Degradation of spectrin and ankyrin in the ischemic rat kidney

This study investigates ischemia-induced degradation of the spectrin-based cytoskeleton in rat brain, heart, and kidney. Spectrin, in conjunction with ankyrin, structurally supports the plasma membrane and sequesters integral membrane proteins. After 60 and 120 min of ischemia, brain tissue displayed both spectrin and ankyrin breakdown. The spectrin fragmentation pattern is similar to previously reported ischemia-induced calpain I proteolysis of spectrin in N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor-containing neurons. Ischemic heart tissue displayed no spectrin or ankyrin degradation. Ischemic renal tissue showed minimal breakdown of spectrin but a major loss of ankyrin (25%/30 min of ischemia) that was essentially complete after 120 min of ischemia. Interestingly, this profound loss of ankyrin in the intact ischemic kidney was not mimicked in three renal cell lines (MDCK, LLC-PK1, and JTC cell lines) exposed to chemical anoxia. Immunocytochemistry showed ankyrin was concentrated in thick ascending limb (cTAL) cells and, although delayed by 30 min, was lost at the same rate as measured by immunoblot analysis. Spectrin and Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase, which complex with ankyrin, were essentially unaffected by ischemia. Ankyrin degradation in cTAL cells correlated with the loss of basal infolding organization. In conclusion, the spectrin-based cytoskeleton is differentially targeted by ischemia-induced degradative processes in different in vivo tissues.