Metofenazate as a more selective calmodulin inhibitor than trifluoperazine

The interaction of several phenothiazines, benzodiazepines, butyrophenones, polycyclic neuroleptics and tricyclic antidepressants with calmodulin and troponin C was investigated using the fluorescent dye 3,3'-dipropylthiocarbocyanine iodide. In the presence of Ca2+, trifluoperazine (2-trifluoromethyl-10-[3-(1-methylpiperazinyl-4)propyl]-phenothiaz ine dihydrochloride, TFP), which is commonly used as a selective calmodulin inhibitor, half maximally increased the fluorescence of the complex formed of the fluorescent dye with calmodulin at a concentration of 4 mumol/l, and with troponin C at 24 mumol/l. TFP completely inhibited the calmodulin dependent stimulation of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase with a Ki of 4 mumol/l and decreased the maximum Ca2+ dependent troponin C mediated activation of actomyosin ATPase by 35% at a concentration of 100 mumol/l. Metofenazate (3,4,5-trimethoxybenzoate-2-chlor-10-(3-[(beta-oxyethyl) piperazinyl-4]-propyl)phenothiazine diethanesulfonate, methophenazine, MP) produced half maximal fluorescence enhancement of the calmodulin dye complex at a concentration of 6 mumol/l and did not influence the fluorescence of the troponin C dye complex at concentrations of up to 1000 mumol/l. MP also completely inhibited the calmodulin dependent stimulation of phosphodiesterase with a Ki of 7 mumol/l but it had not effect on maximum Ca2+ stimulation of actomyosin ATPase. MP increased the Ca2+ sensitivity of skinned cardiac muscle with an about 10fold lower potency than TFP. In view of these results, we propose MP as a useful tool for distinction between processes mediated by either calmodulin or troponin C.