• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.159-163
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• 2005

The effects of sedative peptide alkaloids from Zizyphus species on calmodulin- dependent protein kinase II were investigated. Protein kinase II activity was assayed on the basis of its ability to activate tryptophan 5-monooxygenase as its substrate in the presence of calmodulin. All thirteen alkaloids tested were stronger inhibitors than chlorpromazine ($IC_50,\;98{\mu}M$) on calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II. Among them, the most potent inhibitor was daechuine S27 ($IC_{50},\;2.95{\mu}M$), which was stronger than pimozide ($IC_{50},\;15.0{\mu}M$).

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.187-191
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• 2002

Tamoxifen, an antiestrogen, has previously been shown to induce apoptosis in HepG2 human hepatoblastoma cells through activation of the pathways independent of estrogen receptors, i.e., intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ increase and generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). However, the mechanism of tamoxifen to link increased intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ to ROS generation is currently unknown. Thus, in this study we investigated the possible involvement of calmodulin, a $Ca^{2+}$ activated protein, and $Ca^{2+}$/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II in the above tamoxifen-induced events. Treatment with calmodulin antagonists (calmidazolium and trifluoroperazine) or specific inhibitors of $Ca^{2+}$/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (KN-93 and KN-62) inhibited the tamoxifen-induced apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, these agents blocked the tamoxifen-induced ROS generation in a concentration-dependent fashion, which was completely suppressed by intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ chelation. These results demonstrate for the first time that, despite of its well-known direct calmodulin-inhibitory activity, tamoxifen may generate ROS and induce apoptosis through indirect activation of calmodulin and $Ca^{2+}$/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II in HepG2 cells.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.111-116
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• 1994

The role of $Ca^{2+}$/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II in the increase of myofilament $Ca^{2+}$ sensitivity by agonist and GTP was investigated in rabbit mesenteric ${\alpha}-toxin$ permeabilized artery. $0.3{\mu}M\;Ca^{2+}$ increased myosin light chain phosphorylations monotonically. $10\;{\mu}M$ norepinephrine and $10\;{\mu}M$ GTP potentiated increase of myosin light chain phosphorylations by $0.3{\mu}M\;Ca^{2+}$, which reaches a peak at 5 min and gradually declines to the $Ca^{2+}$ alone level at 20 min. At the early phase (1 min), $10\;{\mu}M$ KN 62, the inhibitor of $Ca^{2+}$/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II , decreased myosin light chain phosphorylation levels by $10\;{\mu}M$ norepinephrine and $10\;{\mu}M$ GTP in the presence of $0.3{\mu}M\;Ca^{2+}.\;However\;10\;{\mu}M$ KN-62 did not affect the myosin light chain phosphorylations by $10\;{\mu}M$ norepinephrine and $10\;{\mu}M$ GTP in the presence of $0.3{\mu}M\;Ca^{2+}$ at the peak (5 min) and plateau phases (20 min). From these results, the role of $Ca^{2+}$/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II may be different depending on time, which may play a role in increase of myofilamint $Ca^{2+}$ sensitivity by norepinephrine and GTP resulting from increase of myosin light chain phosphorylations at the early phase. However, at plateau phase, $Ca^{2+}$/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II may not be involved in the increase of myofilament $Ca^{2+}$ sensitivity by norepinephrine and GTP in rabbit mesenteric ${\alpha}-toxin$ permeabilized artery.

• The Journal of Natural Sciences
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 1997

Calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMK-II) is responsible for the phosphorylation of proteins involved in various cellular functions. Since the level of intracellular calcium ($Ca_2+$) oscillate during the cell cycle, it is expected that the activity of CaMK-II is also dependent on the cell cycle. The kinase activity in NIH3T3 cells which were arrested at or released from certain phase of the cell cycle was measured and compared to that in the normally growing asynchronous control cells to investigate whether the activity of this kinase is cell cycle-dependent. Cells were arrested at G0, G1, G1/S, G2/M and M phase, respectively by use of various drugs which do not have any effect on the kinase activity of CaMK-II at G0, G1, G1/s and G2/M phase was similar to that of the control cells, whereas lower at M. Calcium-independent activity of CaMK_II by autophosphorylation was higher at M and, thus, higher autonomy at M, which represented the physiologically relevant activity of CaMK-II. A similar pattern of activity change of the kinase was demonstrated during the cell cycle of synchronized cells which were released from G1 arrest. These results indicate that the activity of CaMK-11 is cell cycle-dependent and is activity during the mitosis.

• BMB Reports
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.212-218
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• 2001

Although the blockage of a cell cycle by specific inhibitors of $Ca^{2+}/$calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMK-II) is well known, the activity profile of CaMK-II during the cell cycle in the absence of any direct effectors of the enzyme is unclear. The activity of native CaMK-II in NIH 3T3 cells was examined by the use of cell cycle-specific arresting and synchronizing methods. The total catalytic activity of CaMK-II in arrested cells was decreased about 30% in the M phase, whereas the $Ca^{2+}$-independent autonomous activity increased about 1.5-fold in the M phase and decreased about 50% at the G1/S transition. The in vivo phosphorylation level of CaMK-II was lowest at G1/S and highest in M. The CaMK-II protein level was unchanged during the cell cycle. When the cells were synchronized, the autonomous activity was increased only in M. These results indicate that the physiologically relevant portion of CaMK-II is activated only in M, and that the net activation of CaMK-II is required in mitosis.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.21-26
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• 1999

Two novel calcium-binding proteins, named CAB-I and CAB-II, have been isolated from Streptomyces coelicolor. Purification of the calcium-binding proteins involved heat treatment, fractionation with ammonium sulfate, acid treatment, anion exchange and hydrophobic interaction column chromatography, FPLC gel filtration, and preparative isoelectric focusing. A chelex competitive assay and 45Ca autoradiography verified the calcium-binding ability of the proteins. The major band CAB-II has an apparent molecular weight of 26,000 determined by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and 340,000 determined by gel filtration. The isoelectric point of this molecule showed the acidic nature of the molecule. N-terminal amino acid sequence analysis shows homology to rat Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase-II (CAB-II) and yeast phosphoprotein phosphatase (CAB-I).

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.123-127
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• 1996

Secretion of surfactant phospholipid can be stimulated by a variety of agonists acting via at least three different signal transduction mechanisms. These include the adenylate cyclase system with activation of cAMP-dependent protein kinase; activation of protein kinase C either directly or subsequent to activation of phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C and generation of diacylglycerols and inositol trisphosphate; and a third mechanism that involves incresed $Ca^{2+}$ levels and a calmodulin-dependent step. ATP stimulates secretion via all three mechanisms. The protein kinase C pathway is also coupled to phopholipase D which, acting on relatively abundant cellular phospholipids, generates diacylglycerols that further activate protein kinase C. Sustained protein kinase C activation can maintain phosphatidylcholine secretion for a prolonged period of time. It is likely that interactions between the different signaling pathways have an important role in the overall physiological regulation of surfactant secretion.

• Proceedings of the Zoological Society Korea Conference
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• 2000.04a
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• pp.77.2-77
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• 2000

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.163-172
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• 2023

Background: Synaptic plasticity contributes to nociceptive signal transmission and modulation, with calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMK II) playing a fundamental role in neural plasticity. This research was conducted to investigate the role of CaMK II in the transmission and regulation of nociceptive information within the nucleus accumbens (NAc) of naïve and morphine-tolerant rats. Methods: Randall Selitto and hot-plate tests were utilized to measure the hindpaw withdrawal latencies (HWLs) in response to noxious mechanical and thermal stimuli. To induce chronic morphine tolerance, rats received intraperitoneal morphine injection twice per day for seven days. CaMK II expression and activity were assessed using western blotting. Results: Intra-NAc microinjection of autocamtide-2-related inhibitory peptide (AIP) induced an increase in HWLs in naïve rats in response to noxious thermal and mechanical stimuli. Moreover, the expression of the phosphorylated CaMK II (p-CaMK II) was significantly decreased as determined by western blotting. Chronic intraperitoneal injection of morphine resulted in significant morphine tolerance in rats on Day 7, and an increase of p-CaMK II expression in NAc in morphine-tolerant rats was observed. Furthermore, intra-NAc administration of AIP elicited significant antinociceptive responses in morphine-tolerant rats. In addition, compared with naïve rats, AIP induced stronger thermal antinociceptive effects of the same dose in rats exhibiting morphine tolerance. Conclusions: This study shows that CaMK II in the NAc is involved in the transmission and regulation of nociception in naïve and morphine-tolerant rats.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.31-39
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• 2011

Change in intracellular $Ca^{2+}$-concentration ($[Ca^{2+}]_i$) is an essential event for egg activation and further development. $Ca^{2+}$ ion is originated from intracellular $Ca^{2+}$-store via inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate receptor and/or $Ca^{2+}$ influx via $Ca^{2+}$ channel. This study was performed to investigate whether changes in $Ca^{2+}$/calmodulin dependent protein kinase II (CaM KII) activity affect $Ca^{2+}$ influx during artificial egg activation with ethanol using $Ca^{2+}$ monitoring system and whole-cell patch clamp technique. Under $Ca^{2+}$ ion-omitted condition, $Ca^{2+}$-oscillation was stopped within 30 min post microinjection of porcine sperm factor, and ethanol-induced $Ca^{2+}$ increase was reduced. To investigate the role of CaM KII known as an integrator of $Ca^{2+}$- oscillation during mammalian egg fertilization, CaM KII activity was tested with a specific inhibitor KN-93. In the eggs treated with KN-93, ethanol failed to induce egg activation. In addition, KN-93 inhibited inward $Ca^{2+}$ current ($I_{Ca}$) in a time-dependent manner in whole-cell configuration. Immunostaining data showed that the voltage-dependent $Ca^{2+}$ channels were distributed along the plasma membrane of mouse egg and 2-cell embryo. From these results, we suggest that $Ca^{2+}$ influx during fertilization might be controlled by CaM KII activity.