| Abstract: | The calmodulin content of renal brush-border membrane vesicles, prepared by Mg2+-precipitation in EGTA-containing solutions, amounts to 1.8 micrograms per mg protein. The amount and the distribution of this EGTA-insensitive calmodulin was determined in membrane and cytoskeletal fractions prepared from the brush-border membrane vesicles by extraction with Triton X-100. The Triton X-100 insoluble pellet contains 21.2% of the protein and 52.2% of the EGTA-insensitive calmodulin, which amounts in this fraction to 4.4 micrograms per mg protein. Treatment of the Triton X-100 insoluble pellet, consisting of the microvillar core residue, with ATP and Mg2+ results in the solubilization of a relatively small number of proteins among which are actin, myosin, calmodulin and several calmodulin-binding proteins. The solubilization is partially reversible and a fraction of the proteins can be precipitated by centrifugation after the enzymatic hydrolysis of ATP. Readdition of ATP to the pellet results in the resolubilization of myosin, part of the actin, an 115-kDa calmodulin-binding protein and calmodulin. The calmodulin content of the final extract was 61.8 micrograms per mg protein. We have found roughly the same distribution pattern of calmodulin and ATP-solubilized, calmodulin-binding proteins in renal and intestinal brush-border preparations. The calmodulin content, however, as well as the relative amount of the calmodulin-binding proteins versus actin are about 4 to 5-times higher in intestinal than in renal microvillar core residues. |
