates store-operated Ca²⁺ entry (SOCE) by causing dimers of STIM1 to cluster and unfurl cytosolic domains that interact with the PM Ca²⁺ channel, Orai1, causing its pore to open. The relative concentrations of STIM1 and Orai1 are important, but most analyses of their interactions use overexpressed proteins that perturb the stoichiometry. We tagged endogenous STIM1 with EGFP using CRISPR/Cas9. SOCE evoked by loss of ER Ca²⁺ was unaffected by the tag. Step-photobleaching analysis of cells with empty Ca²⁺ stores revealed an average of 14.5 STIM1 molecules within each sub-PM punctum. The fluorescence intensity distributions of immunostained Orai1 puncta were minimally affected by store depletion, and similar for Orai1 colocalized with STIM1 puncta or remote from them. We conclude that each native SOCE complex is likely to include only a few STIM1 dimers associated with a single Orai1 channel. Our results, demonstrating that STIM1 does not assemble clusters of interacting Orai channels, suggest mechanisms for digital regulation of SOCE by local depletion of the ER.

In generating the cytosolic Ca²⁺ signals that regulate cellular activities, cells call upon two sources of Ca²⁺: the extracellular space, accessed through Ca²⁺ channels in the plasma membrane (PM), and Ca²⁺ sequestered within intracellular stores, primarily within the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). In animal cells, the many receptors that stimulate formation of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP₃) provide coordinated access to both Ca²⁺ sources (1). IP₃ stimulates the opening of IP₃ receptors (IP₃R), which are large Ca²⁺-permeable channels expressed mostly within ER membranes. IP₃ thereby triggers Ca²⁺ release from the ER (2, 3). The link to extracellular Ca²⁺ is provided by store-operated Ca²⁺ entry (SOCE), which is activated by loss of Ca²⁺ from the ER. The reduction in ER free-Ca²⁺ concentration causes Ca²⁺ to dissociate from the luminal Ca²⁺-binding sites of stromal interaction molecule 1 (STIM1), a dimeric protein embedded in ER membranes. This loss of Ca²⁺ causes STIM1 to unfurl cytosolic domains that interact with the PM Ca²⁺ channel, Orai1, causing its pore to open and Ca²⁺ to flow into the cell through the SOCE pathway (Fig. 1A) (4, 5). Available evidence suggests that STIM1 must bind to the C-terminal tail of each of the six subunits of an Orai1 channel for optimal activity, with lesser occupancies reducing activity and modifying channel properties (6–10). The interactions between STIM1 and Orai1 occur at membrane contact sites (MCS), where the two membranes are organized to provide a gap of about 10–30 nm, across which the two proteins directly interact (11–13). Orai channels are unusual in having no structural semblance to other ion channels and in having their opening controlled by direct interactions between proteins in different membranes (Fig. 1A). Competing models suggest that dimeric STIM1 binds either to a pair of C-terminal tails within a single channel (6 STIM1 molecules per hexameric Orai1 channel) (Fig. 1 B, a), or that each dimer interacts with only a single C-terminal tail leaving the remaining STIM1 subunit free to cross-link with a different Orai1 channel (12 STIM1 molecules around a single Orai1 channel) (Fig. 1 B, b) (see references in ref. 14). The latter arrangement has been proposed to allow assembly of close-packed Orai1 clusters (Fig. 1 B, c) and to explain the variable stoichiometry of Orai1 to STIM1 at MCS (14).Open in a separate windowFig. 1.SOCE is unaffected by tagging of endogenous STIM1. (A) SOCE is activated when loss of Ca²⁺ from the ER, usually mediated by IP₃Rs, causes Ca²⁺ to dissociate from the EF hands of dimeric STIM1. This causes STIM1 to unfurl its cytosolic domain, unmasking the C-terminal polybasic tail (PBT) and CRAC (Ca²⁺-release-activated channel)-activation domain (CAD) Association of the PBT with PM phosphoinositides causes STIM1 to accumulate at MCS, where the CAD captures the C-terminal tail of Orai1. Binding of STIM1 to each of the six subunits of Orai1 opens the Ca²⁺ channel, allowing SOCE to occur (9). (B) Orai1 is a hexamer, comprising three pairs of dimers (33). Dimeric STIM1 may activate Orai1 by binding as three dimers (B, a), or as six dimers (B, b) with the residual STIM1 subunit free to interact with another Orai1 channel (B, c) (14). (C) Structure of the edited STIM1-EGFP. (D) TIRF images of STIM1-EGFP HeLa cells treated with STIM1 or nonsilencing (NS) shRNA before emptying of Ca²⁺ stores. (Scale bar, 10 µm.) (E) Summary results (individual values, mean ± SD, n = 3 independent experiments, each with ∼30 cells analyzed) show whole-cell fluorescence intensities from TIRF images of STIM1-EGFP HeLa cells treated with the indicated shRNA. Results from WT cells are also shown (n = 4). ****P < 0.0001, ANOVA with Bonferroni test, relative to WT cells. (F) In-gel fluorescence of lysates from WT or STIM1-EGFP HeLa cells (protein loadings in μg). The STIM1-EGFP band (arrow) and molecular mass markers (kDa) are shown. Similar results were obtained in four independent analyses. (G) WB for STIM1 and β-actin for WT and STIM1-EGFP HeLa cells. Protein loadings (μg) and molecular mass markers (kDa) are shown. Arrows show positions of native and EGFP-tagged STIM1. (H) Summary results (individual values, mean ± SD, n = 9) show expression of STIM1-EGFP relative to all STIM1 in STIM1-EGFP HeLa cells (red), and total STIM1 expression in WT and edited cells (black). (I) Effects of histamine in Ca²⁺-free HBS on the peak increase in [Ca²⁺]_c (Δ[Ca²⁺]_c) in populations of WT and STIM1-EGFP HeLa cells. Mean ± SEM from four experiments, each with six determinations. (J) Effects of CPA in Ca²⁺-free HBS on the peak increase in [Ca²⁺]_c (Δ[Ca²⁺]_c) in populations of WT and STIM1-EGFP HeLa cells. Mean ± SEM from four experiments, each with six determinations. (K) Populations of cells were treated (5 min) with CPA in Ca²⁺-free HBS to evoke graded depletion of ER Ca²⁺ stores before addition of extracellular Ca²⁺ (final free [Ca²⁺] ∼10 mM). Results (mean ± SEM, n = 6, each with six determinations) show the amplitude of the SOCE in WT and STIM1-EGFP HeLa cells. See also SI Appendix, Figs. S1 and S2.Opening of most ion channels is regulated by changes in membrane potential or by binding of soluble stimuli, where the relationship between stimulus intensity and response is readily amenable to experimental analysis. The unusual behavior of SOCE, where direct interactions between proteins embedded in different membranes control channel opening (Fig. 1A), makes it more difficult to define stimulus–response relationships and highlights the need to understand the amounts of STIM1 and Orai1 within the MCS where the interactions occur. When STIM1 or Orai1 are overexpressed their behaviors are perturbed, yet most analyses of their interactions have involved overexpression of the proteins. These difficulties motivated the present study, which was designed to determine the number of native STIM1 molecules associated with each SOCE signaling complex.     

Regulation of longevity by depolarization-induced activation of PLC-β–IP3R signaling in neurons

Mitochondrial ATP production is a well-known regulator of neuronal excitability. The reciprocal influence of plasma-membrane potential on ATP production, however, remains poorly understood. Here, we describe a mechanism by which depolarized neurons elevate the somatic ATP/ADP ratio in Drosophila glutamatergic neurons. We show that depolarization increased phospholipase-Cβ (PLC-β) activity by promoting the association of the enzyme with its phosphoinositide substrate. Augmented PLC-β activity led to greater release of endoplasmic reticulum Ca²⁺ via the inositol trisphosphate receptor (IP₃R), increased mitochondrial Ca²⁺ uptake, and promoted ATP synthesis. Perturbations that decoupled membrane potential from this mode of ATP synthesis led to untrammeled PLC-β–IP₃R activation and a dramatic shortening of Drosophila lifespan. Upon investigating the underlying mechanisms, we found that increased sequestration of Ca²⁺ into endolysosomes was an intermediary in the regulation of lifespan by IP₃Rs. Manipulations that either lowered PLC-β/IP₃R abundance or attenuated endolysosomal Ca²⁺ overload restored animal longevity. Collectively, our findings demonstrate that depolarization-dependent regulation of PLC-β–IP₃R signaling is required for modulation of the ATP/ADP ratio in healthy glutamatergic neurons, whereas hyperactivation of this axis in chronically depolarized glutamatergic neurons shortens animal lifespan by promoting endolysosomal Ca²⁺ overload.

Spatially circumscribed ATP production at nerve termini is predicated on local mitochondria that are energized when voltage-gated Ca²⁺ channels provide the [Ca²⁺] elevations needed to overcome the low sensitivity of the mitochondrial Ca²⁺ uniporter (MCU) (1–3). In neuronal soma, however, bulk cytosolic [Ca²⁺] is not elevated to levels needed for mitochondrial sequestration. Rather, mitochondrial Ca²⁺ uptake in the somatodendritic compartment occurs at specialized points of contact between mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) where Ca²⁺ released by IP₃Rs is transferred into the mitochondrial matrix (4). Approximately 75 to 90% of the somatic ATP synthesized following interorganellar transfer of Ca²⁺ is consumed by Na⁺/K⁺ ATPases, which help establish resting membrane potential and permit repolarization during activity (5, 6). Therefore, defects in neuronal ATP synthesis result in loss of membrane potential and hyperexcitability (6).Whether excitability of the somatic plasma membrane (PM) exerts reciprocal influence on mitochondrial [Ca²⁺] and ATP production remains poorly understood. In an attempt to fill some of the gaps in knowledge, we examined the effects of PM potential on mitochondrial ATP production and Ca²⁺ homeostasis in Drosophila neurons. Owing to recent reports of neuronal hyperexcitability being a driver of diminished longevity in organisms ranging from Caenorhabditis elegans to humans (7–9), we hoped our studies would inform insights into the regulation of aging and lifespan. Moreover, since neuronal hyperexcitability, Ca²⁺ dyshomeostasis, and bioenergetic dysfunction characterize neurodegenerative diseases (6, 10, 11), uncovering actionable molecular targets that bridge these perturbations may bear therapeutic value. Our findings reveal a previously unknown mechanism by which excitability regulates bioenergetics and Ca²⁺ signaling and points to the utility of this signaling circuit in the regulation of longevity.