Biomedical subjects

Alfredo Moreno

Publications and source records attributed to Alfredo Moreno.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

The mitochondrial Na+/Ca2+ exchanger plays a key role in the control of cytosolic Ca2+ oscillations.

There is increasing evidence that mitochondria play an important role in the control of cytosolic Ca2+ signaling. We show here that the main mitochondrial Ca2+-exit pathway, the mitochondrial Na+/Ca2+ exchanger, controls the pattern of cytosolic Ca2+ oscillations in non-excitable cells. In HeLa cells, the inhibitor of the mitochondrial Na+/Ca2+ exchanger CGP37157 changed the pattern of the oscillations induced by histamine from a high-frequency irregular one to a lower frequency baseline spike type, surprisingly with little changes in the average Ca2+ values of a large cell population. In human fibroblasts, CGP37157 increased the frequency of the baseline oscillations in cells having spontaneous activity and induced the generation of oscillations in cells without spontaneous activity. This effect was dose-dependent, disappeared when the inhibitor was washed out and was not mimicked by mitochondrial depolarization. CGP37157 increased mitochondrial [Ca2+] and ATP production in histamine-stimulated HeLa cells, but the effect on ATP production was only transient. CGP37157 also activated histamine-induced Ca2+ release from the endoplasmic reticulum and increased the size of the cytosolic Ca2+ peak induced by histamine in HeLa cells. Our results suggest that the mitochondrial Na+/Ca2+ exchanger directly modulates inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate-induced Ca2+ release and in that way controls cytosolic Ca2+ oscillations.

Calcium↗

PubMed2005

Calcium dynamics in catecholamine-containing secretory vesicles.

We have used an aequorin chimera targeted to the membrane of the secretory granules to monitor the free [Ca(2+)] inside them in neurosecretory PC12 cells. More than 95% of the probe was located in a compartment with an homogeneous [Ca(2+)] around 40 microM. Cell stimulation with either ATP, caffeine or high-K(+) depolarization increased cytosolic [Ca(2+)] and decreased secretory granule [Ca(2+)] ([Ca(2+)](SG)). Inositol-(1,4,5)-trisphosphate, cyclic ADP ribose and nicotinic acid adenine dinucleotide phosphate were all ineffective to release Ca(2+) from the granules. Changes in cytosolic [Na(+)] (0-140 mM) or [Ca(2+)] (0-10 microM) did not modify either ([Ca(2+)](SG)). Instead, [Ca(2+)](SG) was highly sensitive to changes in the pH gradient between the cytosol and the granules. Both carbonyl cyanide 4-(trifluoromethoxy)phenylhydrazone (FCCP) and nigericin, as well as cytosolic acidification, reversibly decreased [Ca(2+)](SG), while cytosolic alcalinization reversibly increased [Ca(2+)](SG). These results are consistent with the operation of a H(+)/Ca(2+) antiporter in the vesicular membrane. This antiporter could also mediate the effects of ATP, caffeine and high-K(+) on [Ca(2+)](SG), because all of them induced a transient cytosolic acidification. The FCCP-induced decrease in [Ca(2+)](SG) was reversible in 10-15 min even in the absence of cytosolic Ca(2+) or ATP, suggesting that most of the calcium content of the vesicles is bound to a slowly exchanging Ca(2+) buffer. This large store buffers [Ca(2+)](SG) changes in the long-term but allows highly dynamic free [Ca(2+)](SG) changes to occur in seconds or minutes.

Aequorin↗

PubMed2005

Modulation of mitochondrial Ca(2+) uptake by estrogen receptor agonists and antagonists.

Ca(2+) uptake by mitochondria is a key element in the control of cellular Ca(2+) homeostasis and Ca(2+)-dependent phenomena. It has been known for many years that this Ca(2+) uptake is mediated by the mitochondrial Ca(2+) uniporter, a specific Ca(2+) channel of the inner mitochondrial membrane. We have shown previously that this channel is strongly activated by a series of natural phytoestrogenic flavonoids. We show here that several agonists and antagonists of estrogen receptors (ERs) also modulate the activity of the uniporter. The specific alpha-ER agonist 4,4',4''-(4-propyl-[1H]-pyrazole-1,3,5-triyl)trisphenol (PPT) was the strongest activator, increasing the rate of mitochondrial Ca(2+) uptake in permeabilized HeLa cells by 10-fold at 2 microM. Consistently, PPT largely increased the histamine-induced mitochondrial [Ca(2+)] peak and reduced the cytosolic one. Diethylstilbestrol and 17-beta-estradiol (but not 17-alpha-estradiol) were active at pharmacological concentrations while the beta-estrogen-receptor agonist 2,3-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-propionitrile (DPN) was little effective. The ER modulators tamoxifen and 4-hydroxy-tamoxifen inhibited mitochondrial Ca(2+) uptake (IC(50) 2.5+/-1.5 and 2.5+/-1.4 microM, mean+/-s.d., respectively) both in the presence and in the absence of PPT, but raloxifene and the pure estrogen antagonist ICI 182,780 produced no effect. Activation by PPT was immediate and inhibition by tamoxifen or 4-hydroxy-tamoxifen required only 5 min to reach maximum. Tamoxifen did not modify mitochondrial membrane potential and PPT induced a slow mitochondrial depolarization at higher concentrations than those required to activate mitochondrial Ca(2+) uptake. These results suggest that some kind of ER or related protein located in mitochondria controls the activity of the Ca(2+) uniporter by a nongenomic mechanism. This novel mechanism of action of estrogen agonists and antagonists can provide a new interpretation for several previously reported effects of these compounds.

Aequorin↗

PubMed2004

Direct activation of the mitochondrial calcium uniporter by natural plant flavonoids.

During cell activation, mitochondria play an important role in Ca2+ homoeostasis due to the presence of a fast and specific Ca2+ channel in its inner membrane, the mitochondrial Ca2+ uniporter. This channel allows mitochondria to buffer local cytosolic [Ca2+] changes and controls the intramitochondrial Ca2+ levels, thus modulating a variety of phenomena from respiratory rate to apoptosis. We have described recently that SB202190, an inhibitor of p38 MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase), strongly activated the uniporter. We show in the present study that a series of natural plant flavonoids, widely distributed in foods, produced also a strong stimulation of the mitochondrial Ca2+ uniporter. This effect was of the same magnitude as that induced by SB202190 (an approx. 20-fold increase in the mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake rate), developed without measurable delay and was rapidly reversible. In intact cells, the mitochondrial Ca2+ peak induced by histamine was also largely increased by the flavonoids. Stimulation of the uniporter by either flavonoids or SB202190 did not require ATP, suggesting a direct effect on the uniporter or an associated protein which is not mediated by protein phosphorylation. The most active compound, kaempferol, increased the rate of mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake by 85+/-15% (mean+/-S.E.M., n=4) and the histamine-induced mitochondrial Ca2+ peak by 139+/-19% (mean+/-S.E.M., n=5) at a concentration of 1 microM. Given that flavonoids can reach this concentration range in plasma after ingestion of flavonoid-rich food, these compounds could be modulating the uniporter under physiological conditions.

Biological Transport, Active↗

PubMed2003

Modulation of histamine-induced Ca2+ release by protein kinase C. Effects on cytosolic and mitochondrial [Ca2+] peaks.

In HeLa cells, histamine induces production of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (InsP3) and release of Ca2+ from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Ca2+ release is typically biphasic, with a fast and brief initial phase, followed by a much slower and prolonged one. In the presence of inhibitors of protein kinase C (PKC), including staurosporine and the specific inhibitors GF109203X and Ro-31-8220, the fast phase continued until the ER became fully empty. On the contrary, treatment with phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate inhibited Ca2+ release. Staurosporine had no effect on InsP3-induced Ca2+ release in permeabilized cells and did not modify either histamine-induced InsP3 production. These data suggest that histamine induces Ca2+ release and with a short lag activates PKC to down-regulate it. Consistently, Ca2+ oscillations induced by histamine were increased in amplitude and decreased in frequency in the presence of PKC inhibitors. We show also that mitochondrial [Ca2+] was much more sensitive to changes in ER-Ca2+ release induced by PKC modulation than cytosolic [Ca2+]. PKC inhibitors increased the histamine-induced mitochondrial [Ca2+] peak by 4-fold but increased the cytosolic [Ca2+] peak only by 20%. On the contrary, PKC activation inhibited the mitochondrial [Ca2+] peak by 90% and the cytosolic one by only 50%. Similarly, the combination of PKC inhibitors with the mitochondrial Ca2+ uniporter activator SB202190 led to dramatic increases in mitochondrial [Ca2+] peaks, with little effect on cytosolic ones. This suggests that activation of ER-Ca2+ release by PKC inhibitors could be involved in apoptosis induced by staurosporine. In addition, these mechanisms allow flexible and independent regulation of cytosolic and mitochondrial [Ca2+] during cell stimulation.

Aequorin↗

PubMed2002

A novel regulatory mechanism of the mitochondrial Ca2+ uniporter revealed by the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase inhibitor SB202190.

It is widely acknowledged that mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake modulates the cytosolic [Ca2+] ([Ca2+]c) acting as a transient Ca2+ buffer. In addition, mitochondrial [Ca2+] ([Ca2+]M) regulates the rate of respiration and may trigger opening of the permeability transition pore and start apoptosis. However, no mechanism for the physiological regulation of mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake has been described. We show here that SB202190, an inhibitor of p38 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase, strongly stimulates ruthenium red-sensitive mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake, both in intact and in permeabilized HeLa cells. The [Ca2+]M peak induced by agonists was increased about fourfold in the presence of the inhibitor, with a concomitant reduction in the [Ca2+]c peak. The stimulation occurred fast and was rapidly reversible. In addition, experiments in permeabilized cells perfused with controlled [Ca2+] showed that SB202190 stimulated mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake by more than 10-fold, but only in the physiological [Ca2+]c range (1-4 mM). Other structurally related p38 MAP kinase inhibitors (SB203580, PD169316, or SB220025) produced little or no effect. Our data suggest that in HeLa cells, a protein kinase sensitive to SB202190 tonically inhibits the mitochondrial Ca2+ uniporter. This novel regulatory mechanism may be of paramount importance to modulate mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake under different physiopathological conditions.

Calcium↗