Characterization of the intrinsic cAMP-dependent protein kinase activity and endogenous substrates in highly purified cardiac sarcolemmal vesicles.

The intrinsic cAMP-dependent protein kinase activity of highly purified cardiac sarcolemmal vesicles was characterized. The sarcolemmal protein kinase was specifically activated by cAMP. Binding of cAMP to the kinase was saturable and occurred exclusively to a protein of Mr = 55,000 intrinsic to the vesicles. This binding of cAMP to the sarcolemmal vesicles caused a selective release of catalytic activity from the membranes, which was capable of phosphorylating several endogenous sarcolemmal substrates as well as one additional substrate, which was also identified in purified vesicles of cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum. Unmasking experiments conducted with the ionophore alamethicin demonstrated that the protein kinase activity and its endogenous sarcolemmal substrates were localized on the inner, cytoplasmic surfaces of the vesicles, and, furthermore, suggested that at least 75% of the vesicles were right side out. The major protein substrates phosphorylated in the sarcolemmal fraction exhibited apparent molecular weights of 21,000 and 8,000, as analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Heating the membranes in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate prior to electrophoresis completely converted the 21,000-dalton substrate into the form of higher mobility, suggesting that the two substrates were, in fact, identical proteins. This was supported by the observation that both substrates exhibited identical pI values of approximately 6.7. Although present in the sarcolemmal fraction, these two substrates were not localized exclusively to sarcolemmal membranes. The same two substrates were present in 3-fold higher content in purified cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles. Moreover, although phosphorylation of all other sarcolemmal proteins in right side out vesicles by exogenously added protein kinase was increased 4-fold or greater by alamethicin, phosphorylation of the substrates of Mr = 21,000 and 8,000 was not altered appreciably by the ionophore. The results suggest that these two major substrates identified in the sarcolemmal preparations are not intrinsic sarcolemmal proteins.

Cardiac calmodulin-stimulated protein phosphatase: purification and identification of specific sarcolemmal substrates.

A calmodulin-stimulated protein phosphatase has been purified from bovine myocardium. The purification procedure involves sequential DEAE-Sephacel ion exchange chromatography, calmodulin-Sepharose affinity chromatography, and high performance liquid chromatography using a Spherogel TSK DEAE 5PW column. By SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, the purified cardiac phosphatase consists of two subunits of Mr 61,000 and 19,000, similar to the brain enzyme, calcineurin. Protein phosphatase activity of the cardiac enzyme is stimulated by Ca2+-calmodulin and inhibited by the calmodulin antagonist drug, calmidazolium. Effects of a series of divalent cations on catalytic activity of the cardiac calmodulin-stimulated protein phosphatase are similar to those observed with calcineurin, when the two enzymes are assayed under identical conditions. Highly enriched preparations of bovine cardiac sarcolemma contain substrates of cAMP-dependent protein kinase of Mr 166 K, 133 K, 108 K, 79 K, 39 K, and 14 K, which are specifically dephosphorylated by the calmodulin-stimulated phosphatase with pseudofirst-order rate constants of 0.23, 0.46, 0.69, 0.35, 0.69, and 0.115 min-1, respectively. These substrates are not present in purified preparations of cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum. These results support a role of the calmodulin-stimulated phosphatase in the Ca2+-regulation of specific sarcolemmal processes by protein dephosphorylation.

Affinity selection of chemically modified proteins: role of lysyl residues in the binding of calmodulin to calcineurin.

In affinity selection, calcineurin selects from a population of randomly modified calmodulins those species with which it prefers to interact. The method shows that acetylation of lysines affects calmodulin so as to interfere with its ability to interact with calcineurin. Monoacetylation of any lysine of calmodulin reduces its affinity for calcineurin by 5-10-fold. Multiple acetylations amplify the loss of affinity; none of the modifications are imcompatible with activity. The lack of selectivity of calcineurin against any particular modified lysine indicates that the loss of affinity reflects changes induced by the removal of the charged groups and suggests an important role for electrostatic interactions in the cooperative structural transitions which calmodulin undergoes upon binding its target proteins or calcium. In the presence of calcineurin, a large and specific decrease in the rate of acetylation of Lys-75 and -148 of calmodulin is observed. The reactivity of the same residues is greatly increased in the presence of calcium alone [Giedroc, D. P., Sinha, S. K., Brew, K., & Puett, D. (1985) J. Biol. Chem. 260, 13406-13413]. Lys-75, located in the central helix, and the C-terminal Lys-148 [Babu, Y. S., Sacks, J. S., Greenhouse, T. J., Bugg, C. E., Means, A. R., & Cook, W. J. (1985) Nature (London) 315, 37-40] may act as sensors of the calmodulin allosteric transitions. Their reactivity changes in opposite directions in response to calcium-induced or calcineurin-induced structural changes. The reactivity of other residues such as Lys-21, decreased in the presence of calcineurin but not calcium, is also affected by a conformational change which is induced specifically by calcineurin.

Purification and characterization of a novel Ca2+-binding protein (CBP-18) from bovine brain.

A novel Ca2+-binding protein (CBP-18) has been identified and purified from bovine brain. On sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, the purified protein consists of a single band of apparent Mr 18,000 in the presence of Ca2+ or 20,000 in the presence of EGTA. CBP-18 contains one high affinity Ca2+-binding site, measured at 10(-5) M Ca2+ in the presence of 1 mM Mg2+ and 0.1 M K+. The amino acid composition and UV absorption spectrum distinguish CBP-18 from other Ca2+-binding proteins identified in brain. The protein has an extinction coefficient epsilon 1% 279 nm = 4.9 and contains 1 tryptophan/mol, 5 tyrosines/mol, and no trimethyllysine. CBP-18 does not interact with or activate calmodulin-stimulated phosphodiesterase. However, available evidence suggests that CBP-18 binds to other component(s) present in the brain extract in a Ca2+-dependent manner.

Activation of calcineurin by limited proteolysis.

Calcineurin, a heterodimer of calcineurin B, a 19,000 Mr Ca2+-binding subunit, and calcineurin A, a 61,000 Mr calmodulin-binding subunit, was previously proposed to be a calmodulin- and Ca2+-regulated protein phosphatase. Like other calmodulin-stimulated enzymes, calcineurin can be activated and rendered calmodulin- and Ca2+-independent by limited proteolysis. By glycerol gradient centrifugation, the native enzyme has a s20,w of 4.5 S in EGTA and 5 S in the presence of Ca2+-calmodulin. Under the same conditions, the s20,w of the trypsin-activated enzyme (4.3 S) is not affected by Ca2+ and calmodulin. The trypsin-treated enzyme is a heterodimer of calcineurin B and a 45,000 Mr fragment of calcineurin A that has lost its ability to interact with calmodulin. Phosphatase activity sediments with calcineurin or its proteolytic fragments, providing further evidence that calcineurin is indeed a protein phosphatase. Calmodulin protects calcineurin against tryptic digestion; proteolysis occurs more slowly, yielding fragments with Mr 57,000, 55,000, and 54,000 that have preserved their ability to interact with calmodulin. After trypsin treatment in the presence of calmodulin, the protein phosphatase activity of calcineurin is still regulated by calmodulin. Prolonged trypsin treatment in the presence of calmodulin produces a 46,000 Mr fragment. Unlike the fragments generated in the absence of calmodulin, this 46,000 Mr fragment still interacts weakly with calmodulin. Thus, calcineurin, like other calmodulin-regulated enzymes, consists of a catalytic domain resistant to proteolysis and a calmodulin-binding regulatory domain susceptible to protease action in the absence of calmodulin but not in its presence. In the absence of calmodulin, the regulatory domain exerts an inhibitory effect on the catalytic domain; the inhibition is relieved upon calmodulin binding to or tryptic degradation of the regulatory domain.

Characterization of [3H](+/-)carazolol binding to beta-adrenergic receptors. Application to study of beta-adrenergic receptor subtypes in canine ventricular myocardium and lung.

[3H](+/-)Carazolol, a newly available beta-adrenergic receptor antagonist, can be used to characterize beta-adrenergic receptor subtypes present in membrane vesicles derived from canine ventricular myocardium and canine lung. [3H](+/-)Carazolol binding is saturable, of high affinity, and is displaceable by beta-adrenergic agents in accordance with their known pharmacological potencies. The interaction of carazolol with beta-adrenergic receptors is stereospecific; the (-) stereoisomer demonstrates greater potency than the (+) stereoisomer. Kinetic analysis of [3H](+/-)carazolol interaction with beta-adrenergic receptors suggests that presence of two phases of interaction, consistent with initial rapidly reversible "low" affinity association of ligand with receptor, followed by isomerization to form a high affinity, slowly reversible complex. Through use of a [3H](+/-)carazolol binding assay based on the high affinity complex, pharmacological specificities of beta-adrenergic receptor populations of canine myocardium and lung were quantified. Analysis using computer-assisted techniques suggests a beta 1/beta 2 receptor ratio of approximately 85%/15% for canine myocardium and 5%/95% for canine lung. In the absence of added guanine nucleotides, comparison of potencies of beta-adrenergic agonists in the two membrane systems suggests significant beta 2 selectivity of l-isoproterenol and l-epinephrine, and non-selectivity of norepinephrine. In the presence of saturating levels of guanine nucleotides, comparison of agonist potencies confirms the non-selectivity of l-isoproterenol and l-epinephrine, and beta 1 selectivity of norepinephrine. These results demonstrate that the state of guanine nucleotide regulation of receptors should be defined when examining agonist selectivities for beta-adrenergic receptor subtypes in vitro.

Purification and peptide mapping of calmodulin and its chemically modified derivatives by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography.

Methods were developed for the isolation and peptide mapping of calmodulin and its chemically modified derivatives by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Calmodulin and its guanidinated, iodinated, and performic acid-oxidized derivatives can be isolated on alkylphenyl columns by using gradients of acetonitrile in 10 mM potassium phosphate, pH 6.0, 2 mM EGTA. Peptide mapping by HPLC, following complete digestion of the proteins with clostripain, allows identification of the modified amino acids residues. Clostripain peptides are eluted in the order 87-90, 75-86, 91-106, 107-126, 127-148, 107-148, 1-37, and 38-74. Performic acid oxidation of methionines decreases the retention times of the modified peptides, whereas iodination of tyrosines or guanidination of lysines increases retention times of modified peptides. These HPLC methods are applicable to the identification of specific modifications of calmodulin, allowing the assessment of the role of individual amino acid residues in determining the unique physical, chemical, and spectroscopic properties of this ubiquitous intracellular calcium-binding protein.

Calcineurin: a member of a family of calmodulin-stimulated protein phosphatases.

Calcineurin, a major calmodulin-binding protein of brain, is a heterodimer composed of a 61,000 Mr calmodulin-binding subunit, calcineurin A, and a 19,000 Mr Ca2+-binding subunit, calcineurin B. The discovery of a calmodulin-regulated protein phosphatase in rabbit skeletal muscle with a similar subunit structure led to the identification of calcineurin as a protein phosphatase (AA Stewart, TS Ingebritsen, A Manalan, CB Klee, P Cohen (1982) FEBS Lett 137:80-84). Using rabbit polyclonal antibodies to bovine brain calcineurin, both subunits of calcineurin can be identified in crude homogenates of bovine brain by an immunoblotting technique. In crude homogenates of bovine skeletal and cardiac muscle, a 59,000-61,000 Mr doublet and a 15,000 Mr species (the electrophoretic mobility of calcineurin B) are also detected by this technique. The cross-reactivity of these species with antibodies to brain calcineurin indicates antigenic similarity between the muscle proteins and calcineurin, and suggests the existence of a family of structurally related calmodulin-stimulated protein phosphatases. Like calcineurin, the 61,000 Mr subunits in skeletal and cardiac muscle bind calmodulin and are detected in crude tissue extracts by 125I-calmodulin gel overlay. Thus, both the 125I-calmodulin gel overlay method and the immunoblotting technique are useful in screening crude preparations, in which detection of calmodulin-stimulated protein phosphatase activity may be complicated by the many phosphatases present.

Anticholinergic effects of disopyramide and quinidine on guinea pig myocardium. Mediation by direct muscarinic receptor blockade.

We studied the interaction of disopyramide, quinidine, and procainamide with cardiac muscarinic receptors. In electrophysiological experiments, the effects of disopyramide, quinidine, procainamide, and atropine were determined on spontaneously depolarizing guinea pig right atria (GPRA) both in the presence and absence of pharmacologically induced (physostigmine) cholinergic stimulation. All four agents demonstrated a concentration-dependent antagonism of the negative chronotropic effects of physostigmine. The order of anticholinergic potency was atropine greater than disopyramide greater than quinidine greater than procainamide. The ability of disopyramide to antagonize the physostigmine induced slowing was stereoselective, (+)disopyramide greater than (-)disopyramide. In contrast, the ability of quinidine to antagonize the negative chronotropic effects of physostigmine was non-stereoselective, quinidine = quinine. In parallel experiments, we studied the ability of disopyramide, quinidine, procainamide, and atropine to compete with the radiolabeled muscarinic receptor antagonist [3H] quinuclidinyl benzilate ([3H]QNB) for binding to muscarinic receptors in crude homogenates of GPRA and membrane vesicles from canine ventricular myocardium. All four agents inhibited [3H]QNB binding to muscarinic receptors. The order of anticholinergic potency determined by the receptor binding studies was identical to that determined by the physiological studies. The interaction of disopyramide with muscarinic receptors was stereoselective, (+)disopyramide > (-)disopyramide. Quinidine was only slightly more potent than quinine in inhibiting [3H]QNB binding to muscarinic receptors. Interaction of antiarrhythmic drugs with muscarinic receptors satisfied criteria for a competitive interaction. The data from this study localize the anticholinergic effects of disopyramide and quinidine to the muscarinic receptor.

Enrichment, solubilization, and partial characterization of digitonin-solubilized muscarinic receptors derived from canine ventricular myocardium.

The subcellular distribution of cardiac muscarinic receptors was defined in canine ventricular myocardium, and receptors were solubilized from subcellular fractions enriched in muscarinic receptor content. The subcellular location of muscarinic receptors in cardiac tissue was determined by measurement of the distribution of [3H](+/-)quinuclidinyl benzilate-binding activity in particulate fractions isolated from canine ventricular myocardium. Based upon excellent correlation between [3H](+/-)quinuclidinyl benzilate binding and activity of the sarcolemmal Na+,K+-ATPase throughout the subcellular fractions, muscarinic receptors appeared to be localized to sarcolemma in canine ventricular myocardium. Therefore, membrane fractions enriched in sarcolemma were used as a source of cardiac muscarinic receptors for solubilization. Treatment of membrane vesicle fractions with digitonin (0.6%) resulted in solubilization of [3H](+/-)quinuclidinyl benzilate-binding activity with an extraction yield of 25-35%. Criteria of pharmacological specificity and stereospecificity established the identity of the solubilized binding activity of muscarinic receptors. Solubilization of muscarinic receptors was documented by demonstration of hydrodynamic behavior consistent with molecularly dispersed material. Upon glycerol gradient centrifugation, digitonin-solubilized muscarinic receptors from cardiac tissue sedimented with an apparent sedimentation coefficient of 9S. Pharmacological characterization of the digitonin-solubilized receptors revealed 8- to 39-fold reductions in affinities for muscarinic antagonists compared to the affinities exhibited by receptors in the membrane-bound state. Substantially greater reductions in agonist affinities (reduction of at least 700-fold for all agonists studied) suggested selective loss of ability of the digitonin-solubilized receptors to exhibit high affinity agonist interactions. In contrast to membrane-bound receptors, digitonin-solubilized receptors also demonstrated a loss of guanine nucleotide regulation, as well as steep agonist:radioligand competition curves with slope factors of 1.0, suggesting a homogeneous population of agonist-binding sites. Interpreted within the context of a model of state interconversion for membrane-bound receptors, the results suggested that either muscarinic receptors of a single state were selectively solubilized, or that solubilization induced conversion of all receptors to a single low affinity state, possibly by removal of constituents necessary for assumption of a high affinity agonist conformation.