Ionomycin Calcium Salt

Ionomycin, a new polyether antibiotic with a high affinity for calcium ions, is obtained in pure form from fermentation broths of Streptomyces conglobatus sp. nov. Trejo by solvent extraction. It is unique amongst known polyether antibiotics in that it has a UV absorption maximum at 300 nm. thereby distinguishing it from other antibiotics of its class. The Ca salt has the molecular formula C41H70O9Ca. Ionomycin is a narrow spectrum antibiotic being active against Gram-positive bacteria.

Homeostasis of intracellular calcium ([Ca++]i) and pH (pHi) is important in the cell's ability to respond to growth factors, to initiate differentiation and proliferation, and to maintain normal metabolic pathways. Because of the importance of these ions to cellular functions, we investigated the effects of changes of [Ca++]i and pHi on each other in primary cultures of rabbit corneal epithelial cells. Digitized fluorescence imaging was used to measure [Ca++]i with fura-2 and pHi with 2',7'-bis(2-carboxyethyl)-5(6)-carboxyfluorescein (BCECF). Resting pHi in these cells was 7.37 +/- 0.05 (n = 20 cells) and resting [Ca++]i was 129 +/- 10 nM (n = 35 cells) using a nominally bicarbonate-free Krebs Ringer HEPES buffer (KRHB), pH 7.4. On exposure to 20 mM NH4Cl, which rapidly alkalinized cells by 0.45 pH units, an increase in [Ca++]i to 215 +/- 14 nM occurred. Pretreatment of the cells with 100 microM verapamil or exposure to 1 mM ethylene bis-(oxyethylenenitrilo)-tetraacetic acid (EGTA) without extracellular calcium before addition of 20 mM NH4Cl did not abolish the calcium increase, suggesting that the source of the calcium transient was from intracellular calcium stores. On removal of NH4Cl or addition of 20 mM sodium lactate, there were minimal changes in calcium even though pHi decreased. Treatment of CE cells with the calcium ionophores, ionomycin and 4-bromo A23187, increased [Ca++]i, but produced a biphasic change in pHi. Initially, there was an acidification of the cytosol, and then an alkalinization of 0.10 to 0.11 pH units above initial values. When [Ca++]i was decreased by treating the cells with 5 mM EGTA and 20 microM ionomycin, pHi decreased by 0.35 +/- 0.02 units. We conclude that an increase in pHi leads to an increase in [Ca++]i in rabbit corneal epithelial cells; however, a decrease in pHi leads to minor changes in [Ca++]i. The ability of CE cells to maintain proper calcium homeostasis when pHi is decreased may represent an adaptive mechanism to maintain physiological calcium levels during periods of acidification, which occur during prolonged eye closure.

The effect of ionomycin on the human KCNQ4 channels expressed in Xenopus leavis oocytes was investigated. KCNQ4 channels expressed in Xenopus oocytes were measured using two-electrode voltage clamp. The activation of KCNQ4 current had slow activation kinetics and low threshold (approximately -50 mV). The expressed current of KCNQ4 showed the half-maximal activation (V(1/2)) was -17.8 mV and blocked almost completely by KCNQ4 channel blockers, linopirdine (300 microM) or bepridil (200 microM). The significant increase of KCNQ4 outward current induced by ionomycin (calcium salt) is about 1.7-fold of control current amplitude at +60 mV and shifted V(1/2) by approximately -8 mV (from -17.8 to -26.0 mV). This effect of ionomycin could be reversed by the further addition of BAPTA-AM (0.3 mM), a membrane-permeable calcium chelator. Furthermore, the increased effect of ionomycin on KCNQ4 current is abolished by pretreatment of linopirdine or bepridil. In contrast, direct cytoplasmic injection of calcium medium (up to 1 mM calcium, 50 nl) did not mimic the effect of ionomycin. In conclusion, the effect of ionomycin on enhancement of KCNQ4 current is independent of intracellular calcium mobilization and possibly acts on intramembrane hydrophobic site of KCNQ4 protein expressed in Xenopus oocytes.