Protein oxidation and age-dependent alterations in calcium homeostasis

Alterations in the capacity to maintain normal calcium homeostasis have been suggested to underlie the reduced cellular function characteristic of the aging process, and to predispose the senescent organism to a host of diverse pathologies including cancer, heart disease, and a range of muscle and neurodegenerative diseases. Therefore, critical to the eventual treatment of many age-related diseases has been the identification of both post-translational modifications and the underlying structural changes that result in an age-related decline in the function of critical calcium regulatory proteins. In brain, multiple methionines within the calcium signaling protein calmodulin (CaM) are oxidized to their corresponding methionine sulfoxides during aging, resulting in an inability to activate a range of target proteins, including the plasma membrane (PM) Ca-ATPase involved in the maintenance of the low intracellular calcium levels necessary for intracellular signaling. Likewise, changes in the transport activity of the PM-Ca-ATPase occur during aging. In muscle, the function of the SERCA2a isoform of the Ca-ATPase within the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) declines during aging as a result of the nitration of selected tyrosines. The age-related loss-of-function of these critical calcium regulatory proteins are consistent with observed increases in intracellular calcium levels within senescent cells. A possible regulatory role for these post-translational modifications is discussed, since they have the potential to be reversed following the restoration of normal cellular redox conditions by intracellular repair enzymes that are specific for these post-translational modifications. It is suggested that the reversible oxidation of critical calcium regulatory proteins within excitable cells by reactive oxygen species functions to enhance cellular survival under conditions of oxidative stress by reducing the energy expenditure within excitable cells. Thus, a diminished ability to efficiently generate cellular ATP may ultimately underlie the loss of calcium homeostasis and cellular function during aging.