Distinct forebrain and cerebellar isozymes of type II Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase associate differently with the postsynaptic density fraction

Effect of ATP on binding of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II with calmodulin

Binding of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaM kinase II) with calmodulin was directly determined by the poly(ethylene glycol) precipitation method. Calmodulin bound to CaM kinase II alpha and beta polypeptides in a molar ratio of about 1:1 in the presence of ATP, but the binding was reduced in the absence of ATP. Affinity of CaM kinase II for calmodulin increased in the presence of ATP and the autophosphorylation was observed under the conditions. ADP and adenosine beta, gamma-imidoadenosine 5'-triphosphate, hydrolysis resistant analogues, also increased the binding of CaM kinase II with calmodulin. CaM kinase II substrate syntide 2 did not increase the binding of the kinase with calmodulin. These findings indicate that the affinity of CaM kinase II for calmodulin and the amount of calmodulin bound to the kinase increase by the binding of ATP.

Distribution of calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II in rat ileal enterocytes

Ca2+/calmodulin (CaM)-dependent protein kinase II is a major effector of the Ca2+ signaling pathway. It has a wide tissue distribution and phosphorylates multiple substrates. Villus enterocytes from rat ileum contain a Ca2+/CaM-dependent kinase activity that phosphorylates the exogenous neural substrate synapsin I. This phosphorylation is blocked by a specific peptide inhibitor. Antibodies made to rat brain Ca2+/CaM-dependent protein kinase II label a single band with a relative molecular mass of approximately 50 kDa in isolated rat enterocytes by immunoblot. Almost one-half of this immunoreactive protein is preferentially found in a particulate compared with a soluble subcellular fraction of the enterocytes. Virtually all of the 50-kDa band in the particulate fraction is insoluble in nonionic detergent, suggesting that the kinase is associated with the enterocyte cytoskeleton. Antibodies to Ca2+/CaM-dependent protein kinase II immunocytochemically detect fibrillar structures concentrated in the terminal web region of intestinal epithelial cells that colocalized with myosin II. This enzyme may have a role in regulating the intestinal epithelial cytoskeleton.

Drugs acting on the intracellular signalling system

Cellular response to extracellular messages is a basic process to maintain and to support cell life. Several signalling molecules important as sites of therapeutic drug action are involved in the response. Recent studies on life sciences have elucidated molecular properties of intracellular signalling factors and mechanisms of cascading. Novel drugs acting on signalling molecules and possessing new sites and mechanisms of action have been found. This article summarizes the properties (subtypes, structures, functions) of signalling factors (receptors, ion channels, GTP binding proteins, second messenger-generating enzymes, second messenger-metabolizing enzymes, second messengers protein kinases, protein phosphatases) and lists in Tables A-H drugs that act on signalling molecules and which should find clinical use.

Multifunctional Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase

Multifunctional Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase (CaM kinase) is a prominent mediator of neurotransmitters which elevate Ca2+. It coordinates cellular responses to external stimuli by phosphorylating proteins involved in neurotransmitter synthesis, neurotransmitter release, carbohydrate metabolism, ion flux and neuronal plasticity. Structure/function studies of CaM kinase have provided insights into how it decodes Ca2+ signals. The kinase is kept relatively inactive in its basal state by the presence of an autoinhibitory domain. Binding of Ca2+/calmodulin eliminates this inhibitory constraint and allows the kinase to phosphorylate its substrates, as well as itself. This autophosphorylation significantly slows dissociation of calmodulin, thereby trapping calmodulin even when Ca2+ levels are subthreshold. The kinase may respond particularly well to multiple Ca2+ spikes since trapping may enable a spike frequency-dependent recruitment of calmodulin with each successive Ca2+ spike leading to increased activation of the kinase. Once calmodulin dissociates, CaM kinase remains partially active until it is dephosphorylated, providing for an additional period in which its response to brief Ca2+ transients is potentiated.

Regulation and role of brain calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II

Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) exhibits a broad substrate specificity and regulates diverse responses to physiological changes of intracellular Ca2+ concentrations. Five isozymic subunits of the highly abundant brain kinase are encoded by four distinct genes. Expression of each gene is tightly regulated in a cell-specific and developmental manner. CaMKII immunoreactivity is broadly distributed within neurons but is discretely associated with a number of subcellular structures. The unique regulatory properties of CaMKII have attracted a lot of attention. Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent autophosphorylation of a specific threonine residue (alpha-Thr286) within the autoinhibitory domain generates partially Ca(2+)-independent CaMKII activity. Phosphorylation of this threonine in CaMKII is modulated by changes in intracellular Ca2+ concentrations in a variety of cells, and may prolong physiological responses to transient increases in Ca2+. Additional residues within the calmodulin-binding domain are autophosphorylated in the presence of Ca2+ chelators and block activation by Ca2+/calmodulin. This Ca(2+)-independent autophosphorylation is very rapid following prior Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent autophosphorylation at alpha-Thr286 and generates constitutively active, Ca2+/calmodulin-insensitive CaMKII activity. Ca(2+)-independent autophosphorylation of CaMKII also occurs at a slower rate when alpha-Thr286 is not autophosphorylated and results in inactivation of CaMKII. Thus, Ca(2+)-independent autophosphorylation of CaMKII generates a form of the kinase that is refractory to activation by Ca2+/calmodulin. CaMKII phosphorylates a wide range of neuronal proteins in vitro, presumably reflecting its involvement in the regulation of diverse functions such as postsynaptic responses (e.g. long-term potentiation), neurotransmitter synthesis and exocytosis, cytoskeletal interactions and gene transcription. Recent evidence indicates that the levels of CaMKII are altered in pathological states such as Alzheimer's disease and also following ischemia.

Developmental changes in the levels of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II alpha and beta proteins in soluble and particulate fractions of the rat brain

Developmental changes in Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaM kinase II) have been immunochemically examined in the forebrain, cerebellum and brainstem of the rat using antibodies against its alpha or beta protein. The concentration of alpha and beta proteins varied markedly in different brain regions at increasing postnatal ages. In early postnatal brain, the concentration of the alpha and beta proteins was low, and a large increase was observed between postnatal days 10 and 30. The maximum expression of the alpha protein was in the order of 6.01, 2.33 and 0.168 micrograms/mg of forebrain, brainstem and cerebellum proteins respectively, in the soluble or particulate fraction. On the other hand, that of the beta protein was in the order of 1.81, 0.495 and 0.291 micrograms/mg of forebrain, cerebellum or brainstem protein. The ratio of alpha and beta proteins also differed in the soluble and particulate fractions. The maximum expression of the alpha protein was observed at day 30 in soluble and particulate fractions of forebrain, and at day 20 in those of the brainstem. The major alpha protein peak was observed on or after day 30 in particulate and soluble fractions from cerebellum, respectively. The maximum expression of the beta protein was observed at day 20 in soluble and particulate fractions of the forebrain as well as in soluble fraction of the cerebellum, and was observed at day 30 in the particulate fraction of cerebellum. The expression of the alpha and beta proteins roughly correlated with the CaM kinase II activity from forebrain and brainstem.

Global forebrain ischemia induces a posttranslational modification of multifunctional calcium- and calmodulin-dependent kinase II

The activity of multifunctional calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaM kinase II) has recently been shown to be inhibited by transient global ischemia. To investigate the nature of ischemia-induced inhibition of the enzyme, CaM kinase II was purified to greater than 1,000-fold from brains of control and ischemic gerbils. The characteristics of CaM kinase II from control and ischemic preparations were compared by numerous parameters. Kinetic analysis of purified control and ischemic CaM kinase II was performed for autophosphorylation properties, ATP, magnesium, calcium, and calmodulin affinity, immunoreactivity, and substrate recognition. Ischemia induced a reproducible inhibition of CaM kinase II activity, which could not be overcome by increasing the concentration of any of the reaction parameters. Ischemic CaM kinase II was not different from control enzyme in affinity for calmodulin, Ca2+, Mg2+, or exogenously added substrate or rate of autophosphorylation. CaM kinase II isolated from ischemic gerbils displayed decreased immunoreactivity with a monoclonal antibody (immunoglobulin G3) directed toward the beta subunit of the enzyme. In addition, ischemia caused a significant decrease in affinity of CaM kinase II for ATP when measured by extent of autophosphorylation. To characterize further the decrease in ATP affinity of CaM kinase II, the covalent-binding ATP analog 8-azido-adenosine-5'-[alpha-32P]triphosphate was used. Covalent binding of 25 microM azido-ATP was decreased 40.4 +/-12.3% in ischemic CaM kinase II when compared with control enzyme (n = 5; p less than 0.01 by paired Student's t test). Thus, CaM kinase II levels for ischemia and control fractions were equivalent by protein staining, percent recovery, and calmodulin binding but were significantly different by immunoreactivity and ATP binding. The data are consistent with the hypothesis that ischemia induces a posttranslational modification that alters ATP binding in CaM kinase II and that results in an apparent decrease in enzymatic activity.

Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II in the rat cerebellum: an immunohistochemical study with monoclonal antibodies specific to either alpha or beta subunit

Monoclonal antibodies specific to either alpha or beta subunit of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaM kinase II) of the rat brain were produced and the distribution of each subunit in the rat cerebellum was examined immunohistochemically. Each antibody detected solely the corresponding subunit in immunoblot analysis of crude homogenates of the rat forebrain and cerebellum, and purified CaM kinase II from the rat forebrain. Immunoreactivity for alpha subunit was present selectively in Purkinje cells: perikarya, dendrites with their spines, axons and their terminal-like structures in the cerebellar cortex, cerebellar nuclei and lateral vestibular nucleus. Many of these alpha subunit-immunoreactive axons from the cerebellum were traced only through the inferior cerebellar peduncle. beta Subunit was detected in perikarya and dendrites of a limited number of Purkinje cells, many granule cells and neurons in the cerebellar nuclei. Thus, different distributions of alpha and beta subunits of CaM kinase II in the cerebellum were demonstrated.

Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II from hen brain. Purification and characterization

Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaM-kinase II) has been purified from hen whole brain. The enzyme was purified 3000-fold using phosphocellulose and calmodulin-Agarose column chromatography. The specific activity was 200 nmol/min/mg protein. Microtubule associated protein-2 (MAP-2) was used as a substrate to assess the activity of the enzyme during purification and for its characterization. CaM-kinase II consisted of alpha and beta/beta' subunits of molecular weights 46,000 and 55,000/52,000, respectively. The ratio of alpha to beta/beta' subunits was 3:1 in the enzyme purified from the whole brain. The enzyme exhibited broad substrate specificity and phosphorylated myelin basic protein, MAP-2, histone II, histone VIII, casein, tubulin, myosin light chains, glycogen synthase, and phosvitin in decreasing order. Phosphorylase b was phosphorylated at a negligible rate. Autophosphorylation of CaM-kinase II for 10 min in the presence of calcium and calmodulin decreased its total activity to 33%, and calcium/calmodulin-independent activity reached 30% after 1 min and then dropped to 14% after 10 min of autophosphorylation. The Km value of ATP was 19 +/- 1.3 microM, and the K0.5 values of calcium and calmodulin were 4.4 +/- 0.5 and 3.0 +/- 0.5 microM, respectively. The latter were determined using myelin basic protein as the substrate. CaM-kinase II exhibited great differences in the calmodulin requirement for phosphorylation of MAP-2, histone II and myelin basic protein. MAP-2 required the least amount of calmodulin for its phosphorylation. Autophosphorylation of CaM-kinase II resulted in decreased mobility of the alpha-subunit but apparently not of the beta/beta' subunits in sodium dodecyl/sulfate-polyacrylamide gel. Antiserum was raised against the CaM-kinase II alpha subunit and used for testing cross-reactivity of hen brain enzyme with that of other species. The antiserum which reacted with both alpha and beta subunits of hen brain CaM-kinase II cross-reacted with only the alpha subunit of rat, mouse, rabbit, cat, dog, pig and human brain samples. The purified hen brain CaM-kinase II is a multifunctional enzyme and resembled rat brain CaM-kinase II in several properties. Immunocross-reactivity suggested that there was similarity in the alpha but not the beta/beta' subunits of the hen brain enzyme and the brain enzyme of other species.

Evidence for distinct neuronal localization of gamma and delta subunits of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II in the rat brain

Localization of the gamma and delta types of mRNAs for Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaM-kinase II) was determined in the rat brain, making use of in situ hybridization histochemistry. The gamma and delta mRNAs as well as the alpha and beta mRNAs for CaM-kinase II were heterogeneously and distinctly distributed. In the Purkinje cell layer of the cerebellum, alpha, beta, and gamma mRNAs but not delta mRNA were present, whereas beta, gamma, and delta mRNAs were present in the locus coeruleus. These findings provide evidence that CaM-kinase II exists in a variety of forms in different cells composed of a variable number and type of subunits.

Detection of mRNAs encoding distinct isoenzymes of type II calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase using the polymerase chain reaction

A modification of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to amplify nucleotide sequences encoding the 50-kDa (alpha) or 58- to 60-kDa (beta',beta) subunits of a brain-specific type II calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase (CaM kinase II). Rat brain RNA from different regions and at different postnatal ages was purified, and reverse transcriptase was used to produce cDNA templates. Oligonucleotide primer pairs flanking a unique sequence in the coding region of the beta',beta subunit-specific cDNA or a unique sequence in the 3' noncoding region of the alpha subunit-specific cDNA were used to amplify sequences encoding portions of these subunits by PCR. Adult rat forebrain contained approximately three times as much alpha subunit mRNA as beta',beta subunit mRNA, whereas adult rat cerebellum contained a molar ratio of 1 alpha: 5 beta',beta. Intermediate levels of alpha and beta',beta subunit mRNAs were observed in adult pons/medulla, and in 4- and 8-day neonatal forebrain. This amplification assay was also used to demonstrate the presence of alpha subunit mRNA in cerebellar granule cells and 4-day neonatal forebrain, which was reported to be undetectable by other methods. Cerebellar granule cells contained less alpha subunit RNA relative to whole cerebellum, suggesting that this cell type expresses an isoform of CaM kinase II containing less alpha subunit protein in the holoenzyme. The observed levels of subunit-specific mRNAs were shown to parallel the levels of expressed protein subunits, suggesting that expression of kinase isoforms is transcriptionally regulated. The data also indicate that the conditions used for amplification of CaM kinase II mRNAs are semiquantitative.

Dendritic localization of type II calcium calmodulin-dependent protein kinase mRNA in normal and reinnervated rat hippocampus

In situ hybridization histochemistry has revealed a diffuse distribution of the alpha subunit of type II calcium calmodulin-dependent protein kinase (CaM II kinase alpha) mRNA in the neuropil of regions containing CaM II kinase alpha-expressing cells and has led some to propose that it may be expressed in dendrites. In order to determine if CaM II kinase alpha mRNA is expressed in dendrites and if the gene encoding CaM II kinase alpha is regulated in response to synaptic reinnervation, we examined its expression in the hippocampus of normal rats, of rats that had received a unilateral injection of kainic acid and of rats with a unilateral entorhinal cortex lesion. The relatively specific elimination of the CA3 pyramidal cells by kainate lesions precisely correlated with the loss of CaM II kinase alpha cRNA hybridization in the stratum radiatum as well as the stratum pyramidale. Following entorhinal cortex lesions, during the period of new synapse formation in the dentate gyrus, there was no detectable change in the level of CaM II kinase alpha gene expression. These data suggest that CaM II kinase alpha mRNA is expressed in the dendrites of hippocampal pyramidal cells and, therefore, is likely to be expressed in dendrites in other regions of the central nervous system exhibiting CaM II kinase alpha cRNA labeling in the neuropil. However, changes in expression were not found to accompany new synapse formation.

The alpha subunit of type II Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase is highly conserved in Drosophila

A monoclonal antibody against rat brain type II Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase (CaM kinase) precipitates three proteins from Drosophila heads with apparent molecular weights similar to those of the subunits of the rat brain kinase. Fly heads also contain a CaM kinase activity that becomes partially independent of Ca2+ after autophosphorylation, as does the rat brain kinase. We have isolated a Drosophila cDNA encoding an amino acid sequence that is 77% identical to the sequence of the rat alpha subunit. All known autophosphorylation sites are conserved, including the site that controls Ca(2+)-independent activity. The gene encoding the cDNA is located between 102E and F on the fourth chromosome. The protein product of this gene is expressed at much higher levels in the fly head than in the body. Thus, both the amino acid sequence and the tissue specificity of the mammalian kinase are highly conserved in Drosophila.

Inhibitory effects of KN-62, a specific inhibitor of Ca/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II, on serotonin-evoked C1-current and 36-C1-efflux in Xenopus oocytes

To clarify the details of the involvement of Ca(2+)-calmodulin in gating of C1-channels, effects of a novel calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMK II) inhibitor, KN-62, on C1-current and C1-efflux induced by serotonin (5-HT) were investigated in Xenopus oocyte injected with rat brain mRNA. 5-HT evoked inward current on voltage clamp condition at -60 mV in a concentration-dependent manner. The 5-HT (1 microM)-evoked current was blocked by preperfusion with 1 microM KN-62 also inhibited acetylcholine- and inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate-evoked current. Furthermore, 5-HT enhanced Cl- efflux about 2.5-fold from the oocyte preinjected with 36Cl-, and the effects were inhibited by KN-62 as well. These results suggest that CaMK II is activated by Ca(2+)-calmodulin and opens Cl- channels to induce CL- efflux in Xenopus oocytes.

Calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II. Multifunctional roles in neuronal differentiation and synaptic plasticity

One of the most important mechanisms for regulating neuronal functions is through second messenger cascades that control protein kinases and the subsequent phosphorylation of substrate proteins. Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaM-kinase II) is the most abundant protein kinase in mammalian brain tissues, and the alpha-subunit of this kinase is the major protein and enzymatic molecule of synaptic junctions in many brain regions. CaM-kinase II regulates itself through a complex autophosphorylation mechanism whereby it becomes calcium-independent following its initial activation. This property has implicated CaM-kinase II as a potential molecular switch at central nervous system (CNS) synapses. Recent studies have suggested that CaM-kinase II is involved in many diverse phenomena such as epilepsy, sensory deprivation, ischemia, synapse formation, synaptic transmission, long-term potentiation, learning, and memory. During brain development, the expression of CaM-kinase II at both protein and mRNA levels coincides with the active periods of synapse formation and, therefore, factors regulating the genes encoding kinase subunits may play a role in the cell-to-cell recognition events that underlie neuronal differentiation and the establishment of mature synaptic functions. Recent findings have demonstrated that the mRNA encoding the alpha-subunit of CaM-kinase II is localized in neuronal dendrites. Current speculation suggests that the localized translation of dendritic mRNAs encoding specific synaptic proteins may be responsible for producing synapse-specific changes associated with the processing, storage, and retrieval of information in neural networks.

Autophosphorylation of neuronal calcium/calmodulin-stimulated protein kinase II

A unique feature of neuronal calcium/calmodulin-stimulated protein kinase II (CaM-PK II) is its autophosphorylation. A number of sites are involved and, depending on the in vitro conditions used, three serine and six threonine residues have been tentatively identified as autophosphorylation sites in the alpha subunit. These sites fall into three categories. Primary sites are phosphorylated in the presence of calcium and calmodulin, but under limiting conditions of temperature, ATP, Mg2+, or time. Secondary sites are phosphorylated in the presence of calcium and calmodulin under nonlimiting conditions. Autonomous sites are phosphorylated in the absence of calcium and calmodulin after initial phosphorylation of Thr-286. Mechanisms that lead to a decrease in CaM-PK II autophosphorylation include the thermolability of the enzyme and the activity of protein phosphatases. A range of in vitro inhibitors of CaM-PK II autophosphorylation have recently been identified. Autophosphorylation of CaM-PK II leads to a number of consequences in vitro, including generation of autonomous activity and subcellular redistribution, as well as alterations in conformation, activity, calmodulin binding, substrate specificity, and susceptibility to proteolysis. It is established that CaM-PK II is autophos-phorylated in neuronal cells under basal conditions. Depolarization and/or activation of receptors that lead to an increase in intracellular calcium induces a marked rise in the autophosphorylation of CaM-PK II in situ. The incorporation of phosphate is mainly found on Thr-286, but other sites are also phosphorylated at a slower rate. One consequence of the increase in CaM-PK II autophosphorylation in situ is an increase in the level of autonomous kinase activity. It is proposed that the formation of an autonomous enzyme is only one of the consequences of CaM-PK II autophosphorylation in situ and that some of the other consequences observed in vitro will also be seen. CaM-PK II is involved in the control of neuronal plasticity, including neurotransmitter release and long-term modulation of postreceptor events. In order to understand the function of CaM-PK II, it will be essential to ascertain more fully the mechanisms of its autophosphorylation in situ, including especially the sites involved, the consequences of this autophosphorylation for the kinase activity, and the relationships between the state of CaM-PK II autophosphorylation and the physiological events within neurons.

Neurotensin effects on calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein phosphorylation in rat neostriatal slices

Neurotensin (NT) is an endogenous brain tridecapeptide for which high affinity binding sites exist in the central nervous system. We have investigated the effects of NT incubation with rat neostriatal slices on calcium/calmodulin (Ca/CaM)-dependent protein phosphorylation. Slices were incubated with NT (5 or 50 nM) for 3, 10, 16 or 30 min followed by in vitro phosphorylation, electrophoresis and autoradiography. NT significantly altered the phosphorylation of a 62 kDa protein which is likely the beta subunit of the Ca/CaM dependent protein kinase. These changes may reflect the ability of NT to influence calcium mediated signal transduction.

Characterization of calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II isoforms from forebrain and cerebellum

Calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaM kinase II) is composed of two distinct but related subunits, alpha and beta, in various ratios. To investigate the physiological significance of this variation, we have studied the effect of autophosphorylation of CaM kinase II isoforms purified from forebrain and cerebellum on the activity, and analyzed their endogenous protein substrates. Autophosphorylation of two kinases resulted in the appearance of Ca2(+)-independent activity and the substrate specificity of the Ca2(+)-independent form differed from that of the Ca2(+)-dependent, non-phosphorylated form of the enzyme. Increased phosphorylation of two kinases resulted in a decrease in the enzyme activity. The decrease in the enzyme activity of forebrain CaM kinase II was larger than that of cerebellar kinase. Phosphorylated forms of two kinases were less stable than the non-phosphorylated forms, and the phosphorylated form of forebrain kinase was less stable than that of cerebellar kinase. Many endogenous protein substrates of respective CaM kinase II were found in both soluble and particulate fractions of forebrain and cerebellum using gel electrophoresis. Although the major protein substrates of CaM kinase II were almost the same in forebrain and cerebellum, some of the endogenous protein substrates of respective CaM kinase II were found to be different in both soluble and particulate fractions of forebrain and cerebellum.

Developmental regulation of type II calcium/calmodulin-dependent kinase isoforms in rat cerebellum

Two distinct isoforms of a Type II calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase were separated from high-speed supernates (cytosol) of rat neonatal [postnatal day 10 (P10)] and adult [postnatal day 40 (P40)] cerebellum using cation-exchange chromatography. The isoenzymes contained variable amounts of three subunits of apparent Mr's of 50 kDa (alpha), 58 kDa (beta'), and 60 kDa (beta). The specific activity of calmodulin-dependent kinase (CaM kinase II) in crude homogenates increased sixfold between P10 and P40 using exogenous MAP 2 as substrate. Cytosol from cerebellum at P40 contained a predominant isoform (approximately 40% of total cytosolic activity) with a 1:5 molar ratio of alpha:beta',beta subunits that eluted with 150 mM NaCl (designated 150) and a less abundant isoform (approximately 20% of total cytosolic activity) containing a 1:8 molar ratio of alpha:beta',beta subunits that eluted with 350 mM NaCl (designated 350). In neonatal cerebellum at P10, the relative abundance of the two isoforms was reversed such that approximately 50% of the cytosolic calmodulin-dependent kinase activity was recovered in the 350 isoform, whereas only 20% of the total cytosolic kinase activity was recovered in the 150 isoform. Previous studies indicate that cerebellar granule cells may contain an all beta',beta isoform of CaM kinase II that lacks alpha subunit. Thus, to assess the cell-specific localization of kinase isoforms within cerebellum, cytosol prepared from primary cultures of rat cerebellar granule cells was applied to cation-exchange chromatography and analyzed for calmodulin-dependent kinase activity. The cells contained both isoforms of the kinase that were present in fresh tissue suggesting that granule cell-enriched cultures express all three kinase subunits. The data demonstrate that rat cerebellum contains unique mixtures of CaM kinase II isoenzymes and that their expression is developmentally regulated.

Expression of a catalytically active polypeptide of calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II alpha subunit in Escherichia coli

Two cDNAs, one containing the entire coding region of alpha subunit of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaM kinase II) and the other containing only its protein kinase domain, were separately ligated into the bacterial expression vector pET3a and expressed in Escherichia coli. The activity of the recombinant alpha subunit protein was dependent on Ca2+/calmodulin, whereas the activity of the recombinant protein containing only the protein kinase domain (recombinant alpha-I protein) was absolutely independent of Ca2+/calmodulin. These proteins showed similar enzymatic properties to brain CaM kinase II with some minor differences. These results directly demonstrated that the protein kinase domain alone without the rest of the subunit was sufficient to exhibit its activity.

Kindling induced changes in calmodulin kinase II immunoreactivity

The distribution of type II calmodulin kinase (CaM kinase) immunoreactivity was studied in control and septally kindled rat brains. CaM kinase was concentrated in limbic structures, such as the hippocampus, lateral septum and amygdala. Within the hippocampus, the molecular layer of the endal limb of the dentate gyrus, the stratum radiatum, and lacunosum moleculare of CA1 were the most heavily stained regions. The cerebellum was stained only in the molecular and Purkinje cell layers, and very low amounts of immunoreactive protein were present in the brainstem and white matter. Kindling resulted in a significant decrease in CaM kinase immunoreactivity in CA3 and in the dentate of the ventral hippocampus but not in the lateral septum. These data suggest that kindling decreases the number of CaM kinase molecules or alters its antigenic distribution, and provides further evidence that alterations of this enzyme may be important in the kindling phenomenon.

Subcellular distribution of alpha and beta subunit proteins of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II expressed in Chinese hamster ovary cells

When two cDNAs respectively encoding the entire coding regions of alpha and beta subunits of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaM kinase II) were introduced into Chinese hamster ovary cells, the expressed alpha and beta subunits were differently associated with subcellular structure. Although alpha subunit was loosely associated with subcellular structure, about 80% of CaM kinase II activity of alpha subunit was found in soluble fraction. More than 50% of the beta subunit bound to the membrane, and the remainder was soluble but was loosely associated with subcellular structure. The relative rate of phosphorylation for substrate proteins of the beta subunit bound to membrane was significantly different from that of the soluble form.

Calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II

There is a great deal known about the in vitro properties of CaM kinase II, both in terms of its substrate specificity and its regulation by calmodulin and autophosphorylation. Much of this characterization is based on experiments performed with the rat brain isozyme of CaM kinase II, although in the aspects examined to date isozymes of the kinase from other tissues appear to behave in a broadly similar manner in vitro. However, relatively little is known about the functions of the kinase in vivo. The proteins phosphorylated by the kinase (with the probable exception of synapsin I and tyrosine hydroxylase) and the role of kinase autophosphorylation in vivo remain largely unknown. Investigation of the physiological role of the kinase in brain and other tissues will be a particularly exciting area for future work. The current knowledge of the in vitro properties and the availability of cDNA clones will hopefully expedite this research.

Regulation of neuronal function by calcium

In the classical picture of brain function, electrical impulses are initiated in sensory organs and spread rapidly down axons, jumping synaptic clefts by neurochemical transmission. Patterns of electrical activity generated in this way integrate information throughout the brain and result in coordinated motor output. Even as this picture of the central role of electrical transmission was emerging in the mid-20th century, the more speculative neuroscientists reasoned that there must be more to it. In order to store information and adapt to a changing environment, neurons must be able to alter their own properties or those of their neighbors, in highly controlled ways, sometimes permanently.

Separation of isozymic forms of type II calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase using cation-exchange chromatography

Three distinct isozymes of a type II calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase (CaM kinase II) from rat forebrain cytosol were separated using S-Sepharose cation-exchange resin. About 90% of the applied kinase activity was recovered in three protein peaks. Each isozymic form of the kinase was purified 200-300 fold by chromatography on S-Sepharose, calmodulin-affinity and gel filtration resins. All 3 forms of CaM kinase II had apparent molecular masses of 650-700 kDa, but contained variable proportions of 50 kDa and 58-60 kDa subunits. The molar ratios of the 50 kDa/58-60 kDa kinase subunits in each holoenzyme were determined by protein staining and [125I]calmodulin-binding studies and were approximately: 6/1, 3/1 and 1/1. The isozyme containing a 3/1 ratio of subunits corresponds to the predominant form of CaM kinase II in forebrain representing 70-80% of the total activity in cytosol, whereas the other forms each represent 5-10% of the total cytosolic activity. The substrate specificities and time courses of substrate phosphorylation for the isozymes were comparable. These studies provide a basis to examine regional, subcellular, and developmental differences in the isozymic forms of CaM kinase II which may subserve different neuronal functions.

Regulatory properties of calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II in rat brain postsynaptic densities

Calcium/calmodulin (CaM)-dependent protein kinase II (CaM-kinase II) contained within the postsynaptic density (PSD) was shown to become partially Ca2+-independent following initial activation by Ca2+/CaM. Generation of this Ca2+-independent species was dependent upon autophosphorylation of both subunits of the enzyme in the presence of Mg2+/ATP/Ca2+/CaM and attained a maximal value of 74 +/- 5% of the total activity within 1-2 min. Subsequent to the generation of this partially Ca2+-independent form of PSD CaM-kinase II, addition of EGTA to the autophosphorylation reaction resulted in further stimulation of 32PO4 incorporation into both kinase subunits and a loss of stimulation of the kinase by Ca2+/CaM. Examination of the sites of Ca2+-dependent autophosphorylation by phosphoamino acid analysis and peptide mapping of both kinase subunits suggested that phosphorylation of Thr286/287 of the alpha- and beta-subunits, respectively, may be responsible for the transition of PSD CaM-kinase II to the Ca2+-independent species. A synthetic peptide 281-309 corresponding to a portion of the regulatory domain (residues 281-314) of the soluble kinase inhibited syntide-2 phosphorylation by the Ca2+-independent form of PSD CaM-kinase II (IC50 = 3.6 +/- 0.8 microM). Binding of Ca2+/CaM to peptide 281-309 abolished its inhibitory property. Phosphorylation of Thr286 in peptide 281-309 also decreased its inhibitory potency. These data suggest that CaM-kinase II in the PSD possesses regulatory properties and mechanisms of activation similar to the cytosolic form of CaM-kinase II.

Expression of a multifunctional Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase and mutational analysis of its autoregulation

Autophosphorylation of multifunctional Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase converts it from a Ca2(+)-dependent to a Ca2(+)-independent or autonomous kinase, a process that may underlie some long-term enhancement of transient Ca2+ signals. We demonstrate that the neuronal alpha subunit clone expressed in COS-7 cells (alpha-CaM kinase) is sufficient to encode the regulatory phenomena characteristic of the multisubunit kinase isolated from brain. Activity of alpha-CaM kinase is highly dependent on Ca2+/calmodulin. It is converted by autophosphorylation to an enzyme capable of Ca2(+)-independent (autonomous) substrate phosphorylation and autophosphorylation. Using site-directed mutagenesis, we separately eliminate five putative autophosphorylation sites within the regulatory domain and directly examine their individual roles. Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent kinase activity is fully retained by each mutant, but Thr286 is unique among the sites in being indispensable for generation of an autonomous kinase.

Purification and characterization of calmodulin-stimulated protein kinase II from two-day and adult chicken forebrain

Soluble calmodulin-stimulated protein kinase II has been purified from 2-day and adult chicken forebrain. At both ages the holoenzyme eluted from a Superose-6B column with an apparent molecular weight of approximately 700,000 daltons and contained three subunits. The subunits were found to be the counterparts of the alpha, beta, and beta' subunits of the enzyme purified from adult rat brain in that they had one-dimensional phosphopeptide maps that were indistinguishable from those of the corresponding subunit in the rat enzyme and they migrated in SDS-polyacrylamide gels with the same apparent molecular weights. However, the doublet formed by the beta subunit was much more clearly resolved in the chicken enzyme and the beta' subunit, which was much more abundant in the adult chicken than in the adult rat, was also found to be a doublet. The ratio of the concentrations of the alpha and beta subunits changed during development. By autoradiography following autophosphorylation, the alpha:beta ratios of the 2-day and adult enzymes were 0.89 +/- 0.07 and 1.92 +/- 0.26, respectively; by silver staining the alpha:beta ratios were 0.95 +/- 0.11 and 1.85 +/- 0.17, respectively. The concentration of the beta' subunit was equal to that of the beta subunit at both ages. Autophosphorylation produced a decrease in the electrophoretic mobility of the alpha and beta subunits in SDS-polyacrylamide gels and a marked decrease in the calcium dependence of the substrate phosphorylation activity of the enzyme at both ages. The purified enzyme from chicken brain appeared to be more stable under standard in vitro assay conditions than the rat enzyme, and this was particularly so for the enzyme from 2-day forebrain.

Presence of calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II in nerve terminals of rat brain

Calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase type II, a multimeric 550-650 kilodalton enzyme composed of major alpha (50 kilodalton) and beta/beta' (60/58 kilodalton) subunits, is present in high concentrations in mammalian brain. Previous immunocytochemical studies indicated that the enzyme is enriched in cell bodies and dendrites, but did not show a clear-cut localization in nerve terminals. The present study presents evidence, using lesion-induced degenerations of pre- and postsynaptic neuronal populations in the neostriatum and substantia nigra, that calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II, as measured both by autophosphorylation of enzyme subunits and by synapsin I kinase activity, is present in high concentrations in several populations of presynaptic terminals. Lesions of the corticostriatal tract decreased the amount of enzyme by 30-40% in the neostriatum, a decrease similar to that seen in the same region of synapsin I, a general nerve terminal marker. Lesions of the striatonigral tract induced an even more pronounced decrease of the enzyme in the substantia nigra; this decrease was larger than the lesion-induced change of synapsin I seen in the same region. Our data therefore indicate that certain nerve terminal populations in the rat brain contain high levels of calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II.

Affinity labeling of the ATP-binding site of type II calmodulin-dependent protein kinase by 5'-p-fluorosulfonylbenzoyl adenosine

Modification of the type II calmodulin-dependent protein kinase by 5'-p-fluorosulfonylbenzoyl adenosine (FSBA) resulted in a time-dependent inactivation of the enzyme. The reaction followed pseudo-first-order kinetics and showed a nonlinear dependence on reagent concentration. The rate of inactivation was sensitive to Mg2+- and calmodulin-induced conformational changes on the enzyme. However, the enhancing effects of these ligands were not additive; indeed, the kinetic parameters of the Mg2+-stimulated inactivation reaction with FSBA (Kinact = 2.4 mM; kappa max = 0.12 min-1) were almost unaffected by the simultaneous addition of calmodulin (Kinact = 1.5 mM; kappa max = 0.086 min-1). Protection from inactivation by FSBA was provided by Mg2+-ADP which is consistent with modification of the catalytic site. An analysis of the protective effect of Mg2+-ADP in the absence (Kd = 590 microM) and presence (Kd = 68 microM) of calmodulin demonstrated that binding of the modulator protein to the enzyme increases the affinity of the protein kinase for nucleotides. Modification by FSBA resulted in labeling of both Tyr and Lys residues but only labeling of Lys was decreased by Mg2+-ADP which is consistent with the hypothesis that a conserved Lys residue is important in nucleotide binding to the protein kinase. However, the kinetic results of the inactivation reaction suggest that this Lys is not involved in mediating the calmodulin-promoted increase in the affinity of the enzyme for Mg2+-nucleotide complexes.

Cell-specific localization of the alpha-subunit of calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II in Purkinje cells in rodent cerebellum

Brain calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase type II, a multimeric 600-650 kDa enzyme composed of alpha- (50 kDa) and beta/beta' (60 and 58 kDa) subunits, may be formed by alpha- and beta-subunits combining in variable proportions in different types of neurons. This study presents evidence, using cerebella from mutant mice, that the alpha-subunit displays a restricted localization in the rodent cerebellum, being detectable only in Purkinje cells. Immunocytochemical analysis of normal rat cerebellum with an antibody selective for the alpha-subunit confirmed that this subunit was detectable only in Purkinje cells. In contrast, the beta/beta'-subunits appeared to be present in all types of cerebellar mutants examined. These results indicate that different cells of the cerebellum express distinct isozymic forms of the multifunctional calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase type II. It appears that Purkinje cells primarily contain an isoenzyme formed by both alpha- and beta/beta'-subunits, and that non-Purkinje cells contain an isoenzyme formed primarily by beta/beta'-subunits.

Membrane and cytoplasmic structure at synaptic junctions in the mammalian central nervous system

Application of rapid freezing, freeze substitution fixation, and freeze fracture techniques to the study of synaptic junctions in the mammalian central nervous system has revealed new aspects of synaptic structure that are consistent with and partially explicate advances in synaptic biochemistry and physiology. In the axoplasm adjacent to the presynaptic active zone, synaptic vesicles are linked to large spectrin-like filamentous proteins by shorter proteins that resemble synapsin I in morphology. This mesh of presynaptic filamentous proteins serves to concentrate synaptic vesicles in the vicinity of the active zone. The affinity with which the vesicles are bound by the mesh is probably modulated by the extent of phosphorylation at specific sites on the constituent filamentous proteins, and changes in the binding affinity result in changes in transmitter release. The structural organization of the postsynaptic density in Purkinje cell dendritic spines consists of very fine strands with adherent, heterogeneous globular proteins. Some of these globular proteins probably correspond to protein kinases and their substrates. The postsynaptic density, positioned at the site of the maximal depolarization caused by synaptic currents, apparently serves as a supporting framework for a variety of proteins, which respond to and transduce postsynaptic depolarization. At least two classes of filamentous protein fill the cytoplasm of spines with a complex mesh, which presumably contributes to maintenance of the spine shape. Membrane bound cisterns are a ubiquitous feature of Purkinje cell dendritic spines. Studies of rapidly frozen tissue with electron probe microanalysis and elemental imaging reveal that these cisterns take up and sequester calcium, which is derived from the extracellular space, and which probably enters the spine as part of the synaptic current.