A calpain-like proteolytic activity produces the limited cleavage at the N-terminal regulatory domain of rabbit skeletal muscle AMP deaminase: evidence of a protective molecular mechanism

On storage at 4 degrees C, rabbit skeletal muscle AMP deaminase undergoes limited proteolysis with the conversion of the native 85-kDa enzyme subunit to a 75-kDa core that is resistant to further proteolysis. Further studies have shown that limited proteolysis of AMP deaminase with trypsin, removing the 95-residue N-terminal fragment, converts the native enzyme to a species that exhibits hyperbolic kinetics even at low K+ concentration. The results of this report show that a 21-residue synthetic peptide, when incubated with the purified enzyme, is cleaved with a specificity identical to that reported for ubiquitous calpains. In addition, the cleavage of a specific fluorogenic peptide substrate by rabbit m-calpain is inhibited by a synthetic peptide that corresponds to residues 10-17 of rabbit skeletal muscle AMP deaminase; this peptide contains a sequence (K-E-L-D-D-A) that is present in the fourth subdomain A of rabbit calpastatin, suggesting that the N-terminus of AMP deaminase shares with calpastatin a regulatory sequence that might exert a protective role against the fragmentation-induced activation of AMP deaminase. These observations suggest that a calpain-like proteinase present in muscle removes from AMP deaminase a domain that holds the enzyme in an inactive conformation and which also contains a regulatory region that protects against unregulated proteolysis. We conclude that proteolysis of AMP deaminase is the basis of the large ammonia accumulation that occurs in skeletal muscle subjected to strong tetanic contraction or passing into rigor mortis.     

Developmental forms of human skeletal-muscle AMP deaminase. The kinetic and regulatory properties of the enzyme.

AMP deaminase isoforms from human skeletal muscle can be separated chromatographically [Kaletha, Spychała & Nowak (1987) Experientia 43, 440-443]. In adult tissue nearly all the AMP deaminase activity was eluted from phosphocellulose with 0.75 M-KCl (''adult'' isoform), and the remaining activity could be eluted with 2.0 M-KCl. Conversely, most of the AMP deaminase activity from 11-week-old fetal tissue was eluted from phosphocellulose with 2.0 M-KCl (''fetal'' isoform). In the present paper the kinetic and regulatory properties of AMP deaminase extracted from 11- and 16-week-old fetal skeletal muscle are reported. The two isoforms from 11-week-old human fetus differed distinctly in these properties. The ''fetal'' isoform had about 5-fold higher half-saturation constant (S0.5) value than the ''adult'' form. It was also more sensitive to the influence of some important regulatory ligands (ADP, ATP and Pi), and exhibited a different pH/activity profile. The ''adult'' isoform of AMP deaminase from fetal muscle and the enzyme from mature muscle possessed similar kinetic and regulatory properties. This isoform seems not to be subject to any major modifications during further ontogenesis. This is not true, however, for the ''fetal'' isoform. In the muscle of 16-week-old human fetus, the ''fetal'' isoform showed a peculiar, biphasic, type of substrate-saturation kinetics. This phenomenon may reflect appearance of the next, developmentally programmed, isoform of human skeletal-muscle AMP deaminase.     

Adenylate deaminase deficiency in a mutant murine T cell lymphoma cell line

From a population of wild type S49 cells, a clone, DTB6, was isolated in a single step from selective medium containing thymidine and dibutyryl cyclic AMP that exhibited a 60% deficiency in AMP deaminase (AMP-D) activity. The AMP-D deficiency conferred to the DTB6 cells a striking susceptibility to killing by low concentrations of either adenine or adenosine, the latter in the presence of an inhibitor of adenosine deaminase activity. This growth supersensitivity of DTB6 cells toward adenine could be ameliorated by the addition of hypoxanthine to the culture medium. Immunoprecipitation of AMP-D from wild type and mutant cells revealed that the DTB6 cell line contained markedly diminished amounts of the AMP-D isozyme which reacts with antisera to the predominant isoform expressed in adult kidney. The quantities of the AMP-D isozyme immunoprecipitated by antisera raised to the predominant isoform prepared from adult heart were equivalent in the two cell lines. Although Northern blot analyses revealed no alterations in mRNA sizes or levels encoded by either of the AMP-D genes, Southern blots of genomic DNA hybridized to a cDNA specific for the ampd2 gene revealed the presence of a new BamHI restriction fragment in the DNA of DTB6 cells. These data suggested that a point mutation has occurred in the ampd2 gene of DTB6 cells which encodes the AMP-D isozyme recognized by the kidney antisera. The DTB6 cells also possessed a virtual complete deficiency in thymidine kinase activity. The two enzyme deficiencies were distinguishable. The ability to isolate single step mutants with two seemingly independent biochemical abnormalities raises the speculation that there may be some link between cellular functions responsible for purine nucleotide and thymidine metabolism.     

Identification of the GTP-binding protein encoded by Gi3 complementary DNA

Three closely related, but distinct, GTP-binding proteins (G-proteins) are encoded by cDNAs arbitrarily designated Gi1, Gi2, and Gi3. The in vitro translated products of mRNAs prepared from Gi1, Gi2, and Gi3 cDNAs migrate as 41-, 40-, and 41-kDa proteins, respectively, on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels. Antisera were raised against synthetic decapeptides corresponding to a divergent sequence (residues 159-168 for Gi1 and Gi3; 160-169 for Gi2) of the three cDNAs and tested on immunoblots for reactivity with three purified G-proteins, G41 and G40 from brain and G41 from HL-60 cells. LD antisera (Gi1 peptide) react only with brain G41. LE antisera (Gi2 peptide) react only with brain G40, and SQ antisera (Gi3 peptide) react exclusively with HL-60 G41. The results indicate that the 41-kDa G-protein purified from HL-60 cells differs from the purified brain 41-kDa protein and suggest that the HL-60 cell protein corresponds to that encoded by Gi3 cDNA.     

Co- and post-translational processing of the hevein preproprotein of latex of the rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis)

Hevein is a chitin-binding protein of 43 amino acids found in the lutoid body-enriched fraction of rubber tree latex. A hevein cDNA clone (HEV1) (Broekaert, W., Lee, H.-i., Kush, A., Nam, C.-H., and Raikhel, N. (1990) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 87, 7633-7637) encodes a putative signal sequence of 17 amino acids followed by a polypeptide of 187 amino acids. Interestingly, this polypeptide has two distinct domains: an amino-terminal domain of 43 amino acids, corresponding to mature hevein, and a carboxyl-terminal domain of 144 amino acids. To investigate the mechanisms involved in processing of the protein encoded by HEV1, three domain-specific antisera were raised against fusion proteins harboring the amino-terminal domain (N domain), carboxyl-terminal domain (C domain), and both domains (NC domain). Translocation experiments using an in vitro translation system show that the first 17-amino acid sequence encoded by the cDNA functions as a signal peptide. Immunoblot analysis of proteins extracted from lutoid bodies demonstrates that a 5-kDa protein comigrated with purified mature hevein and cross-reacted with N domain- and NC domain-specific antibodies. A 14-kDa protein was recognized by C domain- and NC domain-specific antibodies. A 20-kDa protein was cross-reactive with all three antibodies. Microsequencing data further suggest that the 5-kDa (amino-terminal domain) and 14-kDa (carboxyl-terminal domain) proteins are post-translational cleavage products of the 20-kDa polypeptide (both domains) which corresponds to the proprotein encoded by HEV1. In addition, it was found that the amino-terminal domain could provide chitin-binding properties to a fusion protein bearing it either amino terminally or carboxyl terminally.     

The relationship between the two forms of glycogen phosphorylase in Dictyostelium discoideum

The cellular slime mold, Dictyostelium disoideum, provides an ideal model system to study eukaryotic cell differentiation. In D. discoideum, glycogen degradation provides precursors for the synthesis of developmentally regulated structural products. The enzyme responsible for glycogen degradation, glycogen phosphorylase, exists in active and inactive forms. The active, or 'a' form, is independent of 5'adenosine monophosphate (5'AMP) while the inactive, or 'b' form, is 5'AMP-dependent. The activity of the 'b' form predominates early in development, while the activity of the 'a' form peaks in mid-late development; their combined specific activities remain constant at any point. Polyclonal antibodies raised to the purified forms of this enzyme showed low cross-reactivity. The anti-'a' serum reacted with a 104-kDa protein that was associated with phosphorylase 'a' activity; the anti-'b' serum reacted with a 92-kDa protein that was associated with phosphorylase 'b' activity and weakly cross-reacted with the 104-kDa protein. Immunoblots of peptide maps of the purified enzyme forms showed that each antibody was specific for the proteolytic fragments of its respective antigen. We also demonstrated in vitro phosphorylation of the 'b' form by an endogenous protein kinase. Cyclic AMP perturbation of intact cells caused induction of both phosphorylase-'a' activity and the 104-kDa protein. Immunotitration data suggested that the 'a' form accumulates due to de novo protein synthesis, although this result must be interpreted with caution.     

Smooth muscle myosin light chain kinase expression in cardiac and skeletal muscle

The purpose of this study was to characterize myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) expression in cardiac and skeletal muscle. The only classic MLCK detected in cardiac tissue, purified cardiac myocytes, and in a cardiac myocyte cell line (AT1) was identical to the 130-kDa smooth muscle MLCK (smMLCK). A complex pattern of MLCK expression was observed during differentiation of skeletal muscle in which the 220-kDa-long or "nonmuscle" form of MLCK is expressed in undifferentiated myoblasts. Subsequently, during myoblast differentiation, expression of the 220-kDa MLCK declines and expression of this form is replaced by the 130-kDa smMLCK and a skeletal muscle-specific isoform, skMLCK in adult skeletal muscle. These results demonstrate that the skMLCK is the only tissue-specific MLCK, being expressed in adult skeletal muscle but not in cardiac, smooth, or nonmuscle tissues. In contrast, the 130-kDa smMLCK is ubiquitous in all adult tissues, including skeletal and cardiac muscle, demonstrating that, although the 130-kDa smMLCK is expressed at highest levels in smooth muscle tissues, it is not a smooth muscle-specific protein.     

Isolation and regulation of piglet cardiac AMP deaminase

The properties of piglet cardiac AMP deaminase were determined and its regulation by pH, phosphate, nucleotides and phosphorylation is described. AMP deaminase purified from the ventricles of newborn piglet hearts displayed hyperbolic kinetics with a K_m of 2 mM for 5-AMP. The enzyme had a pH optimum of 7.0 and was strongly inhibited by inorganic phosphate. ATP decreased the K_m of the native enzyme 3-fold, but did not significantly block the inhibitory effects of phosphate. Kinetic parameters were not significantly altered in the presence of adenosine, cyclic AMP and NAD⁺, whereas, the K_m was decreased by 50% in the presence of NADH. Piglet cardiac AMP deaminase was phosphorylated by protein kinase C, resulting in a 2-fold increase in V_max with no change in K_m. However, incubation with cAMP-dependent protein kinase did not affect enzyme kinetics. The 80-85 kD protein subunit of piglet cardiac AMP deaminase immunoreacted with antisera raised against human erythrocyte AMP deaminase, rabbit heart AMP deaminase and human recombinant AMP deaminase 3 (isoform E). These results are discussed in relation to in situ AMP deaminase activity in neonatal piglet heart myocytes.     

Polyclonal antibodies to rabbit skeletal muscle protein phosphatases C-I and C-II

Polyclonal antibodies against rabbit skeletal muscle phosphatases C-I and C-II were raised in goats and in mice. The goat polyclonal antibodies to phosphatases C-I and C-II were examined for their ability to immunoblot the purified enzymes and crude rabbit muscle extracts. In preparations of phosphatases C-I and C-II that were apparently homogeneous, the expected ca. 35- to 38-kDa polypeptides were immunoblotted, but, in addition, immunoblotting of a 67-kDa polypeptide was observed. Both the antisera blotted only the 67-kDa polypeptide in crude rabbit muscle extracts and not the expected 35- to 38-kDa polypeptides. These findings are qualitatively similar to those reported previously (D.L. Brautigan et al. (1985) J. Biol. Chem. 260, 4295-4305) where immunoblotting experiments with a sheep antisera to phosphatase C-I indicated that the ca. 35-kDa polypeptide originates from a 70-kDa precursor. On further investigation, it was found that our antisera were strongly immunoreactive to rabbit serum albumin. The antisera blotted purified rabbit albumin, but not bovine serum albumin. After passage through a rabbit albumin-Sepharose column, the antisera lost immunoreactivity to rabbit albumin, and no longer blotted the ca. 70-kDa band in muscle extracts or in purified enzyme preparations. These findings show that the phosphatase preparations contained traces of albumin which produced a strong antigenic reaction. Production of antisera in BALB/c mice produced similar results; i.e., an antibody to the low-molecular-weight phosphatases was produced that was also a strong antibody to rabbit albumin. This antibody could be removed by affinity adsoption on rabbit albumin-Sepharose columns. In addition, the antibodies to phosphatase C-I displayed no cross-reactivity to phosphatase C-II, while antibodies to C-II showed no cross-reactivity to phosphatase C-I by immunoblotting methods.     

AMP deaminase: Stage-specific isozymes in differentiating chick muscle

The molecular basis of the developmental increase in AMP deaminase activity in chick muscle was investigated with a view toward determining whether isozymes of AMP deaminase exist in embryonic avian muscle and, if so, whether a stage-specific isozyme transition occurs during myogenesis in vivo and in vitro. Under specified conditions, AMP deaminase isozymes in adult chicken brain and muscle may be distinguished on the basis of differences in relative substrate specificities for 5′-dAMP and 5′-AMP (expressed as a ratio of the rates observed with these compounds; i.e., $\text{dAMP}\text{AMP}$ ratios), as well as by differential immunoinactivation by antibody directed against breast muscle AMP deaminase. It was found that the AMP deaminase(s) that is (are) present in 6-day embryos is (are) catalytically and immunologically similar to the enzyme in adult brain. With mixtures of known amounts of adult muscle and brain enzymes, values for the $\text{dAMP}\text{AMP}$ ratio (as well as the fraction of uninactivated AMP deaminase at antibody excess) were proportional to the fraction of muscle isozyme present. Standard curves constructed from these data were used to determine that the fraction of adult muscle-like AMP deaminase in developing muscle, as assessed by $\text{dAMP}\text{AMP}$ ratios (and differential immunoinactivation), on days 6, 8, 10, and 15 were 23 (28), 55 (65), 83 (85), and 93% (96), respectively, Thus, parallel results were obtained for the two techniques, and the isozyme transition is virtually complete by the 15th day of incubation. Primary muscle cultures were used to investigate the isozyme transition of AMP deaminase during myogenesis in vitro. Comparison of the data obtained from primary muscle cultures treated with bromodeoxyuridine, cytosine arabinoside, and fluorodeoxyuridine with data from control cultures showed that biochemical differentiation of AMP deaminase in vitro could be attributed to the muscle cell. Also, the isozyme composition changed from a small percentage of adult muscle-like isozyme at the time of plating, to approximately 100% by the 6th day of culture.     

Interaction of rat muscle AMP deaminase with myosin. I. Biochemical study of the interaction of AMP deaminase and myosin in rat muscle.

AMP deaminase was completely solubilized from rat skeletal muscle with 50 mM Tris-HCl buffer (pH 7.0) containing KCl at a concentration of 0.3 M or more. The purified enzyme was found to be bound to rat muscle myosin or actomyosin, but not to F-actin at KCl concentrations of less than 0.3 M. Kinetic analysis indicated that 1 mol of AMP deaminase was bound to 3 mol of myosin and that the dissociation constant (Kd) of this binding was 0.06 micrometer. It was also shown that AMP deaminase from muscle interacted mainly with the light meromyosin portion of the myosin molecule. This finding differs from that of Ashby and coworkers on rabbit muscle AMP deaminase, probably due to a difference in the properties of rat and rabbit muscle AMP deaminase. AMP deaminase isozymes from rat liver, kidney and cardiac muscle did not interact with rat muscle myosin. The physiological significance of this binding of AMP deaminase to myosin is discussed.     

An alternative non-tyrosine protein kinase product of the c-src gene in chicken skeletal muscle.

While the c-src locus is expressed as a 4.0-kilobase (kb) mRNA coding for pp60c-src in various chicken tissues, including embryonic muscle, it is expressed as a novel 3.0-kb mRNA in adult skeletal muscle. We have analyzed the primary structure of this alternatively transcribed and spliced c-src mRNA. The sequence revealed three open reading frames, with the previously defined c-src exons 1 through 5 or 6 comprising the third, on the 3' untranslated region of this 3-kb mRNA. The exons coding for the tyrosine kinase domain of pp60c-src were excluded. On the 5' side, 2 kb of sequence upstream from the previously defined exon 1 of the c-src gene was included in this mRNA. The start site for the 3-kb mRNA probably lies downstream of that for the 4-kb mRNA. The first reading frame of the 3.0-kb mRNA, called sur (for src upstream region), encoded a 24-kilodalton (kDa) protein product rich in cysteine and proline residues. In vitro analysis indicated that the 24-kDa sur protein was membrane associated. Antibodies to sur protein detected in vivo a 24-kDa muscle-specific protein which was developmentally regulated and corresponded to the switch from the 4-kb to the 3-kb c-src mRNA. A striking kinetic pattern of appearance of sur protein and disappearance of pp60c-src suggests that the expression of these two proteins is inversely related.