Activation of a calmodulin-dependent phosphatase by a Ca2+-dependent protease

A calmodulin-dependent protein phosphatase (calcineurin) was converted to an active, calmodulin-independent form by a Ca2+-dependent protease (calpain I). Proteolysis could be blocked by ethylene glycol bis(beta-aminoethyl ether)-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid, leupeptin, or N-ethylmaleimide, but other protease inhibitors such as phenylmethanesulfonyl fluoride, aprotinin, benzamidine, diisopropyl fluorophosphate, and trypsin inhibitor were ineffective. Phosphatase proteolyzed in the absence of calmodulin was insensitive to Ca2+ or Ca2+/calmodulin; the activity of the proteolyzed enzyme was greater than the Ca2+/calmodulin-stimulated activity of the unproteolyzed enzyme. Proteolysis of the phosphatase in the presence of calmodulin proceeded at a more rapid rate than in its absence, and the proteolyzed enzyme retained a small degree of sensitivity to Ca2+/calmodulin, being further stimulated some 15-20%. Proteolytic stimulation of phosphatase activity was accompanied by degradation of the 60-kilodalton (kDa) subunit; the 19-kDa subunit was not degraded. In the absence of calmodulin, the 60-kDa subunit was sequentially degraded to 58- and 45-kDa fragments; the 45-kDa fragment was incapable of binding 125I-calmodulin. In the presence of calmodulin, the 60-kDa subunit was proteolyzed to fragments of 58, 55 (2), and 48 kDa, all of which retained some ability to bind calmodulin. These data, coupled with our previous report that the human platelet calmodulin-binding proteins undergo Ca2+-dependent proteolysis upon platelet activation [Wallace, R. W., Tallant, E. A., & McManus, M. C. (1987) Biochemistry 26, 2766-2773], suggest that the Ca2+-dependent protease may have a role in the platelet as an irreversible activator of certain Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent reactions.     

Enhancement of calcium sensitivity of lipocortin I in phospholipid binding induced by limited proteolysis and phosphorylation at the amino terminus as analyzed by phospholipid affinity column chromatography

A phospholipid column was prepared by coating siliconized porous glass beads with phospholipids. The analysis of the Ca2+ requirement of lipocortin I and its derivatives in the binding to phospholipids was carried out with this column. The Ca2+ concentration required for 50% binding to the phospholipid column at room temperature was about 30 microM for lipocortin I, while that was reduced to 15 microM when lipocortin I was phosphorylated by the epidermal growth factor receptor/kinase, and a further reduction in the Ca2+ requirement was observed with proteolytic cleavage at the N-terminal region. Cathepsin D and calpain I (low calcium-requiring form of calcium-activated neutral protease) rapidly cleaved human placental lipocortin I at Trp-12 and Lys-26, respectively. These N-terminal-truncated proteins required only 5 microM Ca2+ for 50% binding to the phospholipid column. This enhancement of Ca2+ sensitivity by limited proteolysis was also observed for porcine lung lipocortin I. Essentially the same results were obtained when the Ca2+ sensitivities of the modified lipocortins I were analyzed using dispersed phospholipid vesicles instead of the phospholipid affinity column. Equilibrium dialysis indicated that the release of the N-terminal region markedly increased the affinity of lipocortin I for Ca2+ in the presence of phosphatidylserine, without any appreciable change of the number of Ca2+-binding sites. Limited proteolysis by endogenous proteases such as calpain may be an important regulatory mechanism for the Ca2+ sensitivity of lipocortin I in phospholipid binding.     

A protease-sensitive site in the proposed Ca(2+)-binding region of human serum amyloid P component and other pentraxins.

Serum amyloid P component (SAP) is a decamer of 10 identical 25.5-kDa subunits. Limited proteolysis of SAP with alpha-chymotrypsin cleaves the subunit into two fragments of 18 and 7.5 kDa, although the fragments stay together in the decamer under nondenaturing conditions. Proteolysis does not occur in the presence of Ca2+ (10 mM). Cleavage with alpha-chymotrypsin prevents the Ca(2+)-dependent binding of SAP to zymosan extract, nucleosomes, and DNA. The alpha-chymotrypsin cleavage site identified is in a region of SAP that is highly conserved in members of the human C-reactive protein (CRP) family of proteins (pentraxins) to which SAP belongs and is similar to the Ca(2+)-binding site in calmodulin and related Ca(2+)-binding proteins (Nguyen, N.Y., Suzuki, A., Boykins, R.A., & Liu, T.-Y., 1986, J. Biol. Chem. 261, 10456-10465). Treatment of SAP with other proteases (trypsin, Pronase, and Nagarse protease) yields fragmentation patterns upon sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) that are similar to those obtained with alpha-chymotrypsin. Two other members of the pentraxin family of proteins, hamster female protein and rabbit CRP, also exhibit similar fragmentation patterns on SDS-PAGE when treated with the various proteases. Recently, it has been shown that the homologous protein, human CRP, is cleaved in the same homologous position as cleavage of SAP by alpha-chymotrypsin, resulting in the loss of Ca(2+)-binding (as shown by equilibrium dialysis) and Ca(2+)-dependent binding reactivities (Kinoshita, C.M., Ying, S.-C., Hugli, T.E., Siegel, J.N., Potempa, L.A., Jiang, H.J., Houghten, R.A., & Gewurz, H., 1989, Biochemistry 28, 9840-9848).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Characterization of lipocortin I and an immunologically unrelated 33-kDa protein as epidermal growth factor receptor/kinase substrates and phospholipase A2 inhibitors

Reversible calcium-dependent association with a particulate fraction from human placenta was used as the first step in the purification of substrates for the epidermal growth factor-stimulated protein kinase. A protein with apparent Mr of 35,000 was purified to homogeneity, and the sequence was determined for approximately one-fourth of the protein. These residues could be aligned exactly with the previously published sequence of lipocortin I derived from the cDNA from a human lymphoma. Two other proteins that appear to be formed by proteolytic removal of 12 or 26 of the amino acids from the NH2 terminus of the protein also were isolated. Placental lipocortin I was phosphorylated in Tyr-21 in an epidermal growth factor-dependent manner by the kinase activity in a particulate fraction from A431 cells; half-maximal phosphorylation occurred at 50 nM lipocortin I. Lipocortin I phosphorylated on Tyr-21 was approximately 10-fold more sensitive to tryptic cleavage at Lys-26 than was the native protein. Placental lipocortin I and its two truncated forms were potent inhibitors of pancreatic phospholipase A2 activity. Another 33-kDa protein that was not related immunologically to lipocortin I or lipocortin II (calpactin I) also was purified from the EGTA extract of placenta. The unidentified protein inhibited phospholipase A2 but was not a substrate for the epidermal growth factor-stimulated kinase. The mechanism by which these proteins inhibit phospholipase A2 activity was investigated. Attempts to detect direct interaction between these proteins and the enzyme were unsuccessful. However, both the unidentified protein, lipocortin I, and 32P-labeled lipocortin I bound in a Ca2+-dependent manner to the [3H]oleic acid-labeled Escherichia coli membranes used as substrate in the phospholipase A2 assay. Heparin, which is known to block lipocortin I inhibition of phospholipase A2, also blocked binding of lipocortin I to E. coli membranes. The results of these and other experiments raise the possibility that placental lipocortin I inhibits phospholipase A2 activity in this assay by coating the phospholipid and thereby blocking interaction of enzyme and substrate.     

Lipocortins are major substrates for protein kinase C in extracts of human neutrophils.

We have identified two major proteins in human neutrophils that are phosphorylated in vitro by protein kinase C (PKC) as lipocortins III and a fragment of a lipocortin-like 68-kDa protein. In electroporated cells, the 68-kDa protein was phosphorylated during stimulation of the cells with either FMLP or PMA. Lipocortins are of interest because of their Ca2(+)- and phospholipid-dependent actin binding properties and ability to inhibit phospholipase A2. Two crude fractions of enzymes and proteins exposed to [gamma-32]PATP in the presence of Ca2+, Mg2+, phosphatidylserine and 1,2-oleoyl-acetyl-rac-glycerol were analyzed by gel electrophoresis and autoradiography. A number of proteins in a detergent-free fraction, including proteins at 36 and 32 kDa, were phosphorylated in the presence of these cofactors. In contrast, only two major proteins (35 and 32 kDa) were phosphorylated in a detergent-extracted fraction. Phosphorylation of the 36, 35, and 32 kDa proteins required the presence of Ca2+, Mg2+, and phosphatidylserine in our soluble fraction and detergent extract, indicating PKC-dependent phosphorylation. The 32-kDa protein phosphorylated in both the soluble fraction and detergent extract was identified as lipocortin III by immunoprecipitation with a cross-reactive antibody that recognized lipocortin I and comparison of cyanogen bromide (CNBr) cleavage patterns of this protein with a lipocortin III standard. The 68-kDa protein was identified as a lipocortin VI-like protein by immunoprecipitation with anti-calelectrin. Additionally, the CNBr cleavage pattern of the 68-kDa protein was similar to that of the 36-kDa protein phosphorylated in our soluble fraction. Autoradiograms of the 68- and 36-kDa fragments immunoprecipitated from our soluble fraction with anticalelectrin and cleaved with CNBr showed that both of these proteins were phosphorylated in this sample. Because phosphorylation is known to change the functional characteristics of the lipocortins, the potential exists to link PKC and lipocortins in neutrophils to regulation of granulemembrane interactions or mediation of inflammation.     

Calpain proteolysis of insulin-like growth factor binding protein (IGFBP) -2 and -3, but not of IGFBP-1

Calpains are cytoplasmic Ca(2+)-regulated cysteine proteases that may regulate insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-independent actions of insulin-like growth factor binding proteins (IGFBPs) through IGFBP proteolysis. In this study, [(125)I]-labeled IGFBP-2 and -3, but not IGFBP-1, were proteolyzed by Ca(2+)-activated m-calpain in vitro. Degradation of higher concentrations of the recombinant proteins IGFBP-2 and -3 by m-calpain was dose-dependent, but was terminated within 20 min by autolysis. By subjecting proteolytic fragments to N-terminal amino acid sequence analysis, the primary cleavage sites in IGFBP-2 and -3 were localized to the non-conserved central linker regions. Using the biosensor technique, in vitro binding of m-calpain to IGFBP-3 was demonstrated to be a Ca(2+)-dependent reaction with a rapid on/off rate.     

Proteolysis of non-phosphorylated and phosphorylated tau by thrombin

The microtubule-associated protein tau aggregates intracellularly by unknown mechanisms in Alzheimer's disease and other tauopathies. A contributing factor may be a failure to break down free cytosolic tau, thus creating a surplus for aggregation, although the proteases that degrade tau in brain remain unknown. To address this issue, we prepared cytosolic fractions from five normal human brains and from perfused rat brains and incubated them with or without protease inhibitors. D-Phenylalanyl-L-prolylarginyl chloromethyl ketone, a thrombin-specific inhibitor, prevented tau breakdown in these fractions, suggesting that thrombin is a brain protease that processes tau. We next exposed human recombinant tau to purified human thrombin and analyzed the fragments by N-terminal sequencing. We found that thrombin proteolyzed tau at multiple arginine and lysine sites. These include Arg(155)-Gly(156), Arg(209)-Ser(210), Arg(230)-Thr(231), Lys(257)-Ser(258), and Lys(340)-Ser(341) (numbering according to the longest human tau isoform). Temporally, the initial cleavage occurred at the Arg(155)-Gly(156) bond. Proteolysis of the resultant C-terminal tau fragment then proceeded bidirectionally. When tau was phosphorylated by glycogen synthase kinase-3beta, most of these proteolytic processes were inhibited, except for the first cleavage at the Arg(155)-Gly(156) bond. Furthermore, paired helical filament tau prepared from Alzheimer's disease brain was more resistant to thrombin proteolysis than following dephosphorylation by alkaline phosphatase. The results suggest a possible role for thrombin in proteolysis of tau under physiological and/or pathological conditions in human brains. They are consistent with the hypothesis that phosphorylation of tau inhibits proteolysis by thrombin or other endogenous proteases, leading to aggregation of tau into insoluble fibrils.     

Calcium-induced intracellular cross-linking of lipocortin I by tissue transglutaminase in A431 cells. Augmentation by membrane phospholipids.

Covalently cross-linked multimers of lipocortin I are shown to be present in human epidermoid carcinoma A431 cells treated with epidermal growth factor or the calcium ionophore A23187. This intracellular cross-linking of lipocortin I is suggested to be mediated by the action of tissue transglutaminase, a Ca2(+)-dependent protein cross-linking enzyme. Cross-linking of lipocortin I competes with proteolytic digestion of the protein, and pretreatment of the cells with inhibitors for calpain (Ca2(+)-dependent intracellular protease) markedly enhanced the cross-linking of lipocortin I. Cross-linked lipocortin I is shown to be present in the soluble fraction of A431 cells as well as in the particulate fraction; a 34-kDa fragment of lipocortin I was solubilized successfully by plasmin digestion of the latter fraction. Immunofluorescence microscopy using specific antilipocortin-I antibody showed that cross-linked lipocortin I forms an envelope-like structure, which is not extracted with [ethylenebis(oxyethylenenitrilo)]tetraacetic acid (EGTA) or Triton X-100. In vitro incubation of purified lipocortin I with tissue transglutaminase resulted in the formation of covalently cross-linked lipocortin I dimer, tetramer, and so on. Amine incorporation and cross-linking studies using lipocortin I and its N-terminal truncated derivatives indicated that the cross-linking site is localized within the plasmin-susceptible N-terminal 29 amino acids of lipocortin I. The cross-linking of lipocortin I is shown to be accelerated more than 10 times by the addition of phosphatidylserine vesicles, on which lipocortin I molecules are most likely aligned in a conformation suitable for cross-linking. Collectively, these findings suggest that an increase of intracellular calcium concentration results in the attachment of lipocortin I onto the plasma membrane phospholipids through the C-terminal domain of the molecule where the membrane-bound lipocortin I is cross-linked by the action of tissue transglutaminase through the N-terminal domain.     

Fusion of rat erythrocytes by membrane-mobility agent A2C depends on membrane proteolysis by a cytoplasmic calpain

The membrane-mobility agent 2-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethyl-cis-8-(2-octylcyclopropyl)octanoate (A2C) promotes fusion of rat, but not of human, erythrocytes. The difference in fusibility was shown to be correlated with membrane proteolysis, a process induced by Ca2+ in the rat erythrocytes or hemolysate-loaded ghosts, but not in the human cell. Membrane proteolysis is necessary but not sufficient for fusion. Fusion requires both Ca2+ and A2C [Kosower, N. S., Glaser, T. and Kosower, E. M. (1983) Proc. Natl Acad. Sci USA 80, 7542-7546]. Membrane proteolysis (Ca2+-dependent) and fusion (Ca2+ and A2C-dependent) requires a Ca2+-activated cytoplasmic thiol protease, as shown by the following observations. In intact rat erythrocytes, proteolysis and fusion are prevented by thiol alkylation and by inhibitors of Ca2+-dependent thiol proteases. Inhibitors to other proteases have no effect. Erythrocyte ghosts undergo proteolysis and fusion only when loaded with non-inhibited hemolysate, irrespective of membrane status (native or alkylated membrane). A partially purified cytosolic enzyme, identified as calpain I, promotes proteolysis in rat erythrocyte ghosts. A2C induces fusion only in such calpain-treated ghosts.     

Tumor promoter-dependent phosphorylation of a Triton X-100 extractable form of lipocortin I in T51B rat liver cells

The phosphorylation of lipocortin (a substrate of EGF-receptor kinase, and a putative phospholipase A2 inhibitor) was examined in T51B cells. By using Western blot procedures and antisera specific to lipocortin I, we found that most immunoreactive lipocortin I was located in the cytosol (lipocortin(cvt] of cells extracted in Ca2+-free buffers These cells however had another pool of immunoreactive lipocortin I located in the particulate fraction that was Triton X-100 extractable (lipocortin(mem]. Increasing Ca2+ concentrations in the extraction buffer resulted in more lipocortin(mem) recovered. In vitro phosphorylation of endogenous proteins demonstrated that lipocortin I became phosphorylated in a Ca2+ and phosphatidylserine-dependent manner, suggesting an involvement of protein kinase C. Treatment of cells with 100 ng/ml 12-0-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) but not with 4 alpha-phorbol 12,13-didecanoate (4 alpha-PDD) resulted in the in vitro phosphorylation of lipocortin(mem) by protein kinase C. TPA also increased the phosphorylation of lipocortin(mem) in [32P]phosphate-labeled cells.     

Demonstration of two distinct calcium pumps in human platelet membrane vesicles

Membrane vesicles from human platelets were prepared by various disruption and isolation techniques reported in the literature to yield fractions of predominantly surface or intracellular membrane origin. ATP + Mg2+-dependent Ca2+ accumulation and the formation of acylphosphate intermediates of the calcium pump(s) were followed in parallel experiments, and the consequences of a limited proteolysis of the membranes examined. In all types of preparations active Ca2+ uptake had both oxalate-sensitive and insensitive fractions and calmodulin had no effect on the rate of Ca2+ uptake. Limited proteolysis by trypsin eliminated oxalate-sensitive Ca2+ uptake while it had no effect on the oxalate-insensitive fraction. The Ca2+-induced EP complex had an apparent molecular mass of 100-110 kDa in all of the preparations, the EP showing a broad or even duplicated line in most autoradiographies. Mild trypsin digestion resulted in the formation of 80-, 55-, and 35-kDa phosphorylated fragments. The 80-kDa fragment corresponded to the limit polypeptide found in the proteolyzed erythrocyte membrane Ca2+ pump, its phosphorylation was stimulated by lanthanum, and it appeared in a different time course than the smaller fragments. The molecular mass and the formation pattern of the latter species corresponded to the tryptic fragments in the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ pump. Based on these results we suggest that platelet membrane preparations contain two types of Ca2+ pump proteins, one similar to the sarcoplasmic reticulum-type and the other to the erythrocyte-type enzyme.     

Proteolytic activation of calcium-activated, phospholipid-dependent protein kinase by calcium-dependent neutral protease

A Ca2+-dependent protease I), which hydrolyzes casein at Ca2+ concentrations lower than the 10(-5) M range, is purified roughly 4000-fold from the soluble fraction of rat brain. This protease is able to activate Ca2+-activated, phospholipid-dependent protein kinase (protein kinase C) by limited proteolysis analogously to the previously known Ca2+-dependent analogously to the previously known Ca2+-dependent protease (Ca2+ protease II) which is active at the millimolar range of Ca2+ (Inoue, M., Kishimoto, A., Takai, Y., and Nishizuka, Y. (1977) J. Biol. Chem. 252, 7610-7616). The protein kinase fragment thus produced shows a molecular weight of about 5.1 X 10(4), and is significantly smaller than native protein kinase C (Mr = 7.7 X 10(4). Although protein kinase C may be normally activated in a reversible manner by the simultaneous presence of phospholipid and diacylglycerol at Ca2+ concentrations less than 10(-6) M, this enzyme fragment is fully active without any lipid fractions and independent of Ca2+. The limited proteolysis of protein kinase C is markedly enhanced in the velocity by the addition of phospholipid and diacylglycerol, which are both required for the reversible activation of the enzyme. However, casein hydrolysis by this protease is not affected by phospholipid and diacylglycerol. Available evidence suggests that, at lower concentrations of this divalent cation, Ca2+ protease I reacts preferentially with the active form of protein kinase C which is associated with membrane, and converts it to the permanently active form. In contrast, the inactive form of protein kinase C, which is free of membrane phospholipid, does not appear to be very susceptible to the proteolytic attack. It remains unknown, however, whether this mechanism of irreversible activation of protein kinase C does operate in physiological processes. It is noted that Ca2+ protease II, which is active at higher concentrations of Ca2+, proteolytically activates protein kinase C irrespective of the presence and absence of phospholipid and diacylglycerol.     

Proteolysis of insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 in serum from pregnant, non-pregnant and fetal rats by matrix metalloproteinases and serine proteases.

The insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) in adult mammalian plasma circulate predominantly in 150-kDa complexes that also contain IGF-binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) and an acid-labile subunit. Proteolysis of IGFBP-3 within the 150-kDa complex decreases its affinity for IGFs, facilitating their release to the tissues. By contrast, 150-kDa complexes are not detected in serum from fetal or pregnant adult rats. Decreased complex formation results from insufficient availability of IGFBP-3 due to increased IGFBP-3 proteolysis. The present study characterizes IGFBP-3 protease activity in serum from fetal, pregnant and non-pregnant adult rats by comparing the effect of different protease inhibitors. Proteolysis of exogenous recombinant human IGFBP-3 (for fetal and pregnancy serum) or endogenous IGFBP-3 (for non-pregnant adult rat serum) following incubation at 37 degrees C was measured by ligand blotting. In all three sera, IGFBP-3 proteolysis was inhibited completely by: (i) EDTA, a chelator of divalent cations. Inhibition was reversed by zinc, but not by calcium ions; (ii) 4-(2-aminoethyl)-benzenesulfonyl fluoride (AEBSF), an inhibitor of serine proteases; and (iii) a specific tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinases (TIMP-1). Recombinant human matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3) proteolyzed recombinant human IGFBP-3 or endogenous rat IGFBP-3 in non-pregnancy serum pretreated with AEBSF to inactivate endogenous serine proteases. These results suggest that serine proteases initiate the activation of latent MMP precursor, and that the activated MMP directly degrades IGFBP-3.     

The susceptibility of MAP-2 to proteolytic degradation increases when bound to tubulin

During experiments studying dietary effects on phosphorylation/dephosphorylation of MAP-2 we found that incubation of microtubules with alkaline phosphatase resulted in extensive proteolysis of MAP-2 but not of tubulin or Tau proteins. In the absence of tubulin, when microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs) were incubated with alkaline phosphatase, MAP-2 was not proteolyzed. This suggests that binding to tubulin induces a conformational change in MAP-2 which makes it more susceptible to proteolysis. The proteolysis of MAP-2 by alkaline phosphatase was prevented by inhibitors of serine proteases, suggesting that the commercial preparation of the enzyme is contaminated by a serine protease and/or that the enzyme also has a weaker proteolytic activity. In addition, selective proteolysis of MAP-2 can be obtained with the metalloprotease collagenase. Brain homogenates are shown to contain a Ca²⁺-dependent protease which selectively degrades MAP-2 bound to tubulin. These results suggest that selective proteolysis of tubulin-bound MAP-2 could play a role in the regulation of microtubule dynamics in response to extracellular signals.     

Cloning and expression of cDNA for human endonexin II, a Ca2+ and phospholipid binding protein

Endonexin II is a member of the family of Ca2+-dependent phospholipid binding proteins known as annexins. We cloned human endonexin II cDNA and expressed it in Escherichia coli. The apparent size and Ca2+-dependent phospholipid binding properties of purified recombinant endonexin II were indistinguishable from those of the placental protein. A single mRNA of approximately 1.6 kilobase pairs was found to be expressed in human cell lines and placenta and was in close agreement with the length of the cDNA clone (1.59 kilobase pairs). The cDNA predicted a 320-amino acid protein with a sequence that was in agreement with the previously determined partial amino acid sequence of endonexin II isolated from placenta. Endonexin II contained 58, 46, and 43% sequence identity to protein II, calpactin I (p36, protein I), and lipocortin I (p35), respectively. The partial sequence of bovine endonexin I was aligned with the sequence of endonexin II to give 63% sequence identity. Like these other proteins, endonexin II had a 4-fold internal repeat of approximately 70 residues preceded by an amino-terminal domain lacking similarity to the repeated region. It also had significant sequence identity with 67-kDa calelectrin (p68), a protein with an 8-fold internal repeat. Comparing the amino-terminal domains of these four proteins of known sequence revealed that, in general, only endonexin II and protein II had significant sequence identity (29%). Endonexin II was not phosphorylated by Ca2+/phospholipid-dependent enzyme (protein kinase C) even though it contained a threonine at a position analogous to the protein kinase C phosphorylation sites of lipocortin I, calpactin I, and protein II.     

Calcium-activated neutral protease effects upon skeletal muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum protein structure and calcium release.

In this study, the effects of Ca(2+)-activated neutral protease (CANP) upon skeletal muscle heavy sarcoplasmic reticulum (HSR) structure and function were investigated. CANP was immunolocalized to the 3-[(3-cholamidopropyl)dimethylammonio]-1-propanesulfonic acid detergent-insoluble fraction of purified HSR membranes. Ca2+ activation of the endogenous membrane-bound CANP produced a characteristic partial fragmentation of the HSR 565-kDa Ca2+ release channel. Similarly, the major substrate for both micromolar and millimolar Ca(2+)-sensitive isoforms of exogenous CANP was the Ca2+ release channel with proteolysis of a 88-kDa HSR protein also observed. Ca2+ release channel proteolysis was initiated at a single cleavage site with coincidental production of 410- and 150-kDa peptide fragments. Appearance of 160- and 137-kDa limiting peptides accompanied secondary proteolysis of the primary 410- and 150-kDa fragments, respectively. Despite extensive proteolysis of the Ca2+ release channel, CANP did not dramatically alter the Ca2+ handling and ryanodine binding properties of HSR membranes. The association of CANP with isolated HSR membranes suggests that, in vivo, this protease may modify an additional property of the Ca2+ release channel. This may be related to the CANP-susceptible structural association of the Ca2+ release channel with dihydropyridine receptors at T-tubule/sarcoplasmic reticulum junctions.     

Regulation of the chromaffin granule aggregating activity of annexin I by phosphorylation.

Annexin I (lipocortin I) binds to secretory granule membranes and promotes their aggregation in a Ca(2+)-dependent manner [Creutz, C. E., et al. (1987) J. Biol. Chem. 262, 1860-1868; Drust, D. S., & Creutz, C. E. (1988) Nature 331, 88-91]. It is also phosphorylated on serine residues when bovine chromaffin cells are stimulated to secrete [Michener, M. L., et al. (1986) J. Biol. Chem. 261, 6548-6555], suggesting phosphorylation may be involved in modulating the function of annexin I. We report here that phosphorylation of the N-terminal tail by protein kinase C strongly inhibits the ability of annexin I to aggregate chromaffin granules by increasing the calcium requirement 4-fold. This inhibition was readily reversed when the protein was dephosphorylated by protein phosphatase 2A. The inhibition was not due to inability of phosphorylated annexin I to bind to chromaffin granules, since the phosphorylated form bound to the granule membrane at slightly lower levels of calcium than the native form. The phosphorylated annexin I also bound to 20% phosphatidylserine/80% phosphatidylcholine vesicles at lower Ca2+ levels than the native form. The inhibitory effect of phosphorylation on the granule aggregating activity of annexin I was found to be amplified by an unusual mechanism: The phosphorylated form inhibited the activity of the unphosphorylated form. The possible importance of the regulation of annexin I activity by phosphorylation in exocytosis is discussed.     

Proteolytic cleavage of epidermal growth factor receptor. A Ca2+-dependent, sulfhydryl-sensitive proteolytic system in A431 cells

The Mr = 160,000 epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor in A431 cells is partially cleaved during membrane isolation to a Mr = 145,000 polypeptide containing both EGF binding and phosphate acceptor sites. We show that the proteolytic degradation of the EGF receptor depends upon the presence of Ca2+ in the medium used to scrape the cells from the substratum. Only the high molecular weight form of the receptor is detected in membranes prepared in the absence of Ca2+. Ca2+-dependent proteolysis occurs rapidly (t1/2 approximately 5 min) following cell scraping. Proteolysis results in a decrease in EGF-dependent phosphorylation of the receptor while retaining EGF binding capacity. In addition, membranes containing the uncleaved form of the receptor reveal a substantial increase in EGF-dependent phosphorylation of proteins with Mr approximately 80, 89, and 185 X 10(3). In the presence of Ca2+, addition of iodoacetic acid to the scraping medium strongly inhibits receptor fragmentation, whereas other inhibitors (phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride, leupeptin, and pepstatin) have no effect. The results implicate a role for a Ca2+-dependent, SH-sensitive protease in EGF receptor degradation. Prevention of proteolysis yields membrane preparations with highly active EGF-dependent kinase system.     

A calcium-dependent 35-kilodalton substrate for epidermal growth factor receptor/kinase isolated from normal tissue

We have previously reported the isolation of a 35-kDa protein from A-431 cells that, in the presence of Ca2+, can serve as a substrate for the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor/tyrosine kinase (Fava, R.A., and Cohen, S. (1984) J. Biol. Chem. 259, 2636-2645). We now report the detection of an antigenically related 35-kDa protein in a number, but not all, of rat, pig, and human tissues. These antigenically related proteins also can serve as substrates for the EGF receptor/kinase in the presence of Ca2+. All of these proteins share the property of reversible, Ca2+-dependent binding to the particulate fraction (presumably membranes) of cell homogenates. We have isolated the 35-kDa substrate from porcine lung and have demonstrated that it is a Ca2+-binding protein. The amino-terminal sequence and the site of tyrosine phosphorylation therein have been determined. The positions of the acidic amino acid residues amino-terminal to the tyrosine phosphorylation site bear a distinct resemblance to the sequence in the homologous region of a number of other substrates for tyrosine kinases. Based on available data, the 35-kDa protein clearly differs from the protein I complex derived from intestinal mucosa and thought to be related to the proteins isolated herein (Gerke, V., and Weber, K. (1985) J. Biol. Chem. 260, 1688-1695). Finally, we report a striking sequence homology between the porcine 35-kDa described herein and human lipocortin, a phospholipase A2 inhibitor.     

Action of calpain on the basic estrogen receptor molecule of porcine uterus

Basic estrogen receptor (ER) molecule (vero-ER) of the cytosol of porcine uterus was purified 1,200-fold after successive chromatographies on phenyl-Sepharose, hydroxylapatite, and DEAE-cellulose, followed by Sephadex G-150 gel filtration. The purified vero-ER was completely free from endogenous protease and ER-binding factor. The action of Ca2+-dependent cysteine proteinase (calpain) on vero-ER was studied by utilizing the purified receptor and calpains from porcine uterus (endogenous calpain), porcine kidney, and human erythrocytes. Proteolysis of vero-ER was followed by monitoring the disappearance of the binding capability of vero-ER with "8S" ER-forming factor. Vero-ER was proteolyzed by both the endogenous and the exogenous calpains in the presence of Ca2+. The calpains did not attack vero-ER in the absence of Ca2+. The results indicated the absolute requirement by calpain for Ca2+ for the limited hydrolysis of vero-ER. Uterine cytosol was shown to contain, in parallel with calpain, a protease which does not require Ca2+ for the limited proteolysis of vero-ER. The strongly hydrophobic domain of vero-ER, recently shown to be indispensable for the nuclear translocation of vero-ER (Murayama, A. & Fukai, F. (1983) FEBS Lett. 158, 255), was preferentially destroyed by both the Ca2+-requiring and -nonrequiring enzymes. It was assumed that calpain might intervene in the estrogen action by diminishing irreversibly the amount of the cytoplasmic ER capable of translocating into the nucleus.