L-type Calcium Channel alpha1C Subunit Research Articles

Altered expression of L-type calcium channel alpha1C and alpha1D subunits in colon of rats with diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome

To investigate the molecular identities of L-type calcium channel alpha1C subunit (Cav1.2) and alpha1D subunit (Cav1.3) responsible for motor dysfunction of diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (D-IBS). A total of 30 male Wistar rats were randomly divided into two groups. The traditional method for irritable bowel syndrome in a cold environment and intragastric administration of Folium Cassiae were combined to develop the D-IBS model. The fecal particles of rats and the water content in feces were measured. Then the expression of Cav1.2 and Cav1.3 mRNA was detected by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. The expressions of Cav1.2 and Cav1.3 were examined by immunohistochemistry in colonic tissues from D-IBS model rats and matched tissues. The fecal particles and the water content in feces of D-IBS model rats significantly increased as compared with the normal rats (6.8 +/- 1.4 vs 3.2 +/- 0.8, P = 0.032, 80% +/- 4% vs 47% +/- 5%, P = 0.018). Cav1.2 and Cav1.3 were positively expressed in colon of both model group and control group rats. The immunohistochemical scores of Cav1.2 and Cav1.3 expression increased in colon of D-IBS model rats as compared with those in normal control rats (3.43 +/- 0.92 vs 2.82 +/- 0.60, P = 0.034, 4.32 +/- 0.51 vs 3.75 +/- 1.05, P = 0.039). The immunohistochemical scores of Cav1.3 expression were significantly higher than Cav1.2 in colon of both two group rats (P = 0.003, 0.005). Similarly, the expression of Cav1.2 and Cav1.3 mRNA increased in colon of D-IBS model rats as compared with those in normal control rats (1.18 +/- 0.15 vs 1.06 +/- 0.12, P = 0.023, 1.32 +/- 0.13 vs 1.23 +/- 0.13, P = 0.033). The expression of Cav1.3 mRNA was significantly higher than Cav1.2 in colon of both two group rats (P = 0.038, 0.012). The traditional modeling of irritable bowel syndrome in rats alters the expression of Cav1.2 and Cav1.3. It may be directly related to the generation of enhanced colonic contraction in D-IBS. In addition, Cav1.3 may play a more important role than Cav1.2 in colonic contractility. It offers another potential therapeutic target in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome.

New insights into the function and regulation of vitamin D target proteins

Calbindin-D28k has been reported to be a facilitator of calcium diffusion and to protect against apoptotic cell death. Most recently, we found that the presence of calbindin-D28k results in reduced calcium influx through voltage-dependent L-type Ca2+ channels and enhanced sensitivity of the channels to calcium dependent inactivation. Co-immunoprecipitation and GST pull down assays indicate that calbindin-D28k interacts with the C-terminus of the L-type calcium channel alpha1c subunit (Cav1.2). This is the first report of the binding of calbindin to a calcium channel and provides new insight concerning mechanisms by which calbindin acts to modulate intracellular calcium. Besides calbindin, another major target of 1,25(OH)2D3 is 24(OH)ase, which is involved in the catabolism of 1,25(OH)2D3. We reported that C/EBPβ is a major transcriptional activator of 24(OH)ase that cooperates with CBP/p300 in regulating VDR mediated 24(OH)ase transcription. Recently, we found, in addition to p160 coactivators, that SWI/SNF complexes (that facilitate transcription by remodeling chromatin using the energy of ATP hydrolysis) are also involved in VDR mediated 24(OH)ase transcription and functionally cooperate with C/EBPβ in regulating 24(OH)ase. These findings define novel mechanisms that may be of fundamental importance in understanding how 1,25(OH)2D3 mediates its multiple biological effects.

Characterization of auto-regulation of the human cardiac alpha1 subunit of the L-type calcium channel: importance of the C-terminus.

The carboxyl terminal of the L-type calcium channel alpha1C subunit comprises approximately one third of the primary structure of the alpha1 subunit (> 700 amino acids residues). This region is sensitive to limited posttranslational processing. In heart and brain the alpha1C subunits are found to be truncated but the C-terminal domain remains functionally present. Based on our previous data we hypothesized that the distal C-terminus (approximately residues 1650-1950) harbors an important, predominantly inhibitory domain. We generated C-terminal-truncated alpha1C mutants, and after expressing them in combination with a beta3 subunit in HEK-293 cells, electrophysiological experiments were carried out. In order to dissect the important inhibitory part of the C-terminus, trypsin was dialyzed into the cells. The data provide evidence that there are multiple residues within the inhibitory domain that are crucial to the inhibitory process as well as to the enhancement of expressed current by intracellular application of proteases. In addition, the expression of the chimeric mutant alpha(1C)delta1673-DRK1 demonstrated that the C-terminal is specific for the heart channel.

Developmental regulation of the L-type calcium channel alpha1C subunit expression in heart.

We used Northern analyses, RNase protection assays and immunoblot analyses to examine the relationship among developmental age of the heart, abundance of mRNA and L-type calcium channel alpha1C subunit protein, and to establish the size of the native protein in heart. Northern analysis, RNase protection assays, and immunoblots were used to study RNA and protein from rat heart of various ages. In fetal and adult ventricles there was a predominant 8.3-kb transcript for the alpha1C subunit with no change in transcript size during development. RNase protection assays demonstrated a 2-fold increase in abundance of the DHP receptor message during postnatal development. Immunoblots identified a 240 kD protein, corresponding to the predicted molecular mass of the full length alpha1C subunit. No change in size of protein for the alpha1C subunit was observed at any developmental stage and there was no evidence for a truncated isoform. There was an approximate 2-fold increase in alpha1C subunit protein in ventricular homogenates during postnatal development. Thus, in the developing rat heart, alterations in calcium channel properties during development appear to result neither from alternative splicing that produces a smaller transcript for the alpha1C subunit nor from expression of a truncated protein, but at least in part from transcriptionally-regulated expression of the 240 kDa polypepde.