We demonstrate using Ca 2 þ -dependent calmodulin (CaM)-affinity chromatography and overlay with biotinylated CaM that the adaptor proteins growth factor receptor bound (Grb)7 and Grb7V (a naturally occurring variant lacking the Src homology 2 (SH2) domain) are CaM-binding proteins. Deletion of an amphiphilic basic amino-acid sequence (residues 243-256) predicted to form an a-helix located in the proximal region of its pleckstrin homology (PH) domain demonstrates the location of the CaM-binding domain. This site is identical in human and rodents Grb7, and shares great homology with similar regions of Grb10 and Grb14, and the Mig10 protein from Caenorhabditis elegans. We show that Grb7 and Grb7V are present in the cytosol and bound to membranes, while the deletion mutants (Grb7D and Grb7VD) have less capacity to be associated to membranes. Grb7D maintains in part the capacity to bind phosphoinositides, and CaM competes for phosphoinositide binding. Activation of ErbB2 by heregulin b1 decreases the pool of Grb7 associated to membranes. The cell-permeable CaM antagonist W7 (N-(6-aminohexyl)-5-chloro-1-naphthalenesulfonamide), but not the CaM-dependent protein kinase II inhibitor KN93, prevents this effect. Highly specific cell-permeable CaM inhibitory peptides decrease the association of Grb7 to membranes. This suggests that CaM regulates the intracellular mobilization of Grb7 in living cells. Direct interaction between enhanced yellow fluorescent protein (EYFP)-Grb7 and enhanced cyan fluorescent protein (ECFP)-CaM chimeras at the plasma membrane of living cells was demonstrated by fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). The FRET signal dramatically decreased in cells loaded with a cellpermeable Ca 2 þ chelator, and was significantly attenuated when enhanced yellow fluorescent protein-Grb7 chimera (EYFP-Grb7)D instead of EYFP-Grb7 was used. Finally, we show that conditioned media from cells transiently transfected with Grb7D and Grb7VD lost its angiogenic activity, in contrast to those from cells transiently transfected with their wild-type counterparts.

Electrophysiologic and volumetric evidence link the swelling-activated Cl- channels [gCl(Vol)] of nonpigmented ciliary epithelial (NPE) cells with the Cl(-)-channel/Cl(-)-channel regulator protein pICln. However, inhibitors (verapamil and dideoxyforskolin) of another Cl- channel/regulator (MDR1) have been found to inhibit the volume-activated transport response [the regulatory volume decrease (RVD)] of bovine NPE cells. We have addressed the possible molecular basis for the NPE Cl- channels by volumetric measurements of ODM human NPE cells in hypotonic and isotonic test solutions, and by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) cloning and Northern analyses of the same cells. Verapamil and dideoxyforskolin did inhibit the RVD. However, at a concentration (100 microM) which blocks > 90% of the MDR1-associated Cl- currents, forskolin had no effect on the volume-activated Cl- channels or on the inhibition of those channels by protein kinase C. High concentrations of ATP (3.5 and 10 mM) and niflumic acid (IC50 approximately 200 microM) also block [gCl(Vol)]. The RVD is inhibited by 9-phenylanthranilic acid (DPC) and 5-nitro-2-(3-phenylpropylamino)-benzoate (NPPB), unaffected by anthracene-9-carboxylic acid (9-AC), and stimulated by ionomycin. The Cl(-)-channel blockers NPPB, niflumic acid, DPC and 9-AC, and the Ca2(+)-ionophore ionomycin had qualitatively similar effects on the rate of staurosporine-activated isotonic cell shrink-age. These results support the concept that the volume-sensitive protein pICln regulates the Cl- channels, and that the same conduits subserve volume- and staurosporine-activated Cl- release. Of the cloned and sequenced Cl- channels, ClC-3 uniquely conforms to the stationary currents and PKC sensitivity of the NPE Cl- channels. PCR amplifications of human cDNA libraries from ciliary body, NPE cells and retina with primers based on human ClC-3 and ClC-4 cDNA, and Northern analyses using the products generated indicated that ciliary epithelial cells express transcripts for ClC-3 (but not ClC-4). We suggest that ClC-3 provides the same conduit for both volume-activated and isotonically staurosporine-activated Cl- channels of human nonpigmented ciliary epithelial cells.

We have demonstrated previously that the EGFR (epidermal growth factor receptor) is a calmodulin (CaM)-binding protein. To establish whether or not the related receptor ErbB2/Neu/HER2 also binds CaM, we used human breast adenocarcinoma SK-BR-3 cells, because these cells overexpress this receptor thus facilitating the detection of this interaction. In the present paper, we show that ErbB2 could be pulled-down using CaM-agarose beads in a Ca2+-dependent manner, as detected by Western blot analysis using an anti-ErbB2 antibody. ErbB2 was also isolated by Ca2+-dependent CaM-affinity chromatography. We also demonstrate using an overlay technique with biotinylated CaM that CaM binds directly to the immunoprecipitated ErbB2. The binding of biotinylated CaM to ErbB2 depends strictly on the presence of Ca2+, since it was prevented by the presence of EGTA. Moreover, the addition of an excess of free CaM prevents the binding of its biotinylated form, demonstrating that this was a specific process. We excluded any interference with the EGFR, as SK-BR-3 cells express considerably lower levels of this receptor, and no detectable EGFR signal was observed by Western blot analysis in the immunoprecipitated ErbB2 preparations used to perform the overlay assays with biotinylated CaM. We also demonstrate that treating living cells with W7 [N-(6-aminohexyl)-5-chloro-1-naphthalenesulphonamide], a cell-permeant CaM antagonist, down-regulates ErbB2 phosphorylation, and show that W7 does not interfere non-specifically with the activity of ErbB tyrosine kinases. We also show that W7 inhibits the phosphorylation (activation) of both ERK1/2 (extracellular-signal-regulated kinases 1 and 2) and Akt/PKB (protein kinase B), in accordance with the inhibition observed in ErbB2 phosphorylation. In contrast, W7 treatment increased the phosphorylation (activation) of CREB (cAMP-response-element-binding protein) and ATF1 (activating transcription factor-1), two Ca2+-sensitive transcription factors that operate downstream of these ErbB2 signalling pathways, most likely because of the absence of calcineurin activity. We conclude that ErbB2 is a new CaM-binding protein, and that CaM plays a role in the regulation of this receptor and its downstream signalling pathways in vivo.