Table 1 The physiological functions of calpains as revealed by genetics
From: The calpains: modular designs and functional diversity
Gene disruption or mutation | Model system | Enzyme(s) | Findings and implication for function |
|---|---|---|---|
cpns1 (capn4)-targeted | Mouse | Calpains 1, 2, and probably 9 | Embryonic lethal, therefore some calpain is essential during embryogenesis [29] |
capn1-targeted | Mouse | Calpain-1 | Viable, fertile mice, some platelet changes, calpain-1 is not essential for development [30] |
capn2-targeted | Mouse | Calpain-2 | Embryonic lethal, very early, implying essential role for calpain-2 [31] |
capn3-targeted/naturally occurring mutations | Mouse/human | Calpain-3 | Muscle-repair defects, myopathy/LGMD type IIa [33,34,69] |
capn9 random homozygous knockout | Mouse cell culture (NIH3T3 cells) | Calpain-9 | Increased cell growth in soft agar suggests that calpain-9 is a potential tumor suppressor [32] |
capn10 variation in population | Human | Calpain-10 | Potential risk factor for type 2 diabetes; transport of GLUT4 [36,38] |
dek1-targeted/naturally occurring mutations | Maize/Arabidopsis/tobacco | Phytocalpain | Embryonic lethal in maize, developmental defects [70] |
tra3 (capn5) mutant and engineered | C. elegans | Tra3 | Sex determination [40] |
palB (capn7) mutant | Emericella nidulans | PalB | pH signal transduction pathway [41] |