CaMKII is activated and translocated to the secretory apical membrane during cholinergically conveyed gastric acid secretion.

The Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) is thought to be activated during the cholinergic stimulation of gastric acid secretion. The carbachol-induced acid production of cultured rabbit parietal cells was dose-dependently inhibited by the CaMKII inhibitor KN-62 as measured by accumulation of the weak base [(14)C]aminopyrine ([(14)C]-AP). Inhibition by KN-62 was most efficient at concentrations of carbachol >10(-6) M. After carbachol stimulation, we observed an activation of CaMKII activity, and its translocation to the apical membrane of gastric mucosal cells. We found a doubling of the abundance of CaMKII to the stimulus-associated apical membrane (SA vesicles) compared to the apical membrane from the resting state after carbachol induction. This was shown by both an anti-CaMKII serum and the 1.8-fold increase of the CaMKII phosphotransferase activity in vitro. The SA vesicles exhibited a strong increase of autoactivated CaMKII probed with an anti-autoactivated CaMKII antibody. Additionally, we observed a colocalization of both CaMKII and the H(+)-K(+)-ATPase of SA vesicles similar to the colocalization of both enzymes to the tubulovesicles suggesting them as at least one pool for the SA vesicular CaMKII. Our data indicate that the activation of CaMKII and the carbachol-dependent redistribution of CaMKII to the SA vesicles are distinct processes that occur in parallel to regulate the activity and localization of CaMKII. These findings contribute to the model implicating an involvement for CaMKII in the intracellular dynamics of the acid secretion.