Inflammatory cytokine signaling in insulin producing β-cells enhances the colocalization correlation coefficient between L-type voltage-dependent calcium channel and calcium-sensing receptor

The immunological processes in type 1 diabetes and metabolic/inflammatory disorder in type 2 diabetes converge on common signaling pathway(s) leading to beta-cell death in these two diseases. The cytokine-mediated beta-cell death seems to be dependent on voltage-dependent calcium channel (VDCC)-mediated Ca2+ entry. The Ca2+ handling molecular networks control the homeostasis of [Ca2+](i) in the beta-cell. The activity and membrane density of VDCC are regulated by several mechanisms including G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). CaR is a 123-kDa seven transmembrane extracellular Ca2+ sensing protein that belongs to GPCR family C. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), is a cytokine widely known to activate nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappa B) transcription in beta-cells. To obtain a better understanding of TNF-alpha-induced molecular interactions between CaR and VDCC, confocal fluorescence measurements were performed on insulin-producing beta-cells exposed to varying concentrations of TNF-alpha and the results are discussed in the light of increased colocalization correlation coefficient. The insulin producing beta-cells were exposed to 5, 10, 20, 30, and 50 ng/ml TNF-alpha for 24 h at 37 degrees C. The cells were then immunolabelled with antibodies directed against CaR, VDCC, and NF-kappa B. The confocal fluorescence imaging data showed enhancement in the colocalization correlation coefficient between CaR and VDCC in beta-cells exposed to TNF-alpha thereby indicating increased membrane delimited spatial interactions between these two membrane proteins. TNF-alpha-induced colocalization of VDCC with CaR was inhibited by nimodipine, an inhibitor of L-type VDCC thereby suggesting that VDCC activity is required for spatial interactions with CaR. The 3-D confocal fluorescence imaging data also demonstrated that addition of TNF-alpha to RIN cells led to the translocation of NF-kappa B from the cytoplasm to the nucleus. Such molecular interactions between CaR and VDCC in tissues possibly provide control over Ca2+ channel activity via direct protein-protein contact.