Isolation of calcium-transporting lipid from the mitochondrial glycolipoprotein

Summary From the mitochondrial Ca²⁺-transporting glycolipoprotein (GLP) the lipid was isolated which induced Ca²⁺-translocation through bilayer lipid membranes. Electroconductivity of modified phospholipid membranes in the presence of CaCl₂ is increased 150-200 times. At 10-fold CaCl₂ gradient a generation of membrane potential is observed close to its theoretical value. It is shown that the lipid forms separate conductivity channels of 10 and 20 pS in the bilayer. The mode of action of GLP in the membrane is proposed It is assumed that the carbohydrate part of GLP is a selective receptor-accumulator for Ca²⁻, whereas the function of the lipid component consists in forming channels in the bilayer.     

Interaction between Ca2+ and dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine membranes. I. Transition anomalies of ultrasonic properties

The effect of Ca2+ on a gel-to-liquid crystal transition as well as the mechanical properties of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine bilayers was studied by an ultrasonic technique. Transition temperature increased with increase in Ca2+ concentration, whereas the variation of ultrasonic anomalies indicated that dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine bilayers exhibited maximum pseudocritical fluctuation at a Ca2+ concentration of about 10 mM. Hardening of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine membranes due to the Ca2+ binding was observed above 10 mM CaCl2, suggesting the lateral compression of the lipid bilayer by bound Ca2+. Long-range attraction between bound Ca2+ and the head groups of surrounding lipid molecules was proposed from these calcium effects.     

Binding of Ca2+ to glycoprotein from bovine heart mitochondria

It is shown that glycoprotein from bovine heart mitochondria which forms Ca2+-selective conductance channels in a bilayer lipid membrane possesses Ca2+-binding activity. Ca2+-binding sites of two kinds were revealed in the glycoprotein molecule: high affinity sites with Kd = 2.8 X 10(-6) M and low affinity sites with Kd 1.1 X 10(-5) M. Ca2+-binding by the high affinity sites occurs co-operatively. The Hill coefficient is about 2.     

Ca2+ channels from the sea urchin sperm plasma membrane

Ca2+ influx across the sea urchin sperm plasma membrane is a necessary step during the egg jelly-induced acrosome reaction. There is pharmacological evidence for the involvement of Ca2+ channels in this influx, but their presence has not been directly demonstrated because of the small size of this cell. Sea urchin sperm Ca2+ channels are being studied by fusing isolated plasma membranes into planar lipid bilayers. With this strategy, a Ca2+ channel has been detected with the following characteristics: (a) the channel exhibits a high mainstate conductance (gamma MS) of 172 pS in 50 mM CaCl2 solutions with voltage-dependent decaying to smaller conductance states at negative Em; (b) the channel is blocked by millimolar concentrations of Cd2+, Co2+, and La3+, which also inhibit the egg jelly-induced acrosome reaction; (c) the gamma MS conductance sequence for the tested divalent cations is the following: Ba2+ greater than Sr2+ greater than Ca2+; and (d) the channel discriminates poorly for divalent over monovalent cations (PCa/PNa = 5.9). The sperm Ca2+ channel gamma MS rectifies in symmetrical 10 mM CaCl2, having a maximal slope conductance value of 94 pS at +100 mV applied to the cis side of the bilayer. Under these conditions, a different single-channel activity of lesser conductance became apparent above the gamma MS current at positive membrane potentials. Also in 10 mM Ca2+ solutions, Mg2+ permeates through the main channel when added to the cis side with a PCa/PMg = 2.9, while it blocks when added to the trans side. In 50 mM Ca2+ solutions, the gamma MS open probability has values of 1.0 at voltages more positive than -40 mV and decreases at more negatives potentials, following a Boltzmann function with an E0.5 = -72 mV and an apparent gating charge value of 3.9. These results describe a novel Ca2(+)-selective channel, and suggest that the main channel works as a single multipore assembly.     

Increased rates of lipid exchange between Mycoplasma capricolum membranes and vesicles in relation to the propensity of forming nonbilayer lipid structures

We have studied the effects of modification of the endogenous phosphatidylglycerol (PG) and diphosphatidylglycerol (DPG) content of the plasma membrane of Mycoplasma capricolum on the kinetics of spontaneous [14C]cholesterol and 14C-labeled phospholipid exchange between M. capricolum membranes and lipid vesicles. The PG/DPG molar ratio of M. capricolum membranes changed when cells were grown in media supplemented with 0.5 mM CaCl2 and/or egg phosphatidylcholine (PC) (10-20 micrograms/ml), increasing from 3.9 to 6.3 on supplementation with Ca2+; this ratio decreased to 1.1 in media supplemented with PC and to 1.8 in media containing both PC and Ca2+. The ratio of palmitate to oleate in both PG and DPG decreased when cells were grown with PC or with PC and Ca2+. Bilayer disruptions were seen in freeze-fracture electron micrographs of trypsin-treated M. capricolum membranes from cells grown with both Ca2+ and PC, and numerous lipidic particles and other bilayer disruptions were observed in trypsin-treated M. capricolum membranes and their lipid extracts. The rates of spontaneous exchange of 14C-labeled cholesterol and PC from membranes isolated from cells grown with PC and Ca2+ to acceptor lipid vesicles were exchanged by approximately 30%, and the rate of the rapidly exchangeable cholesterol pool in intact cells was enhanced by 64%. The enhancements in cholesterol and PC exchange rates are considered to result from structural defects expected in the M. capricolum membranes obtained from cells grown with Ca2+ supplementation. Our findings parallel previous examples of functional modifications of membranes induced by bilayer instability arising from a pretransitional state leading to the onset of a nonlamellar phase.     

Polymyxin B and Ca(2+) induce conductance fluctuations in the dipalmitoyl phosphatidic acid bilayer lipid membrane

Polymyxin B in micromolar concentrations induces current fluctuations in liquid crystalline bilayer lipid membranes from dipalmitoylphosphatidic acid identified as ion channels. The appearance of ion channels correlates with phase separation of the lipid in the presence of peptide polycations detected by differential scanning calorimetry. Ca2+ also induces the formation of ion channels in liquid crystalline bilayer lipid membranes from dipalmitoylphosphatidic acid followed by the phase transition of the phospholipid. The capacitive current, which indicates the possibility of structural transformations of bilayer-non-bilayer type (hexagonal phase II), precedes the formation of Ca(2+)-induced channels in bilayer lipid membranes from dipalmitoylphosphatidic acid.     

Purification of the mitochondrial calcium uniporter from the beef heart and characterization of its properties

A low-molecular-weight component (LMC) inducing selective transport of calcium across the bilayer lipid membrane has been isolated from mitochondria of the bovine heart by the method developed in our laboratory, which excludes the use of detergents and proteolytic enzymes. It was shown that, in the presence of 10 mM CaCl2, LMC forms conduction channels in the membrane multiples of 5 pS. The specific inhibitor of mitochondrial calcium uniporter, ruthenium red, closes Ca2(+)-induced channels formed in the membrane by LMC. In the absence of calcium or in the presence of potassium ions only, the component is incapable of forming channels of conduction. It was shown using nuclear magnetic resonance that LMC is a complex consisting of lipids, amino acids, and sugars with a molecular weight of 1-2 kDa.     

125I-UdR Induced Division Delay

The interaction of Ca++ with acidic phospholipids in black lipid films and lipid bilayers formed from two monolayers was studied by measuring their physical stability and conductance. It was found that the addition of CaCl2 to only one side of lipid bilayers formed from phosphatidylserine or cardiolipin does not appreciably change these parameters. In contrast, black films are unstable to the asymmetric addition of CaCl2. Therefore, the destabilizing effect of Ca++ cannot be attributed to a surface charge difference. The only variation in composition between both bilayer membranes, namely the solvent content of the bilayer, seems to be responsible for the distinctive effect of Ca++. A tentative explanation is presented.     

Phospholipase A2 action on planar lipid bilayers generates a small, transitory current that is voltage independent.

Addition of either bee venom or Trimeresurus flavoviridis phospholipase A2 (PLA2) to the solution bathing the front side of a voltage-clamped, planar lipid bilayer consistently produced a transitory current lasting approximately 100 s. This current is consistent with anions moving through the membrane to the rear side. The peak current is independent of holding potential. PLA2 activity on phospholipid membranes not only produced a current but also led to membrane rupture within 300 s. The current depends on Ca2+ and lipid type. Addition of PLA2 in the absence of Ca2+ or to membranes made of nonsubstrate lipids (e.g., glycerol monooleate or lysophosphatidylcholine) produced no current and did not break the bilayer. Peak current height, signal decay time, and time to membrane rupture all depended on PLA2 dose, whereas total charge produced was constant. This current does not flow through ion channels because there are no channels present and the current is not voltage dependent. The evidence is consistent with the hypothesis that the current is generated by the movement of ionized fatty acid produced by PLA2 action. These results demonstrate a simple method to measure enzyme activity in the presence of different substrates and varied environmental conditions.     

A comparison of brush-border membranes prepared from rabbit small intestine by procedures involving Ca2+ and Mg2+ precipitation

Brush-border membranes were isolated from rabbit small intestine by procedures involving precipitation of undesired membranes with either 10 mM MgCl2 or 10 mM CaCl2. The membranes were compared on the basis of marker enzyme content and lipid composition. Ca2+-prepared membranes displayed a greater enrichment of alkaline phosphatase and sucrase activity compared to homogenate than did the Mg2+-prepared membranes. The former also displayed an impoverishment of (Na+ + K+)-ATPase activity, the specific activity of which increased several-fold in Mg2+-prepared membranes. Membranes prepared with Ca2+ were characterized by a lower phosphoacylglycerol-protein ratio and a higher phosphatidylethanolamine-phosphatidylcholine ratio. Although lysophosphoacylglycerols accounted for about 6% of the total phospholipids in these membranes compared to 2% in Mg2+-prepared membranes, the free fatty acid content was similar in both types of membranes. It was concluded that Ca2+ prepared membranes were less contaminated by basolateral membranes than were Mg2+-prepared membranes and the use of Ca2+ did not notably enhance degradation of endogenous lipids by brush-border membrane phospholipase A.     

Gadolinium-sensitive, voltage-dependent calcium release channels in the endoplasmic reticulum of a higher plant mechanoreceptor organ.

The lipid bilayer technique was adapted to the functional reconstitution of ion channels from the endoplasmic reticulum of a higher plant. This was obtained at high purity from touch-sensitive tendrils of Bryonia dioica. In this preparation, a calcium-selective strongly rectifying channel is prevailing whose single-channel properties have been characterized. The single-channel conductance is 29 pS in 50 mM CaCl2. The Ca2+: K+ selectivity was determined to be approximately 6.6. The channel is voltage-gated and, more importantly, the gating voltage is strongly shifted towards more negative voltages when a transmembrane Ca2+ gradient is applied. Thus, at physiological voltages across the endoplasmic reticulum membrane, the channel's open probability will be governed largely by the chemical potential gradient of Ca2+, generated by the Ca(2+)-ATPase in that same membrane. The calcium release channel described here is effectively blocked by Gd3+ which also completely suppresses a tendril's reaction to touch, suggesting that this channel could be a key element of calcium signaling in higher plant mechanotransduction. Its molecular characteristics and inhibitor data show it to be the first known member of a hitherto unrecognized class of calcium channels.     

Cardiac calcium channels in planar lipid bilayers. L-type channels and calcium-permeable channels open at negative membrane potentials

Planar lipid bilayer recordings were used to study Ca channels from bovine cardiac sarcolemmal membranes. Ca channel activity was recorded in the absence of nucleotides or soluble enzymes, over a range of membrane potentials and ionic conditions that cannot be achieved in intact cells. The dihydropyridine-sensitive L-type Ca channel, studied in the presence of Bay K 8644, was identified by a detailed comparison of its properties in artificial membranes and in intact cells. L-type Ca channels in bilayers showed voltage dependence of channel activation and inactivation, open and closed times, and single-channel conductances in Ba2+ and Ca2+ very similar to those found in cell-attached patch recordings. Open channels were blocked by micromolar concentrations of external Cd2+. In this cell-free system, channel activity tended to decrease during the course of an experiment, reminiscent of Ca2+ channel "rundown" in whole-cell and excised-patch recordings. A purely voltage-dependent component of inactivation was observed in the absence of Ca2+ stores or changes in intracellular Ca2+. Millimolar internal Ca2+ reduced unitary Ba2+ influx but did not greatly increase the rate or extent of inactivation or the rate of channel rundown. In symmetrical Ba2+ solutions, unitary conductance saturated as the Ba2+ concentration was increased up to 500 mM. The bilayer recordings also revealed activity of a novel Ca2+-permeable channel, termed "B-type" because it may contribute a steady background current at negative membrane potentials, which is distinct from L-type or T-type Ca channels previously reported. Unlike L-type channels, B-type channels have a small unitary Ba2+ conductance (7 pS), but do not discriminate between Ba2+ and Ca2+, show no obvious sensitivity to Bay K 8644, and do not run down. Unlike either L- or T-type channels, B-type channels did not require a depolarization for activation and displayed mean open times of greater than 100 ms.     

Vitamin B1 thiazole derivative reduces transmembrane current through ionic channels formed by toxins from black widow spider venom and sea anemone in planar phospholipid membranes

The vitamin B1 (thiamine) structural analogue 3-decyloxycarbonylmethyl-4-methyl-5-(beta-hydroxyethyl) thiazole chloride (DMHT) (0.1 mM) reversibly reduced transmembrane currents in CaCl2 and KCl solutions via ionic channels produced by latrotoxins (alpha-latrotoxin (alpha-LT) and alpha-latroinsectotoxin (alpha-LIT)) from black widow spider venom and sea anemone toxin (RTX) in the bilayer lipid membranes (BLMs). Introduction of DMHT from the cis-side of BLM bathed in 10 mM CaCl2 inhibited transmembrane current by 31.6+/-3% and by 61.8+/-3% from the trans-side of BLM for alpha-LT channels. Application of DMHT in the solution of 10 mM CaCl2 to the cis-side of BLM decreased the current through the alpha-LIT and RTX channels by 52+/-4% and 50+/-5%, respectively. Addition of Cd2+ (1 mM) to the cis- or trans-side of the membrane after the DMHT-induced depression of Ca2+-current across the alpha-LT channels caused its further decrease by 85+/-5% that coincides favorably with the intensity of Cd2+ blocking in control experiments without DMHT. These data suggest that DMHT inhibiting is not specific for latrotoxin channels only and DMHT may exert its action on alpha-LT channels without considerable influence on the ionogenic groups of Ca2+-selective site inside the channel cavity. The binding kinetics of DMHT with the alpha-LT channel shows no cooperativity and allows to expect that the DMHT binding site of the toxin is formed by one ionogenic group as the slopes of inhibition rate determined in log-log coordinates are 1.25 on the trans-side and 0.68 on the cis-side. Similar pK of binding (5.4 on the trans-side and 5.7 on the cis-side) also suggest that DMHT may interact with the same high affinity site of alpha-LT channel on either side of the BLM. The comparative analysis of effective radii measured for alpha-LT, alpha-LIT and RTX channels on the cis-side (0.9 nm, 0.53 nm and 0.55 nm, correspondingly) and for alpha-LT channel on the trans-side (0.28+/-0.18 nm) with the intensity of DMHT inhibitory action obtained on these channels allowed to conclude that the potency of DMHT inhibition increased on toxin pores of smaller lumen.     

Calcium specificity of the antigen-induced channels in rat basophilic leukemia cells

Ion channels, activated upon IgE-Fc epsilon receptor aggregation by specific antigen, were studied in micropipet-supported lipid bilayers. These bilayers were reconstituted with purified IgE-Fc epsilon receptor complex and the intact 110-kDa channel-forming protein, both isolated from plasma membranes of rat basophilic leukemia cells (line RBL-2H3). In order to identify the current carrier through these ion channels and to determine their ion selectivity, we investigated the currents flowing through the IgE-Fc epsilon receptor gated channels in the presence of a gradient of Ca2+ ions. Thus, the solution in which the micropipet-supported bilayer was immersed contained 1.8 mM CaCl2, while the interior of the micropipet contained 0.1 microM Ca2+ (buffered with EGTA). Both solutions also contained 150 mM of a monovalent cation chloride salt (either K+ or Na+). The currents induced upon specific aggregation of the IgE (by either antigen or anti-IgE antibodies) were examined over a range of potentials imposed on the bilayer. The type of conductance event most frequently observed under the employed experimental conditions was a channel that has a slope conductance of 3 pS and a reversal potential practically identical with the calculated value for the reversal potential of calcium (134 +/- 11 mV in the presence of sodium, 125 +/- 13 mV in the presence of potassium). These results indicate that this channel is highly selective for calcium against the monovalent cations sodium and potassium. This same channel has a conductance of 4-5 pS in the presence of symmetrical solutions containing only 100 mM CaCl2 and 8 pS in the presence of 0.5 M NaCl with no calcium.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Low molecular channel-former protein from the mitochondrial membrane

Individual low molecular weight protein component was isolated by gel-filtration method from the inner mitochondrial membrane. This membrane component increases the conductivity of bilayer lipid membranes (BLM) in the presence of K+ and Ca2+-ions. This phenomenon may be explained by the formation of single conductivity channels. The voltage - current characteristics of this channel is nonlinear, which may be the result of asymmetrical operation of the channel - former in the polarized membrane, in spite of equal concentration of protein on both sides of the membrane.     

The mechanism of detergent solubilization of liposomes and protein-containing membranes.

The present study explores intermediate stages in detergent solubilization of liposomes and Ca2+-ATPase membranes by sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and medium-sized ( approximately C12) nonionic detergents. In all cases detergent partitioning in the membranes precedes cooperative binding and solubilization, which is facilitated by exposure to detergent micelles. Nonionic detergents predominantly interact with the lipid component of Ca2+-ATPase membranes below the CMC (critical micellar concentration), whereas SDS extracts Ca2+-ATPase before solubilization of lipid. At the transition to cooperative binding, n-dodecyl octaethylene glycol monoether (C12E8), Triton X-100, and dodecyldimethylamine oxide induce fusion of small unilamellar liposomes to larger vesicles before solubilization. Solubilization of Ca2+-ATPase membranes is accompanied by membrane fragmentation and aggregation rather than vesicle fusion. Detergents with strongly hydrophilic heads (SDS and beta-D-dodecylmaltoside) only very slowly solubilize liposomal membranes and do not cause liposome fusion. These properties are correlated with a slow bilayer flip-flop. Our data suggest that detergent solubilization proceeds by a combination of 1) a transbilayer attack, following flip-flop of detergent molecules across the lipid bilayer, and 2) extraction of membrane components directly by detergent micelles. The present study should help in the design of efficient solubilization protocols, accomplishing the often delicate balance between preserving functional properties of detergent sensitive membrane proteins and minimizing secondary aggregation and lipid content.     

Energy profile of a channel formed by alpha-latrotoxin in a bilayer phospholipid membrane

Current-voltage characteristics are obtained for a channel formed by alpha-latrotoxin when inserting into a bilayer lipid membrane separating solutions of different ionic composition. They are used for determining parameters of a two-barrier model of this channel energy profile. It is shown that selectivity of these channels is based on the same principles that in the calcium channels of biological membranes and is mainly determined by the ion binding inside the channel. Affinity of the channel for the penetrating ions of alkali-earth metals decreases in the sequence: Mg2+ greater than Ca2+ greater than Sr2+ approximately equal to Ba2+ and the blocking ability of the cations of transition metals increases in the series: Mn2+ less than Zn2+ approximately less than Ni2+ approximately less than Co2+ less than Cd2+ much less than La3+. The channel gives the monovalent ions to pass through as well, its permeability being dependent on the concentration of divalent ions from the cis-, but not from the trans-side of the membrane.     

Ca2+ channels from brain microsomal membranes reconstituted in patch-clamped bilayers

Single Ca2+ channels from brain microsomal membranes were reconstituted in bilayers made at the tips of patch-clamp micropipettes. The single-channel conductance was defined to be 107 pS in 50 mM Ca2+. The channel activity was stimulated by nucleotides and inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (Ins-P3), and was inhibited by ruthenium red. Na+ added asymmetrically to the membrane bilayer induced an increase in the Ca2+-channel activity. The described characteristics of these Ca2+ channels suggest that they may be responsible for the Ca2+ transport across the membranes of the endoplasmic reticulum system triggering and modulating various neurosecretory and excitatory processes in nerve cells.     

Lipid-mediated inactivation of colicin E1 channels by calcium ions

Based on the model of a toroidal protein-lipid pore, the effect of calcium ions on colicin E1 channel was predicted. In electrophysiological experiments Ca2+ suppressed the activity of colicin E1 channels in membranes formed of diphytanoylphosphatidylglycerol, whereas no desorption of the protein occurred from the membrane surface. The effect of Ca2+ was not observed on membranes formed of diphytanoylphosphatidylcholine. Single-channel measurements revealed that Ca2+-induced reduction of the colicin-induced current across the negatively charged membrane was due to a decrease in the number of open colicin channels and not changes in their properties. In line with the toroidal model, the effect of Ca2+ on the colicin E1 channel-forming activity is explained by alteration of the membrane lipid curvature caused by electrostatic interaction of Ca2+ with negatively charged lipid head groups.     

Alamethicin channels incorporated into frog node of ranvier: calcium-induced inactivation and membrane surface charges

Alamethicin, a peptide antibiotic, partitions into artificial lipid bilayer membranes and into frog myelinated nerve membranes, inducing a voltage-dependent conductance. Discrete changes in conductance representing single-channel events with multiple open states can be detected in either frog node or lipid bilayer membranes. In 120 mM salt solution, the average conductance of a single channel is approximately 600 pS. The channel lifetimes are roughly two times longer in the node membrane than in a phosphatidylethanolamine bilayer at the same membrane potential. With 2 or 20 mM external Ca and internal CsCl, the alamethicin-induced conductance of frog nodal membrane inactivates. Inactivation is abolished by internal EGTA, suggesting that internal accumulation of calcium ions is responsible for the inactivation, through binding of Ca to negative internal surface charges. As a probe for both external and internal surface charges, alamethicin indicates a surface potential difference of approximately -20 to -30 mV, with the inner surface more negative. This surface charge asymmetry is opposite to the surface potential distribution near sodium channels.