Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II regulates colon cancer proliferation and migration via ERK1/2 and p38 pathways

AIM To investigate the role of calmodulin-dependent protein kinase Ⅱ(Ca MKⅡ) in colon cancer growth,migration and invasion.METHODS Ca MKⅡ expression in colon cancer and paracancerous tissues was evaluated via immunochemistry. Transcriptional and posttranscriptional levels of Ca MKⅡin tissue samples and MMP2,MMP9 and TIMP-1 expression in the human colon cancer cell line HCT116 were assessed by q RTPCR and western blot. Cell proliferation was detected with the MTT assay. Cancer cell migration and invasion were investigated with the Transwell culture system and woundhealing assay.RESULTS We first demonstrated that CaMK Ⅱ was ove rexpressed in human colon cancers and was associated with cancer differentiation. In the human colon cancer cell line HCT116,the Ca MKII-specific inhibitor KN93,but not its inactive analogue KN92,decreased cancer cell proliferation. Furthermore,KN93 also significantly prohibited HCT116 cell migration and invasion. The specific inhibition of ERK1/2 or p38 decreased the proliferation and migration of colon cancer cells.CONCLUSION Our findings highlight Ca MKⅡ as a potential critical mediator in human colon tumor development and metastasis.

Tale of two kinases:Protein kinase A and Ca^(2+)/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase Ⅱ in pre-diabetic cardiomyopathy

Metabolic syndrome is a pre-diabetic state characterized by several biochemical and physiological alterations,including insulin resistance,visceral fat accumulation,and dyslipidemias,which increase the risk for developing cardiovascular disease.Metabolic syndrome is associated with augmented sympathetic tone,which could account for the etiology of pre-diabetic cardiomyopathy.This review summarizes the current knowledge of the pathophysiological consequences of enhanced and sustainedβ-adrenergic response in pre-diabetes,focusing on cardiac dysfunction reported in diet-induced experimental models of pre-diabetic cardiomyopathy.The research reviewed indicates that both protein kinase A and Ca^(2+)/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase Ⅱ play important roles in functional responses mediated byβ1-adrenoceptors;therefore,alterations in the expression or function of these kinases can be deleterious.This review also outlines recent information on the role of protein kinase A and Ca^(2+)/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase Ⅱ in abnormal Ca^(2+)handling by cardiomyocytes from diet-induced models of pre-diabetic cardiomyopathy.

Cloning and Characterization of a Homologous Ca^(2+)/Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase PSKH1 from Pearl Oyster Pinctada fucata

Many of the effects of Ca^2＋ signaling are mediated through the Ca^2＋/calmodulin complex and its acceptors, the Ca^2＋/calmodulin-dependent protein kinases, including PSKHI. Studies of the proteins involved in the calcium metabolism in oysters will help elucidate the pearl formation mechanism. This paper describes a full-length PSKH1 cDNA isolated from pearl oyster Pinctada fucata. Oyster PSKH1 shares 65% homology with human PSKH1 and 48% similarity with rat CaM kinase I in the amino acid sequence, and contains a calmodulin-binding domain. The results of semi-quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and in situ hybridization revealed that oyster PSKH1 mRNA is highly expressed in the outer epithelial cells of the mantle pallial and in the gill epithelial cells. These studies provide important information describing the complex Ca^2＋ signaling mechanism in oyster calcium metabolism.

Phosphorylation of OsRbohB by the protein kinase OsDMI3 promotes H_(2)O_(2) production to potentiate ABA responses in rice

In rice, the Ca^(2+)/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase OsDMI3 is an important positive regulator of abscisic acid (ABA) signaling. In ABA signaling, H_(2)O_(2) is required for ABA-induced activation of OsDMI3, which in turn increase H_(2)O_(2) production. However, how OsDMI3 regulates H_(2)O_(2) production in ABA signaling remains unknown. Here we show that OsRbohB is the main NADPH oxidase involved in ABA-induced H_(2)O_(2) production and ABA-mediated physiological responses. OsDMI3 directly interacts with and phosphorylates OsRbohB at Ser-191, which is OsDMI3-mediated site-specific phosphorylation in ABA signaling. Further analyses revealed that OsDMI3-mediated OsRbohB Ser-191 phosphorylation positively regulates the activity of NADPH oxidase and the production of H_(2)O_(2) in ABA signaling, thereby enhancing the sensitivity of seed germination and root growth to ABA and plant tolerance to water stress and oxidative stress. Moreover, we discovered that the OsDMI3-mediated OsRbohB phosphorylation and H_(2)O_(2) production is dependent on the sucrose non-fermenting 1-related protein kinases SAPK8/9/10, which phosphorylate OsRbohB at Ser-140 in ABA signaling. Taken together, these results not only reveal an important regulatory mechanism that directly activates Rboh for ABA-induced H_(2)O_(2) production but also uncover the importance of this regulatory mechanism in ABA signaling.

GLYX-13 pretreatment ameliorates long-term isoflurane exposure-induced cognitive impairment in mice

Accumulating evidence indicates that inhalation anesthetics induce or increase the risk of cognitive impairment. GLYX-13（rapastinel） acts on the glycine site of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors（NMDARs） and has been shown to enhance hippocampus-dependent learning and memory function. However, the mechanisms by which GLYX-13 affects learning and memory function are still unclear. In this study, we investigated these mechanisms in a mouse model of long-term anesthesia exposure. Mice were intravenously administered 1 mg/kg GLYX-13 at 2 hours before isoflurane exposure（1.5% for 6 hours）. Cognitive function was assessed using the contextual fear conditioning test and the novel object recognition test. The mRNA expression and phosphorylated protein levels of NMDAR pathway components, N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor subunit 2B（NR2B）-Ca2+/calmodulin dependent protein kinase II（CaMKII）-cyclic adenosine monophosphate response element binding protein（CREB）, in the hippocampus were evaluated by quantitative RT-PCR and western blot assay. Pretreatment with GLYX-13 ameliorated isoflurane exposure-induced cognitive impairment and restored NR2B, CaMKII and CREB mRNA and phosphorylated protein levels. Intracerebroventricular injection of KN93, a selective CaMKII inhibitor, significantly diminished the effect of GLYX-13 on cognitive function and NR2B, CaMKII and CREB levels in the hippocampus. Taken together, our findings suggest that GLYX-13 pretreatment alleviates isoflurane-induced cognitive dysfunction by protecting against perturbation of the NR2B/CaMKII/CREB signaling pathway in the hippocampus. Therefore, GLYX-13 may have therapeutic potential for the treatment of anesthesia-induced cognitive dysfunction. This study was approved by the Experimental Animal Ethics Committee of Drum Tower Hospital affiliated to the Medical College of Nanjing University, China（approval No. 20171102） on November 20, 2017.

Tissue-type plasminogen activator is a homeostatic regulator of synaptic function in the central nervous system

Membrane depolarization induces the release of the serine proteinase tissue-type plasminogen activator（t PA） from the presynaptic terminal of cerebral cortical neurons.Once in the synaptic cleft this t PA promotes the exocytosis and subsequent endocytic retrieval of glutamate-containing synaptic vesicles,and regulates the postsynaptic response to the presynaptic release of glutamate.Indeed,t PA has a bidirectional effect on the composition of the postsynaptic density（PSD） that does not require plasmin generation or the presynaptic release of glutamate,but varies according to the baseline level of neuronal activity.Hence,in inactive neurons t PA induces phosphorylation and accumulation in the PSD of the Ca^（2＋）/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase IIα（pCa MKIIα）,followed by pCa MKIIα-induced phosphorylation and synaptic recruitment of Glu R1-containing α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid（AMPA） receptors.In contrast,in active neurons with increased levels of pCa MKIIα in the PSD t PA induces pCa MKIIα and p Glu R1 dephosphorylation and their subsequent removal from the PSD.These effects require active synaptic N-methyl-D-aspartate（NMDA） receptors and cyclin-dependent kinase 5（Cdk5）-induced phosphorylation of the protein phosphatase 1（PP1） at T320.These data indicate that t PA is a homeostatic regulator of the postsynaptic response of cerebral cortical neurons to the presynaptic release of glutamate via bidirectional regulation of the pCa MKIIα/PP1 switch in the PSD.

The Expression of Ca N and CaMK is Associated with Lipogenesis in the Muscle of Chicken

Intramuscular fat （IMF） content in chickens significantly contributes to meat quality. The main objective of this study was to assess the expression of calcineudn （CAN） and Ca^2＋/calmodutin-dependent protein kinase （CAME） in lipogene- sis in chicken muscle. The chickens were slaughtered and sampled at the ages of 4, 8, and 16 weeks, respectively. IMF content and the expression of CaN subunits and CaMK isoforms were measured in thigh muscle tissue. The results showed that the IMF contents were higher in chickens at the age of 16 weeks compared with those in chickens at the ages of 4 and 8 weeks （P〈0.05）. The expression levels of fatty acid synthase （FAS） and fatty acid translocase CD36 （FAT/CD36） mRNA in 16-week-old chickens were all significantly up-regulated compared with those in 4-week-old chickens （P〈0.05）. The mRNA levels of CaNB and CaMK IV in 16-week-old chickens were significantly lower than those in 4-week-old chickens （P〈0.05）. But the CaMK II mRNA levels in 16-week-old chickens were significantly higher than those in 4-week-old chickens （P〈0.05）. To investigate the roles of CaMK and CaN in adipogenesis, SV cells were incubated in standard adipogenesis medium for 24 h and treated with specific inhibitor of CaMK and CaN. The ex- pressions of CCAAT/enhancer binding protein β（C/EBPJ3）, sterol regulatory element- binding protein 1 （SREBP1） and peroxisome proliferation-activated receptor ）, （PPARy） were dramatically enhanced by CsA and CaN inhibitor （P〈0.05）. KN93, a CaMK Ⅱ inhibitor, dramatically repressed the expression of those lipogenic genes （P〈0.05）. All the results above indicated that CaN and CaMK had different effects on adipogenesis in the muscle of chickens.

Modulation of M4 muscarinic acetylcholine receptors by interacting proteins

Protein-protein interactions represent an important mechanism for posttranslational modifications of protein expression and function.In brain cells,surface-expressed and membrane-bound neurotransmitter receptors are common proteins that undergo dynamic protein-protein interactions between their intracellular domains and submembranous regulatory proteins.Recently,the Gφi/o -coupled muscarinic M4 receptor（M4R）has been revealed to be one of these receptors.Through direct interaction with the intracellular loops or C-terminal tails of M4Rs,M4R interacting proteins（M4RIPs）vigorously regulate the efficacy of M4R signaling.A synapse-enriched protein kinase,Ca2＋/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II （CaMKII）,exemplifies a prototype model of M4RIPs,and is capable of binding to the second intracellular loop of M4Rs. Through an activity-and phosphorylation-dependent mechanism,CaMKII potentiates the M4R/Gφi/o-mediated inhibition of M4R efficacy in inhibiting adenylyl cyclase and cAMP production.In striatal neurons where M4Rs are most abundantly expressed,M4RIPs dynamically control M4R activity to maintain a proper cholinergic tone in these neurons.This is critical for maintaining the acetylcholine-dopamine balance in the basal ganglia,which determines the behavioral responsiveness to dopamine stimulation by psychostimulants.

Analgesic effect of gabapentin in a rat model for chronic constrictive injury

Background Gabapentin has been widely and successfully used in the clinic for many neuropathic pain syndromes since last decade, however its analgesic mechanisms are still elusive. Our study was to investigate whether Ca^2＋/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase Ⅱ （CaMKⅡ） contributes to the analgesic effect of gabapentin on a chronic constriction injury （CCI） model. Methods Gabapentin （2%, 100 mg/kg） or saline （0.5 ml/100 g） was injected intraperitoneally 15 minutes prior to surgery and then every 12 hours from postoperative day 0-4 to all rats in control, sham and CCI groups. The analgesic effect of gabapentin was assessed by measuring mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia of rats. Expression and activation of CaMKⅡ were quantified by reverse-transcriptional polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting. Results The analgesic effect of gabapentin on mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia was significant in the CCI model, with maximal reduction reached on postoperative day 8. Gabapentin decreased the expression of the total CaMKⅡ and phosphorylated CaMKⅡ in CCI rats. Conclusion The analgesic effect of gabapentin on CCI rats may be related to the decreased expression and phosphorylation of CaMKⅡ in the spinal cord.