okadaic-acid and cypermethrin

Excitotoxic cell death (ECD) is characteristic of mammalian brain following min of anoxia, but is not observed in the western painted turtle following days to months without oxygen. A key event in ECD is a massive increase in intracellular Ca(2+) by over-stimulation of N-methyl-d-aspartate receptors (NMDARs). The turtle's anoxia tolerance may involve the prevention of ECD by attenuating NMDAR-induced Ca(2+) influx. The goal of this study was to determine if protein phosphatases (PPs) and intracellular calcium mediate reductions in turtle cortical neuron whole-cell NMDAR currents during anoxia, thereby preventing ECD. Whole-cell NMDAR currents did not change during 80 min of normoxia, but decreased 56% during 40 min of anoxia. Okadaic acid and calyculin A, inhibitors of serine/threonine PP1 and PP2A, potentiated NMDAR currents during normoxia and prevented anoxia-mediated attenuation of NMDAR currents. Decreases in NMDAR activity during anoxia were also abolished by inclusion of the Ca(2+) chelator -- BAPTA and the calmodulin inhibitor -- calmidazolium. However, cypermethrin, an inhibitor of the Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent PP2B (calcineurin), abolished the anoxic decrease in NMDAR activity at 20, but not 40 min suggesting that this phosphatase might play an early role in attenuating NMDAR activity during anoxia. Our results show that PPs, Ca(2+) and calmodulin play an important role in decreasing NMDAR activity during anoxia in the turtle cortex. We offer a novel mechanism describing this attenuation in which PP1 and 2A dephosphorylate the NMDAR (NR1 subunit) followed by calmodulin binding, a subsequent dissociation of alpha-actinin-2 from the NR1 subunit, and a decrease in NMDAR activity.

Topics: Animals; Calcium; Calmodulin; Cerebral Cortex; Egtazic Acid; Female; Hypoxia; Imidazoles; Marine Toxins; Okadaic Acid; Oxazoles; Patch-Clamp Techniques; Phosphoprotein Phosphatases; Protein Phosphatase 1; Pyrethrins; Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; Turtles

Oxidants cause activation of the AP-1 transcription factor in cardiomyocytes. c-Fos, a component of the AP-1 transcription factor, is transiently induced by H2O2 and the induction is sensitive to the protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide. With high percentage gel electrophoresis, multiple c-Fos bands were resolved by Western blot analyses, indicating post-translational modification of newly synthesized c-Fos protein after H2O2 exposure. Treatment of immunoprecipitated c-Fos protein with the type 2 serine/threonine phosphatase A (PP2A) and immunoblotting of c-Fos protein with antibodies against phosphorylated serine or threonine demonstrated that c-Fos was phosphorylated at serine residues. A pharmacological inhibitor of JNKs inhibited the formation of multiple c-Fos bands without affecting c-fos transcription. The proteasomal inhibitor MG132 and Proteasome Inhibitor I extended the time course of c-Fos protein elevation. An increase in ubiquitin was detectable in c-Fos protein from H2O2-treated cells. Interestingly, treating the whole cell lysates with PP2A, but not calcineurin (i.e. PP2B), resulted in disappearance of c-Fos protein and MG132 was able to prevent this loss. H2O2 caused an elevation of PP2B and total phosphatase activity. The phosphatase inhibitor okadaic acid, but not PP2B inhibiter cypermethrin, extended the time course of c-Fos protein elevation after H2O2 exposure. These data suggest that JNK-mediated phosphorylation of newly synthesized c-Fos protects the protein from being degraded by the proteasome. PP2B independent dephosphorylation contributes to degradation of c-Fos protein during oxidative stress response of cardiomyocytes.

Topics: Animals; Blotting, Western; Calcineurin; Calcineurin Inhibitors; Cysteine Endopeptidases; Enzyme Inhibitors; Hydrogen Peroxide; Immunosorbent Techniques; JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; MAP Kinase Kinase 4; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases; Multienzyme Complexes; Myocytes, Cardiac; Okadaic Acid; Oxidants; Oxidative Stress; Phosphoprotein Phosphatases; Phosphorylation; Phosphoserine; Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex; Protein Processing, Post-Translational; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos; Pyrethrins; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; Transcription Factor AP-1; Transcription, Genetic

Reversible protein phosphorylation is recognized as a major mechanism regulating the physiology of plant and animal cells. Virtually every biochemical process within eukaryotic cells is controlled by the covalent modification of key regulatory proteins. This in turn dictates the cellular response to a variety of physiological and environmental stimuli; errors in signals transduced by phosphoproteins contribute to many human diseases. Thus, defining protein phosphorylation events, and specifically, the phosphoproteins involved, is crucial for obtaining a better understanding of the physiological events that distinguish normal and diseased states. Protein phosphatase inhibitors are useful when deciphering physiological events regulated by reversible protein phosphorylation but the hormonal stimuli or signaling pathways involved are not known. They are also useful in analyzing the impact of hormones and other physiological stimuli on the function of a specific phosphoprotein. This unit describes protocols for inhibiting cellular phosphorylation activity with okadaic acid, microcystin-LR, and PP2B/calcineurin and a widely utilized strategy for inhibiting protein tyrosine phosphatases.

Topics: Animals; Calcineurin Inhibitors; Cells, Cultured; Cyclosporine; Mammals; Marine Toxins; Microcystins; Okadaic Acid; Phosphoprotein Phosphatases; Phosphorylation; Protein Phosphatase 1; Protein Phosphatase 2; Protein Processing, Post-Translational; Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases; Pyrethrins; Vanadates

Reversible protein phosphorylation is recognized as a major mechanism regulating the physiology of plant and animal cells. Virtually every biochemical process within eukaryotic cells is controlled by the covalent modification of key regulatory proteins. This in turn dictates the cellular response to a variety of physiological and environmental stimuli; errors in signals transduced by phosphoproteins contribute to many human diseases. Thus, defining protein phosphorylation events, and specifically, the phosphoproteins involved, is crucial for obtaining a better understanding of the physiological events that distinguish normal and diseased states. Protein phosphatase inhibitors are useful when deciphering physiological events regulated by reversible protein phosphorylation but the hormonal stimuli or signaling pathways involved are not known. They are also useful in analyzing the impact of hormones and other physiological stimuli on the function of a specific phosphoprotein. This unit describes protocols for inhibiting the cellular PP1/PP2A activity with okadaic acid, microcystin-LR, and PP2B/calcineurin and a widely utilized strategy for inhibiting protein tyrosine phosphatases.

Topics: Calcineurin; Calcineurin Inhibitors; Cyclosporine; Enzyme Inhibitors; Humans; Insecticides; Marine Toxins; Microcystins; Okadaic Acid; Phosphoprotein Phosphatases; Phosphorylation; Pyrethrins; Vanadates

In the present work we studied the effect of protein phosphatase inhibitors on the phosphorylation state and function of alpha(1b)-adrenoceptors. Okadaic acid increased receptor phosphorylation in a time- and concentration-dependent fashion (maximum at 30 min, EC(50) of 30 nM). Other inhibitors of protein phosphatases (calyculin A, tautomycin and cypermethrin) mimicked this effect. Staurosporine and Ro 31-8220, inhibitors of protein kinase C, blocked the effect of okadaic acid on receptor phosphorylation. Neither genistein nor wortmannin altered the effect of okadaic acid. The intense adrenoceptor phosphorylation induced by okadaic acid altered the adrenoceptor-G protein coupling, as evidenced by a small decreased noradrenaline-stimulated [(35)S]GTPgammaS binding. Okadaic acid did not alter the noradrenaline-stimulated increases in intracellular calcium or the production of inositol trisphosphate. Our data indicate that inhibition of protein phosphatases increases the phosphorylation state of alpha(1b)-adrenoceptors; this effect seems to involve protein kinase C. In spite of inducing an intense receptor phosphorylation, okadaic acid alters alpha(1b)-adrenergic actions to a much lesser extent than the direct activation of protein kinase C by phorbol myristate acetate.

Topics: Animals; Antifungal Agents; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Enzyme Inhibitors; Indoles; Kinetics; Marine Toxins; Okadaic Acid; Oxazoles; Phosphoprotein Phosphatases; Phosphorylation; Protein Kinase C; Pyrans; Pyrethrins; Rats; Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha-1; Spiro Compounds; Staurosporine; Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate

The K(+)-Cl(-) cotransporters (KCCs) are members of the cation-chloride cotransporter gene family and fall into two phylogenetic subgroups: KCC2 paired with KCC4 and KCC1 paired with KCC3. We report a functional comparison in Xenopus oocytes of KCC1 and KCC4, widely expressed representatives of these two subgroups. KCC1 and KCC4 exhibit differential sensitivity to transport inhibitors, such that KCC4 is much less sensitive to bumetanide and furosemide. The efficacy of these anion inhibitors is critically dependent on the concentration of extracellular K(+), with much higher inhibition in 50 mm K(+) versus 2 mm K(+). KCC4 is also uniquely sensitive to 10 mm barium and to 2 mm trichlormethiazide. Kinetic characterization reveals divergent affinities for K(+) (K(m) values of approximately 25.5 and 17.5 mm for KCC1 and KCC4, respectively), probably due to variation within the second transmembrane segment. Although the two isoforms have equivalent affinities for Cl(-), they differ in the anion selectivity of K(+) transport (Cl(-) > SCN(-) = Br(-) > PO(4)(-3) > I(-) for KCC1 and Cl(-) > Br(-) > PO(4)(-3) = I(-) > SCN(-) for KCC4). Both KCCs express minimal K(+)-Cl(-) cotransport under isotonic conditions, with significant activation by cell swelling under hypotonic conditions. The cysteine-alkylating agent N-ethylmaleimide activates K(+)-Cl(-) cotransport in isotonic conditions but abrogates hypotonic activation, an unexpected dissociation of N-ethylmaleimide sensitivity and volume sensitivity. Although KCC4 is consistently more volume-sensitive, the hypotonic activation of both isoforms is critically dependent on protein phosphatase 1. Overall, the functional comparison of these cloned K(+)-Cl(-) cotransporters reveals important functional, pharmacological, and kinetic differences with both physiological and mechanistic implications.

Topics: Animals; Barium Compounds; Biological Transport; Bumetanide; Carrier Proteins; Chlorides; Ethylmaleimide; Furosemide; Humans; K Cl- Cotransporters; Kinetics; Marine Toxins; Mice; Okadaic Acid; Oocytes; Oxazoles; Phosphoprotein Phosphatases; Potassium; Protein Isoforms; Protein Phosphatase 1; Pyrethrins; Recombinant Proteins; Rubidium; Sharks; Symporters; Xenopus laevis

The objective of this study was to asses the response of the microtubule-associated protein tau to acute rise in the concentration of free cytoplasmic calcium ([Ca2+]i) in rat cortical neurons and mouse cerebellar granule cells in culture. One-hour exposure to glutamate (100 microM), N-methyl-D-aspartate (100 microM), KCl (50 mM), and ionomycin (5 microM) led to tau protein dephosphorylation as indicated by an appearance of additional faster moving bands on Western immunoblots with a phosphorylation-independent antibody and an increase in the tau-1 immunoreactivity associated with the appearance of an additional faster moving band. Lowering the extracellular concentration of Ca2+ to less than 1 microM fully prevented the drug-induced tau protein dephosphorylation indicating a dependence on Ca2+ influx from the extracellular environment. Administration of okadaic acid (inhibitor of phosphatase 1/2A) simultaneously with the above mentioned drugs decreased the drug-mediated dephosphorylation. Pre-incubation with okadaic acid fully prevented the dephosphorylation. Treatment with cypermethrin (inhibitor of phosphatase 2B) was without effect when administered either alone, simultaneously with the drugs, or pre-incubated. These findings indicate that, independently of the influx pathway, [Ca2+]i elevation leads to dephosphorylation of the microtubule-associated protein tau and implicate phosphatase 1 and/or 2A in the process.

Topics: Analysis of Variance; Animals; Calcium; Cells, Cultured; Cerebellum; Cerebral Cortex; Cytoplasm; Embryo, Mammalian; Glutamic Acid; Ionomycin; Mice; N-Methylaspartate; Neurons; Okadaic Acid; Phosphoprotein Phosphatases; Potassium Chloride; Protein Phosphatase 1; Pyrethrins; Rats; tau Proteins

Type II pyrethroid insecticides have been reported to be potent inhibitors of bovine brain calcineurin (EC 3.1.3.16, Enan E and Matsumara F, Biochem Pharmacol 43: 1777-1784, 1992). In concentrations up to 10(-5) M, none of the pyrethroid insecticides used in this study caused inhibition of the calcineurin-dependent dephosphorylation of the 19-amino acid phosphopeptide derived from the regulatory subunit R-II of the cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cAMP)-dependent protein kinase, which has been established as a good substrate for this enzyme. Neither did any of the compounds tested cause a shift in the inhibitory activity of okadaic acid (apparent Ki of 5 microM). The assumption that calcineurin is generally inhibited by pyrethroid insecticides is incorrect, and the interpretation of cellular experiments in which this assumption has been made must be revised.

Topics: Calcineurin; Calmodulin-Binding Proteins; Enzyme Inhibitors; Insecticides; Nitriles; Okadaic Acid; Phosphopeptides; Phosphoprotein Phosphatases; Pyrethrins