title: Inhibition of serine/threonine protein phosphatases promotes opening of voltage-activated L-type Ca2+ channels in insulin-secreting cells.
abstract: The biological activity of many proteins, including voltage-sensitive ion channels, is controlled by their state of phosphorylation. Ca2+ influx through voltage-activated L-type Ca2+ channels serves as the major stimulatory signal in insulin-secreting cells. We have now investigated the extent to which Ca2+ handling in clonal insulin-secreting RiNm5F cells was affected by okadaic acid, an inhibitor of various serine/threonine protein phosphatases. Whole-cell patch-clamp experiments showed that okadaic acid generated an increase in membrane current, suggesting that it promotes Ca2+ influx through L-type voltage-gated Ca2+ channels probably by modifying their phosphorylation state. Okadaic acid was found to provoke a transient rise in the cytoplasmic free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) but had no further effect on the K(+)-induced increase. The Ca2+ transient induced by okadaic acid was dependent on the presence of extracellular Ca2+ and was abolished by D600, a blocker of voltage-activated L-type Ca2+ channels. Concomitant with the rise in [Ca2+]i, okadaic acid induced insulin secretion, a phenomenon that was also dependent on extracellular Ca2+. It is proposed that hyperphosphorylation of voltage-activated L-type Ca2+ channels in insulin-secreting cells lowers the threshold potential for their activation.
authors.affiliation: Rolf Luft Center for Diabetes Research, Department of Endocrinology, Karolinska Institute, Karolinska Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Haby
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Larsson
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Islam
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Aunis
authors.forename: P O
authors.initials: PO
authors.lastname: Berggren
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zwiller
mesh_terms: D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D015220:Calcium Channels / Q000378:metabolism*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004988:Ethers, Cyclic / Q000494:pharmacology; D007328:Insulin / Q000378:metabolism; D000078790:Insulin Secretion; D015640:Ion Channel Gating; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000378:metabolism*; D019319:Okadaic Acid; D010749:Phosphoprotein Phosphatases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*
chemical_list: D015220:Calcium Channels; D004988:Ethers, Cyclic; D007328:Insulin; D019319:Okadaic Acid; D010749:Phosphoprotein Phosphatases; D002118:Calcium