Polyphosphate (poly-P) is an important metabolite and signaling molecule in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. DAPI (4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole), a widely used fluorescent label for DNA, also interacts with polyphosphate. Binding of poly-P to DAPI, shifts its peak emission wavelength from 475 to 525 nm (excitation at 360 nm), allowing use of DAPI for detection of poly-P in vitro, and in live poly-P accumulating organisms. This approach, which relies on detection of a shift in fluorescence emission, allows use of DAPI only for qualitative detection of relatively high concentrations of poly-P, in the microg/ml range. Here, we report that long-wavelength excitation (> or = 400 nm) of the DAPI-poly-P complex provides a dramatic increase in the sensitivity of poly-P detection. Using excitation at 415 nm, fluorescence of the DAPI-poly-P complex can be detected at a higher wavelength (550 nm) for as little as 25 ng/ml of poly-P. Fluorescence emission from free DAPI and DAPI-DNA are minimal at this wavelength, making the DAPI-poly-P signal highly specific and essentially independent of the presence of DNA. In addition, we demonstrate the use of this protocol to measure the activity of poly-P hydrolyzing enzyme, polyphosphatase and demonstrate a similar signal from the mitochondrial region of cultured neurons.

Diabetes mellitus is a growing epidemic with severe cardiovascular complications. Although much is known about mechanical and electrical cardiac dysfunction in diabetes, few studies have investigated propagation of the electrical signal in the diabetic heart and the associated changes in intercellular gap junctions. This study was designed to investigate these issues, using hearts from control and diabetic rats. Diabetic conditions were induced by streptozotocin (STZ), given I.V. 7-14 days before experiments. Optical mapping with the voltage-sensitive dye di-4-ANEPPS, using hearts perfused on a Langendorff apparatus, showed little change in baseline conduction velocity in diabetic hearts, reflecting the large reserve of function. However, both the gap junction uncoupler heptanol (0.5-1 mM) and elevated potassium (9 mM, to reduce cell excitability) produced a significantly greater slowing of impulse propagation in diabetic hearts than in controls. The maximal action potential upstroke velocity (an index of the sodium current) and resting potential was similar in single ventricular myocytes from control and diabetic rats, suggesting similar electrical excitability. Immunoblotting of connexin 43 (Cx43), a major gap junction component, showed no change in total expression. However, immunofluorescence labelling of Cx43 showed a significant redistribution, apparent as enhanced Cx43 lateralization. This was quantified and found to be significantly larger than in control myocytes. Labelling of two other gap junction proteins, N-cadherin and β-catenin, showed a (partial) loss of co-localization with Cx43, indicating that enhancement of lateralized Cx43 is associated with non-functional gap junctions. In conclusion, conduction reserve is smaller in the diabetic heart, priming it for impaired conduction upon further challenges. This can desynchronize contraction and contribute to arrhythmogenesis.

Although many of the processes involved in the regulation of Ca2+ in smooth muscle have been studied separately, it is still not well known how they are integrated into an overall regulatory system. To examine this question and to study the time course and spatial distribution of Ca2+ in cells after activation, one- and two-dimensional diffusion models of the cell that included the major processes thought to be involved in Ca regulation were developed. The models included terms describing Ca influx, buffering, plasma membrane extrusion, and release and reuptake by the sarcoplasmic reticulum. When possible these processes were described with known parameters. Simulations with the models indicated that the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca pump is probably primarily responsible for the removal of cytoplasmic Ca2+ after cell activation. The plasma membrane Ca-ATPase and Na/Ca exchange appeared more likely to be involved in the long term regulation of Ca2+. Pumping processes in general had little influence on the rate of rise of Ca transients. The models also showed that spatial inhomogeneities in Ca2+ probably occur in cells during the spread of the Ca signal following activation and during the subsequent return of Ca2+ to its resting level.

Calponin, a thin-filament-associated protein implicated in the regulation of smooth-muscle contraction, is phosphorylated in vitro by protein kinase C and Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II [Winder and Walsh (1990) J. Biol. Chem. 265, 10148-10155] and dephosphorylated by a type 2A protein phosphatase [Winder, Pato and Walsh (1992) Biochem. J. 286, 197-203]. Unphosphorylated calponin binds to actin and inhibits the actin-activated myosin MgATPase; these properties are lost on phosphorylation. Although both serine and threonine residues in calponin are phosphorylated, the major site of phosphorylation by either kinase is Ser-175. Calponin also undergoes phosphorylation when bound to actin in synthetic thin filaments, in a reconstituted actomyosin system, in washed myofibrils and in tissue extracts; this results in dissociation of calponin from actin. Tryptic phosphopeptide mapping indicates that the same sites are phosphorylated in the bound as in the isolated protein. Toad stomach calponin exists in at least three isoforms which differ in charge but exhibit the same molecular mass on SDS/PAGE. In a toad stomach extract, all three isoforms are phosphorylated by protein kinase C or Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II as shown by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (non-equilibrium pH-gradient gel electrophoresis and SDS/PAGE). Calponin phosphorylation also occurs in intact toad stomach smooth-muscle strips metabolically labelled with 32Pi and stimulated to contract with carbachol. These results support the hypothesis that calponin may be regulated in vivo by phosphorylation-dephosphorylation.

Background:The myogenic response of cerebral arteries to intravascular pressure regulates blood flow to the brain. Results: Pressurization reduced smooth muscle G-actin and increased phospho-cofilin and -HSP27 content by a mechanism blocked by ROK or PKC inhibitors. Conclusion: ROK-and PKC-mediated control of cofilin and HSP27 contributes to actin polymerization in myogenic constriction. Significance: Knowledge of cytoskeletal dynamics is crucial for understanding myogenic control of cerebral arterial diameter.