calcimycin and aloxistatin

Ca2+ is an important regulator of neurite elongation and growth cone movements but the mechanism(s) mediating these Ca(2+)-dependent effects is unclear. Since cytoskeletal proteins are rapidly degraded by Ca(2+)-dependent proteinases (calpains) in vitro and in vivo, we investigated whether Ca(2+)-induced pruning or regression of neuronal processes is mediated by calpains. Isolated hippocampal pyramidal-like neurons were cultured and the ability of the membrane-permeable calpain inhibitors ethyl(+)-(2S,3S)-3-[(S)-methyl-1-(3-methylbutylcarbamoyl)-butyl carbamoyl]-2 - oxiranecarboxylate (EST) and carbobenzoxyl-valyl-phenylalanyl-H (MDL 28170) to block the Ca2+ ionophore A23187-induced suppression in neurite outgrowth was investigated. Addition of 100 nM A23187 to the culture medium resulted in a retraction of dendrites without altering axonal elongation. The addition of 300 nM A23187 to the culture medium resulted in a significant decrease in the rate of axonal elongation as well as a retraction of dendritic processes. Administration of EST (5 or 20 microM) to the culture medium completely blocked the pruning effect of 100 nM A23187 on dendrites and of 300 nM A23187 on axons, while EST alone did not significantly affect neurite outgrowth rate. MDL 28170 (20 microM) showed the same effect as EST in preventing ionophore-induced pruning of dendrites and axons at 100 and 300 nM concentrations, respectively, of A23187. EST (20 microM) did not block the A23187-induced rise of [Ca2+]i as measured with fura-2. These results suggest that calpains play a role in Ca(2+)-induced pruning of neurites in isolated hippocampal pyramidal neurons.

Topics: Animals; Axons; Calcimycin; Calcium; Calpain; Cells, Cultured; Cysteine Proteinase Inhibitors; Dendrites; Dipeptides; Fetus; Hippocampus; Kinetics; Leucine; Neurites; Pyramidal Cells; Rats; Time Factors

Interleukin 1 alpha (IL-1 alpha) is synthesized as a 33 kDa form and proteolytically processed into a 17 kDa form. Although IL-1 alpha has no signal peptide, it is released from cells. To investigate the relationship between the processing and release of IL-1 alpha, human bladder carcinoma cells (HTB9 5637) which express IL-1 alpha constitutively, were treated with calcium ionophore (A23187). A23187 induced the processing of 33 kDa IL-1 alpha and selectively released processed 17 kDa IL-1 alpha, without any change in the release of 33 kDa IL-1 alpha. When extracellular calcium was chelated by EGTA, or when intracellular calpain was inhibited by the cell-permeable cysteine-protease inhibitor, E64d, the processing of 33 kDa IL-1 alpha was significantly blocked, the release of 33 kDa IL-1 alpha being unchanged. These results indicate that the release of IL-1 alpha was accompanied by the processing of 33 kDa IL-1 alpha.

Topics: Calcimycin; Calcium; Calpain; Cell Line; Cysteine Proteinase Inhibitors; Egtazic Acid; Gene Expression; Humans; Interleukin-1; L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; Leucine; Methionine; Molecular Weight; Protein Processing, Post-Translational; Sulfur Radioisotopes; Tumor Cells, Cultured; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms

To clarify the possible role of calpain (calcium activated neutral protease; EC 3.4.22.17) in Ca2+ homeostasis of human platelets, we investigated the effects of cell permeable calpain inhibitors, calpeptin and E-64d (EST), on the restoration of cytoplasmic Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) in both Fura-2 and aspirin (ASA) loaded platelets. Although neither calpeptin (30 microM) nor EST (250 microM) altered the increase of [Ca2+]i in thrombin (1 U/ml) stimulated platelets, both calpain inhibitors delayed the decrease of [Ca2+]i back towards the basal level. These observations suggested that calpain might be involved in Ca2+ restoration. Then, the activity of Ca(2+)-ATPase was examined in thrombin (2 U/ml) stimulated platelets. Thrombin produced a rapid rise in Ca(2+)-ATPase activity by 2-fold at 8 s of incubation, which then returned to below the basal activity within 2 min. Calpeptin inhibited transient Ca(2+)-ATPase activation induced by thrombin in a dose related manner. Ca(2+)-ATPase of isolated platelet membranes was digested by purified human platelet calpain-I and Ca(2+)-ATPase activity was investigated. With a short incubation (8-15 s), Ca(2+)-ATPase activity was increased about 2-fold and then it decreased below the basal level at longer incubations or at a higher calpain/membrane ratio. The initial rate of Ca2+ uptake was also increased by about 2-fold with a short incubation (8-15 s). For molecular characterization of the Ca(2+)-ATPase, the formation of the enzyme-phosphate complex (EP) was investigated. The membrane bound intact 105 kD Ca(2+)-ATPase was converted by calpain to a fragment of approximately 50 kD.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Topics: Aspirin; Blood Platelets; Calcimycin; Calcium; Calcium-Transporting ATPases; Calpain; Cell Compartmentation; Dipeptides; Enzyme Activation; Homeostasis; Humans; Intracellular Membranes; Leucine; Multienzyme Complexes; Platelet Activation; Stimulation, Chemical; Thrombin

Intracellular calcium-activated neutral proteinase (CANP) in rabbit erythrocytes was activated by an influx of Ca2+ into the cells. The catalytic large subunit changed from the original 79 kDa from to the 77 kDa and 76 kDa forms on activation just in the same manner as occurs in the autolytic activation of purified CANP in vitro. The activation required both extracellular Ca2+ and A23187, and was accompanied by the degradation of some membrane proteins and morphological changes in erythrocyte shape from discocytes to echinodisks, echinocytes, and spherocytes. Exogenously added Cbz-Leu-Leu-Leu-aldehyde inhibited the activation of intracellular CANP as well as the degradation of membrane proteins and the morphological changes indicating that the latter two processes are due to the action of CANP. Leupeptin and E64d were without effect on intracellular CANP.

Topics: Amino Acid Sequence; Animals; Antibodies, Monoclonal; Blood Proteins; Calcimycin; Calcium; Calpain; Enzyme Activation; Erythrocytes; Female; In Vitro Techniques; Leucine; Leupeptins; Membrane Proteins; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Molecular Sequence Data; Rabbits

E-64d, a membrane permeant derivative of E-64c, a thiol protease inhibitor (Tamai et al. (1986) J. Pharmacobio-Dyn. 9, 672-677), was tested for ability to inhibit calpain activity in intact platelets. Calpain activity was measured by proteolysis of actin-binding protein and talin, two known substrates of calpain. Incubation of platelets with E-64c (not permeant) or E-64d before lysis prevented proteolysis after lysis. When the platelets were incubated with E-64c or E-64d and then washed to remove the drugs before lysis, only E-64d inhibited proteolysis. When platelets were incubated with E-64c or E-64d and then activated with A23187 plus calcium, a treatment that activates intraplatelet calpain, only E-64d inhibited proteolysis. These results indicate that E-64d can enter the intact cell and inhibit calpain.

Topics: Blood Platelets; Calcimycin; Calpain; Cell Membrane Permeability; Cytoskeletal Proteins; Leucine; Microfilament Proteins; Protease Inhibitors; Talin