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Biomedical subjects

T Murachi

Publications and source records attributed to T Murachi.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1986

Rapid proteolysis of brain MAP-1 related cytoskeleton-associated 350kd protein by purified calpain.

Microtubule associated protein-1 of brain and its intracellular 350kd analogues were highly sensitive to purified Ca2+-dependent cysteine proteinase (calpain). After 15 second digestion, we detected intermediate degradation products of MAP-1 by immunoblotting using anti-MAP-1 antibody as 290, 260, 220, 170, 140, 112, 80, 68, and 32kd polypeptides. These values corresponded to the molecular weights of the immunoreactive polypeptides of microtubule-enriched cytoskeletons isolated from HeLa and SV-3Y1 cells, suggesting the action of endogenous calpain on intracellular MAP-1 analogues in vivo or during the course of preparation.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

The degradation of alpha-crystallin at its carboxyl-terminal portion by calpain in bovine lens.

Bovine lens calpain (Ca2+-dependent cysteine proteinase; EC 3.4.22.17) was shown to catalyze limited proteolysis of A and B chains of alpha-crystallin in vitro. The sites of cleavages were determined by isolating and analyzing the peptide fragments formed using several different methods, including high-performance liquid chromatography, cyanogen bromide cleavage, and carboxypeptidase digestion. The results indicated that calpain cleaved both A and B chains at their respective carboxyl-terminal regions. A chain was cleaved at A(Arg163-Glu164) bond and A(Ser162-Arg163) bond, the former being split with 2.4 times preference over the latter. B chain was cleaved at B(Thr170-Ala171) bond and B (Arg163-Glu164) bond, the former being preferred 6.5 times. Peptide cleavage at any other sites were not detected by the present method of analysis.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed1986

Distribution of calpains I and II in rat brain.

Calpains I and II are calcium-dependent proteases that have been implicated in several aspects of brain function, including neurofilament turnover, Wallerian degeneration, and excitatory synaptic transmission. In this study, specific affinity-purified antibodies against each of the enzymes were used to determine their cellular distribution in rat brain. Differences between the two were found throughout the brain, with calpain I being located primarily in neurons, whereas calpain II was more prominent in glial cells. In myelinated axons, calpain II was present at low levels but calpain I was not detectable. In all brain areas, both enzymes were concentrated in cell bodies, with lesser amounts in neuronal and glial processes. Calpain I was only detectable proximally in dendrites and was not found in spiny branchlets of either pyramidal or Purkinje cells. These results suggest that calpain II is the likely form of the enzyme involved in calcium-activated proteolytic phenomena in axons. They do not support the existence of a role for calpain at excitatory axospinous synapses.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Amidase-like activity of calpain I and calpain II on substance P and its related peptides.

Porcine calpains (Ca2+-dependent cysteine proteinases) I and II, which had been purified each to a homogeneous state, were found to hydrolyze specifically carboxyl-terminal amide of substance P and several other biologically active peptidyl amides. This amidase-like activity was demonstrated both by determining released ammonia and by separating products on high-performance liquid chromatography followed by amino acid analysis. The calpain-catalyzed deamidation of substance P occurred exclusively at the carboxyl-terminal amide, leaving the side-chain glutamine intact. Enkepharinamide and MSH-release inhibiting factor were scarcely deamidated. Calpains I and II showed similar specificities for these amide substances and similar profiles of inhibitions by various protease inhibitors, but distinctly different Ca2+ requirements. The specificity constants, kcat/Km, for substance P were found to be three to four orders of magnitude higher than those for the synthetic substrates.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1985

Selective localization of calpain I (the low-Ca2+-requiring form of Ca2+-dependent cysteine proteinase) in B-cells of human pancreatic islets.

An immunohistochemical study was performed to localize two distinct Ca2+-proteases (low-Ca2+-requiring calpain I and high-Ca2+-requiring calpain II) and their specific inhibitor (calpastatin) in human pancreas using the respective monospecific antibodies. Strongly positive staining by anti-calpain I antibody was found in pancreatic islets, specifically in B-cells, whereas the exocrine pancreatic tissue showed essentially no positive immunostaining. No such specific staining was found with anti-calpain II antibodies or anti-calpastatin antibodies. The results suggest that the Ca2+-dependent proteolysis in B-cells can be triggered by a small rise of the intracellular Ca2+ concentration without serious interference by the endogenous inhibitor.

Calcium↗
PubMed1985

Age-related changes of calpain II and alpha-crystallin in the lens of hereditary cataract (Nakano) mouse.

The age-related changes of calpain II (high-Ca2+-requiring form of Ca2+-dependent cysteine proteinase; EC 3.4.22.17) and alpha-crystallin in the lens of hereditary cataract (Nakano; cac/cac) mouse were studied. Before the onset of the cataract formation, i.e., at the end of the 2nd week after birth, the calpain activity in Nakano mice was as high as that in the control ICR mice, but it decreased rapidly as the cataract progressed to completion during the 4th and the 12th week. Marked degradation of lens proteins ensued between the 2nd and the 4th weeks, and one of these proteins was identified, using monospecific antibodies, as B chain of alpha-crystallin. A chain of alpha-crystallin was not degraded in vivo, in contrast to its known susceptibility to calpain in vitro. The present data suggest that in Nakano mice, calpain may be involved in the onset or early stage of the cataract formation.

Aging↗
PubMed1985

Evidence for heterodimeric nature of calpain molecules as studied by cross-linking modification.

Purified calpain I and calpain II from porcine erythrocytes and kidney were cross-linked with a bifunctional reagent, disuccinimidyl suberate, and the cross-linked products were analyzed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate. The major product had a molecular mass of 105 kDa, while the starting materials were resolved into 80-kDa and 30-kDa subunits. The cross-linking in the presence of 2 mM Ca2+ yielded several higher-molecular-weight species. The cross-linked products were shown to contain both the 80-kDa and 30-kDa proteins by means of immunoblotting with antibodies monospecific for the respective subunits, suggesting that the original calpain molecule existed in solution as an 80-kDa plus 30-kDa heterodimer and that Ca2+ induced closer association of these heterodimeric molecules.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Distribution of calpain I, calpain II, and calpastatin in bovine lens.

Two types of Ca2+-requiring cysteine proteinase (calpain, EC 3.4.22.17), which required for full activation 100 microM Ca2+ (calpain I) and 1 mM Ca2+ (calpain II) were found to exist in the cytosolic fraction of bovine lens. Since calpain may play an important role on the degradation of lens proteins during the aging process of the lens, we attempted to study the distribution of calpain I, calpain II, and calpastatin (an endogenous specific inhibitor of calpain) in bovine lens. It was found that both the capsule-epithelium and cortex fiber cells contained calpains I and II and calpastatin, although the content of calpain I was much lower than that of calpain II. Calpains I and II and calpastatin activities were not detected in the nuclear region at all.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Intracellular localization of low and high calcium-requiring forms of calpain*.

Monospecific and discriminative antibodies against two distinct forms of calpain (Ca2+-dependent cysteine proteinase) were obtained. Immunological cross-reactivity between the heavy subunits of calpain I (low Ca2+-requiring form) and calpain II (high Ca2+-requiring form) were calculated to be 15 to 17%, and two steps of affinity chromatography was required to obtain discriminative antibodies. Using these antibodies, we have shown that a minor but reproducible amount of calpain I is associated with the membrane of human erthrocytes. Indirect immunofluorescent staining of cultured PK 15 cell revealed diffuse and finely granular cytoplasmic staining. Porcine kidney stained with either anti-calpain I IgG or anti-calpain II IgG yielded strong stainings in proximal and distal convoluted tubules, while glomerulus, macula densa and interstitial cells were not stained.

Animals↗