title: The role of autolysis in activity of the Ca2+-dependent proteinases (mu-calpain and m-calpain).
abstract: A recent hypothesis suggests that proteolytic activity of the micromolar and millimolar Ca2+-requiring forms of the Ca2+-dependent proteinases (mu- and m-calpain, respectively) is regulated in vivo by their association with a phosphatidylinositol-containing site on the plasma membrane followed by autolysis of the proteinases. Phosphatidylinositol association lowers the Ca2+ concentration needed for autolysis, and autolysis, in turn, lowers the Ca2+ concentration needed for proteolytic activity. To test this hypothesis, we have compared the Ca2+ concentrations needed for autolysis and for proteolytic activity of the calpains both in the presence and the absence of phosphatidylinositol. Bovine skeletal muscle mu-calpain required 40-50 microM Ca2+ for half-maximal rate of proteolysis of a casein substrate, 140-150 microM Ca2+ for half-maximal autolysis in the presence of 80 microM phosphatidylinositol, and 190-210 microM Ca2+ for half-maximal autolysis in the absence of phosphatidylinositol. Consequently, mu-calpain is an active proteinase and does not require autolysis for activation. Bovine skeletal muscle m-calpain required 700-740 microM Ca2+ for half-maximal rate of proteolysis of a casein substrate, 370-400 microM Ca2+ for half-maximal autolysis in the presence of 80 microM phosphatidylinositol, and 740-780 microM Ca2+ for half-maximal autolysis in the absence of phosphatidylinositol. These results are consistent with the idea that m-calpain functions in its autolyzed form, but the results do not demonstrate that unautolyzed m-calpain is inactive. 80 microM phosphatidylinositol had no effect on the Ca2+ requirement of the autolyzed forms of either mu- or m-calpain but lowered the specific activity of mu-calpain to 20% of its activity in the absence of phosphatidylinositol. Of the four forms of the calpains, unautolyzed m-calpain, autolyzed m-calpain, and unautolyzed mu-calpain would not be proteolytically active at the free Ca2+ concentrations of 300-1200 nM present inside normal cells, and neither mu- nor m-calpain would undergo autolysis at these Ca2+ concentrations, even in the presence of phosphatidylinositol. Cells must contain a mechanism other than or in addition to membrane association and autolysis to activate the calpains.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson 85721.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cong
authors.forename: D E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Goll
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Peterson
authors.forename: H P
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Kapprell
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002154:Calpain / Q000378:metabolism*; D002417:Cattle; D006868:Hydrolysis; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000378:metabolism*; D007700:Kinetics; D009132:Muscles / Q000201:enzymology*; D010716:Phosphatidylinositols / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D007527:Isoenzymes; D010716:Phosphatidylinositols; D002154:Calpain; D002118:Calcium