Rat brain contains multiple mRNAs for calpastatin

This work was undertaken to establish the forms of the calpain inhibitor, calpastatin, expressed in the brain tissue. Five cDNA clones were obtained and the corresponding amino acid sequences were deduced. Three of these proteins contain an N-terminal domain (domain L) and four inhibitory repeats typical of the calpastatin molecule. The other two are truncated forms, containing the domain L, free or associated with a single inhibitory repeat. Other differences, due to exon skipping, produce calpastatin forms with different susceptibility to posttranslational modifications. The more represented mRNA form corresponds to a calpastatin molecule containing the four inhibitory domains. These results may be useful to understand the involvement of calpain in the onset of acute and degenerative disorders of the central nervous system.