Src family tyrosine kinases inhibit single L-type: Ca2+ channel activity in human atrial myocytes.

OBJECTIVE: Tyrosine kinases (TKs) are important regulators of the L-type Ca(2+) channel (LTCC) current in various cell types. However, there are no data addressing the role of TKs in the control of single LTCC activity in human atrial cardiac myocytes, where changes in LTCC gating properties have been described in a number of disease states. METHODS AND RESULTS: Single LTCC activity was recorded in isolated human atrial myocytes. The broad-spectrum TK inhibitor genistein and the Src family-selective TK inhibitor PP1 significantly enhanced single LTCC ensemble average current, availability, and open probability; the latter was due to significant increases of mean open time and mode 2 gating. Conversely, the tyrosine phosphatase inhibitor bisperoxo-phenanthroline-vanadate inhibited single LTCC activity, indicating that LTCC gating properties in human atrial myocytes are controlled by TKs and tyrosine phosphatases in a reciprocal fashion. The effects of genistein on single LTCC activity were not affected by stimulation (8Br-cAMP) or inhibition (Rp-8-CPT-cAMPS) of protein kinase A (PKA) or by inhibition of serine/threonine phosphatases types I and IIa (okadaic acid), indicating that TKs inhibit LTCC gating in human atrial myocytes independent of PKA and phosphatases types I and IIa. However, inhibition of protein kinase C (PKC) by staurosporine or bisindolylmaleimide reversed the stimulatory effects of genistein on single LTCC gating properties, indicating that PKC is required for the inhibitory effect of TKs on single LTCC activity. CONCLUSION: Src family TKs inhibit single LTCC activity in human atrial myocytes via PKC-dependent, but PKA and phosphatase types I and IIa-independent, molecular pathways.

Single L-type Ca(2+) channel regulation by cGMP-dependent protein kinase type I in adult cardiomyocytes from PKG I transgenic mice.

OBJECTIVE: Calcium entry via the L-type Ca(2+) channel (LTCC) is crucial for excitation-contraction (EC) coupling and activation of Ca(2+)-dependent signal transduction pathways in cardiac myocytes. Both nitric oxide (NO), signaling via cGMP, and acetylcholine, signaling via the muscarinic receptor, have been identified as negative regulators of beta-adrenoreceptor-stimulated LTCC activity in cardiac myocytes. METHODS: To examine the potential role of cGMP-dependent protein kinase type I (PKG I) in the inhibitory effects of NO/cGMP and the muscarinic receptor on LTCC activity, we generated transgenic (TG) mice overexpressing PKG I selectively in cardiac myocytes under the control of the alpha-myocin heavy chain promoter. Single LTCC-gating properties were assessed in isolated ventricular myocytes from adult wild-type (WT) and PKG I transgenic (TG) mice. RESULTS: Basal LTCC activity (peak average current, mean open probability, mean availability) was significantly decreased by the nitric oxide donor DEA-NO (0.1 micromol/l) and the cGMP-analog 8-Br-cGMP (1 mmol/l) in TG but not in WT cardiac myocytes. Conversely, muscarinic (carbachol, 1 micromol/l) stimulation had no significant effect on basal LTCC activity in either WT or TG cardiac myocytes. beta-Adrenergic stimulation with isoproterenol (1 micromol/l) increases single LTCC activity in WT and TG cardiac myocytes to the same extent. The inhibitory effects of DEA-NO and 8-Br-cGMP on isoproterenol activation of the LTCC current were significantly enhanced in TG as compared to WT cardiac myocytes. By contrast, carbachol inhibition of isoproterenol-stimulated single LTCC activity was not enhanced in TG cardiac myocytes. CONCLUSION: Transgenic overexpression of PKG I augments NO/cGMP inhibition but not muscarinic inhibition of single LTCC activity, indicating that PKG I is a downstream target for NO/cGMP, but not the muscarinic receptor in adult cardiac myocytes.