Regulation of Na+/H+ exchanger-NHE3 by angiotensin-II in OKP cells.

Previous studies have shown that circulating Angiotensin II (A-II) increases renal Na+ reabsorption via elevated Na+/H+ exchanger isoform 3 (NHE3) activity. We hypothesized that prolonged exposure to A-II leads to an increased expression of renal NHE3 by a transcriptionally mediated mechanism. To test this hypothesis, we utilized the proximal tubule-like OKP cell line to evaluate the effects of 16-h treatment with A-II on NHE3 activity and gene expression. A-II significantly stimulated NHE3-mediated, S-3226-sensitive Na+/H+ exchange. Inhibition of transcription with actinomycin D abolished the stimulatory effect of A-II on NHE3-mediated pH recovery in acid-loaded OKP cells. This prolonged exposure to A-II was also found to elevate endogenous NHE3 mRNA (by 40%)-an effect also abolished by inhibition of gene transcription. To evaluate the molecular mechanism by which A-II regulates NHE3 expression, the activity of NHE3 promoter driven reporter gene was analyzed in transient transfection assays. In transfected OKP cells, rat NHE3 promoter activity was significantly stimulated by A-II treatment, and preliminary mapping indicated that the A-II responsive element(s) is present between 149 and 548 bp upstream of the transcription initiation site in the NHE3 gene promoter. We conclude that a transcriptional mechanism is at least partially responsible for the chronic effects of A-II treatment on renal NHE3 activity.

Mitochondrial-mediated disregulation of Ca2+ is a critical determinant of Velcade (PS-341/bortezomib) cytotoxicity in myeloma cell lines.

The proteasome inhibitor bortezomib (also known as PS-341/Velcade) is a dipeptidyl boronic acid that has recently been approved for use in patients with multiple myeloma. Bortezomib inhibits the activity of the 26S proteasome and induces cell death in a variety of tumor cells; however, the mechanism of cytotoxicity is not well understood. In this report, oligonucleotide microarray analysis of the 8226 multiple myeloma cell line showed a predominant induction of gene products associated with the endoplasmic reticulum secretory pathway following short-term, high-dose exposure to bortezomib. Examination of mediators of endoplasmic reticulum stress-induced cell death showed specific activation of caspase 12, as well as of caspases 8, 9, 7, and 3, and cleavage of bid. Treatment of myeloma cells with bortezomib also showed disregulation of intracellular Ca2+ as a mechanism of caspase activation. Cotreatment with a panel of Ca2+-modulating agents identified the mitochondrial uniporter as a critical regulatory factor in bortezomib cytotoxicity. The uniporter inhibitors ruthenium red and Ru360 prevented caspase activation and bid cleavage, and almost entirely inhibited bortezomib-induced cell death, but had no effect on any other chemotherapeutic drug examined. Additional Ca2+-modulating agents, including 2-amino-ethoxydiphenylborate, 1,2-bis (o-aminophenoxy) ethane-tretraacetic acid (acetoxymethyl) ester, and dantrolene, did not alter bortezomib cytotoxicity. Analysis of intracellular Ca2+ showed that the ruthenium-containing compounds inhibited Ca2+ store loading and abrogated the desensitized capacitative calcium influx associated with bortezomib treatment. These data support the hypothesis that intracellular Ca2+ disregulation is a critical determinant of bortezomib cytotoxicity.

Clearance of store-released Ca2+ by the Na+-Ca2+ exchanger is diminished in aortic smooth muscle from Na+-K+-ATPase alpha 2-isoform gene-ablated mice.

Two alpha-isoforms of the Na+-K+-ATPase are expressed in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). The alpha 1-isoform is proposed to serve a cytosolic housekeeping role, whereas the alpha 2-isoform modulates Ca2+ storage via coupling to the Na+-Ca2+ exchanger (NCX) in a subsarcolemmal compartment. To evaluate the ramifications of this proposed interaction, Ca2+-store load and the contributions of the primary Ca2+ transporters to Ca2+ clearance were studied in aortic VSMCs from embryonic wild-type (WT) and Na+-K+-ATPase alpha 2-isoform gene-ablated, homozygous null knockout (alpha 2-KO) mice. Ca2+ stores were unloaded by inhibiting the sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase with cyclopiazonic acid (CPA) in Ca2+-free media to limit Ca2+ influx. Ca2+ clearance by the plasma membrane Ca2+-ATPase (PMCA), NCX, or mitochondria was selectively inhibited. In WT VSMCs, NCX accounted for 90% of the Ca2+ efflux. In alpha 2-KO VSMCs, preferential clearance of store-released Ca2+ by NCX was lost, whereas PMCA activity was increased. Selective inhibition of the alpha 2-isoform (0.5 microM ouabain for 20 min), before treatment with CPA enhanced the store load in VSMCs from WT, but not alpha 2-KO mice. A subsequent analysis of capacitative Ca2+ entry (CCE) indicated that the magnitude of Ca2+ influx was significantly greater in alpha 2-KO cells. Our findings support the concept of a subsarcolemmal space where the alpha 2-isoform coupled with NCX modulates Ca2+-store function and, thereby, CCE.

Myosin phosphatase and myosin phosphorylation in differentiating C2C12 cells.

C2C12 cells offer a useful model to study the differentiation of non-muscle cells to skeletal muscle cells. Myosin phosphorylation and changes in related enzymes, with an emphasis on myosin phosphatase (MP) were analyzed over the first 6 days of C2C12 differentiation. There was a transition from myosin phosphatase target subunit 1 (MYPT1), predominant in the non-muscle cells to increased expression of MYPT2. Levels of MYPT1/2 were estimated, and both isoforms were higher in non- or partially differentiated cells compared to the concentrations in the differentiated isolated myotubes from day 6. A similar profile of expression was estimated for the type 1 protein phosphatase catalytic subunit, delta isoform (PP1c delta). Phosphatase activities, using phosphorylated smooth and skeletal muscle myosins, were estimated for total cell lysates and isolated myotubes. In general, smooth muscle myosin was the preferred substrate. Although the expression of MYPT1/2 and PP1c delta was considerably reduced in isolated myotubes the phosphatase activities were not reduced to corresponding levels. Most of the MP activity was due to PP1c, as indicated by okadaic acid. In spite of relatively high expression of MYPT1/2 and PP1c delta, marked phosphorylation of non-muscle myosin (over 50% of total myosin) was observed at day 2 (onset of expression of muscle-specific proteins) and both mono- and diphosphorylated light chains were observed. Partial inhibition of MLCK by 1-(5-chloronaphthalene-1-sulphonyl)-1H-hexahydro-1,4-diazepine HCl (ML-9) or by a construct designed from the autoinhibitory domain of MLCK, resulted in an increase in small myotubes (3-5 nuclei) after 3 days of differentiation and a decrease in larger myotubes (compared to control). The effect of ML-9 was not due to a reduction in intracellular Ca2+ levels. These results suggest that phosphorylation of non-muscle myosin is important in growth of myotubes, either in the fusion process to form larger myotubes or indirectly, by its role in sarcomere organization.

Regulation of secretory granule pH in insulin-secreting cells.

Luminal acidification is important for the maturation of secretory granules, yet little is known regarding the regulation of pH within them. A pH-sensitive green fluorescent protein (EGFP) was targeted to secretory granules in RIN1046-38 insulinoma cells by using a construct in which the EGFP gene was preceded by the nucleotide sequence for human growth hormone. Stimulatory levels of glucose doubled EGFP secretion from cell cultures, and potentiators of glucose-induced insulin secretion enhanced EGFP release. Thus this targeted EGFP is useful for population measurements of secretion. However, less than ~4% of total cell EGFP was released after 1.5 h of stimulation. Consequently, when analyzed in single cells, fluorescence of the targeted EGFP acts as an indicator of pH within secretory granules. Glucose elicited a decrease in granule pH, whereas inhibitors of the V-type H(+)-ATPase increased pH and blocked the glucose effect. Granule pH also was modified by effectors of the protein kinase A pathway, with activation eliciting granule alkalinization, suggesting that potentiation of peptide release by cAMP may involve regulated changes in secretory granule pH.