Activation of calcium-ion (Ca²⁺) channels on the plasma membrane and on intracellular Ca²⁺ stores, such as the endoplasmic reticulum, generates local transient increases in the cytosolic Ca²⁺ concentration that induce Ca²⁺ uptake by neighbouring mitochondria. Here, by using mitochondrially targeted aequorin proteins with different Ca²⁺ affinities, we show that half of the chromaffin-cell mitochondria exhibit surprisingly rapid millimolar Ca²⁺ transients upon stimulation of cells with acetylcholine, caffeine or high concentrations of potassium ions. Our results show a tight functional coupling of voltage-dependent Ca²⁺ channels on the plasma membrane, ryanodine receptors on the endoplasmic reticulum, and mitochondria. Cell stimulation generates localized Ca²⁺ transients, with Ca²⁺ concentrations above 20–40 µM, at these functional units. Protonophores abolish mitochondrial Ca²⁺ uptake and increase stimulated secretion of catecholamines by three- to fivefold. These results indicate that mitochondria modulate secretion by controlling the availability of Ca²⁺ for exocytosis.

Targeted recombinant aequorins represent to date the most specific means of monitoring [Ca²⁺] in subcellular organelles (Rizzuto, R., Simpson, A. W. M., Brini, M., and Pozzan, T. (1992) Nature 358, 325-328; Brini, M., [Medline] Murgia, M., Pasti, L., Picard, D., Pozzan, T., and Rizzuto, R. (1993) EMBO J. 12, 4813-4819; Kendall, J. M., Dormer, R. L., and Campbell, A. K. (1992) Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 189, 1008-1016). Up until now, however, only limited attention has been paid to the use of recombinant photoproteins for measuring, in mammalian cells, the [Ca²⁺] in the cytoplasm, a compartment for which effective Ca²⁺probes are already available. Here we describe this approach in detail, highlighting the advantages, under various experimental conditions, of using recombinant cytosolic aequorin (cytAEQ) instead of classical fluorescent indicators. We demonstrate that cytAEQ is expressed recombinantly at high levels in transiently transfected cell lines and primary cultures as well as in stably transfected clones, and we describe a simple algorithm for converting aequorin luminescence data into [Ca²⁺] values. We show that although fluorescent indicators at the usual intracellular concentrations (50-100 μM) are associated with a significant buffering of the [Ca²⁺]_ctransients, this problem is negligible with recombinantly expressed aequorin. The large dynamic range of the photoprotein also allows an accurate estimate of the large [Ca²⁺]_cincreases that are observed in some cell types such as neurons. Finally, cytAEQ appears to be an invaluable tool for measuring [Ca²⁺]_cin cotransfection experiments. In particular, we show that when cotransfected with an α₁-adrenergic receptor (coupled to inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate generation), cytAEQ faithfully monitors the subpopulation of cells expressing the receptor, whereas the signal of fura-2, at the population level, is dominated largely by that of the untransfected cells.

The Ca(2+)-dependent K+ channel of human red cells was inhibited with high affinity by several imidazole antimycotics which are potent inhibitors of cytochrome P-450. IC50 values were (in microM): clotrimazole, 0.05; tioconazole, 0.3; miconazole, 1.5; econazole, 1.8. Inhibition of the channel was also found with other drugs with known cytochrome P-450 inhibitory effect. However, no inhibition was obtained with carbon monoxide (CO). This suggests that, given the high selectivity of the above inhibitors for the heme moiety, a different but closely related to cytochrome P-450 kind of hemoprotein may be involved in the regulation of the red cell Ca(2+)-dependent K+ channel. Clotrimazole also inhibited two other charybdotoxin-sensitive Ca(2+)-dependent K+ channels, those of rat thymocytes (IC50 = 0.1-0.2 microM) and of Ehrlich ascites tumor cells (IC50 = 0.5 microM). Imidazole antimycotics inhibit also receptor-operated Ca2+ channels (Montero, M., Alvarez, J. and García-Sancho, J. (1991) Biochem. J. 277, 73-79). This suggests that both Ca2+ and Ca(2+)-dependent K+ channels might have a similar regulatory mechanism involving a cytochrome.

The presence and physiological role of Ca²⁺-induced Ca²⁺ release (CICR) in nonmuscle excitable cells has been investigated only indirectly through measurements of cytosolic [Ca²⁺] ([Ca²⁺]_c). Using targeted aequorin, we have directly monitored [Ca²⁺] changes inside the ER ([Ca²⁺]_ER) in bovine adrenal chromaffin cells. Ca²⁺ entry induced by cell depolarization triggered a transient Ca²⁺ release from the ER that was highly dependent on [Ca²⁺]_ER and sensitized by low concentrations of caffeine. Caffeine-induced Ca²⁺ release was quantal in nature due to modulation by [Ca²⁺]_ER. Whereas caffeine released essentially all the Ca²⁺ from the ER, inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (InsP₃)- producing agonists released only 60–80%. Both InsP₃ and caffeine emptied completely the ER in digitonin-permeabilized cells whereas cyclic ADP-ribose had no effect. Ryanodine induced permanent emptying of the Ca²⁺ stores in a use-dependent manner after activation by caffeine. Fast confocal [Ca²⁺]_c measurements showed that the wave of [Ca²⁺]_c induced by 100-ms depolarizing pulses in voltage-clamped cells was delayed and reduced in intensity in ryanodine-treated cells. Our results indicate that the ER of chromaffin cells behaves mostly as a single homogeneous thapsigargin-sensitive Ca²⁺ pool that can release Ca²⁺ both via InsP₃ receptors or CICR.

We have studied the mechanism of the regulation of plasma membrane Ca2+ permeability by the degree of filling of the intracellular Ca2+ stores. Using Mn2+ as a Ca2+ surrogate for plasma membrane Ca2+ channels, we found that Mn2+ uptake by rat thymocytes is inversely related to the degree of filling of the intracellular Ca2+ stores. This store-dependent plasma membrane permeability is inhibited by oxygen scavenging, CO, imidazole antimycotics and other cytochrome P-450 inhibitors. The pattern of inhibition is similar to that reported previously for the inhibition of microsomal cytochrome P-450-mediated aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase activity of lymphocytes. Several calmodulin antagonists, both phenothiazinic (trifluoperazine, fluphenazine and chlorpromazine) and dibenzodiazepinic (clozapine), accelerate Mn2+ uptake by cells with Ca2(+)-filled stores, and this effect is prevented by imidazole antimycotics. Our results suggest that cytochrome P-450 may be the link between the stores and the plasma membrane Ca2+ pathway. We propose a model in which this cytochrome, sited at the stores, stimulates plasma membrane Ca2+ influx. This stimulatory effect is, in turn, prevented by the presence of Ca2+ inside the stores, possibly via a calmodulin-dependent mechanism.

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 μM. 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.