Impact of Ca2+ signaling on B cell function

Molecular pharmacology of store-operated CRAC channels

Calcium influx through store-operated Ca(2+) release-activated Ca(2+) channels (CRAC channels) is a well-defined mechanism of generating cellular Ca(2+) elevations that regulates many functions including gene expression, exocytosis and cell proliferation. The identifications of the ER Ca(2+) sensing proteins, STIM1-2 and the CRAC channel proteins, Orai1-3, have led to improved understanding of the physiological roles and the activation mechanism of CRAC channels. Defects in CRAC channel function are associated with serious human diseases such as immunodeficiency and auto-immunity. In this review, we discuss several pharmacological modulators of CRAC channels, focusing specifically on the molecular mechanism of drug action and their utility in illuminating the mechanism of CRAC channel operation and their physiological roles in different cells.

Bruton's tyrosine kinase mediates the synergistic signalling between TLR9 and the B cell receptor by regulating calcium and calmodulin

B cells signal through both the B cell receptor (BCR) which binds antigens and Toll-like receptors (TLRs) including TLR9 which recognises CpG DNA. Activation of TLR9 synergises with BCR signalling when the BCR and TLR9 co-localise within an auto-phagosome-like compartment. Here we report that Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) is required for synergistic IL6 production and up-regulation of surface expression of MHC-class-II, CD69 and CD86 in primary murine and human B cells. We show that BTK is essential for co-localisation of the BCR and TLR9 within a potential auto-phagosome-like compartment in the Namalwa human B cell line. Downstream of BTK we find that calcium acting via calmodulin is required for this process. These data provide new insights into the role of BTK, an important target for autoimmune diseases, in B cell activation.

Tespa1 protein is phosphorylated in response to store-operated calcium entry

We previously reported that Tespa1 (thymocyte-expressed, positive selection-associated gene 1) protein expressed in lymphocytes physically interacts with IP3R (Inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor), a Ca(2+) channel protein spanning endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane. However, the biochemical characterization of Tespa1 protein remains unknown. In this study, we have found that Tespa1 protein was posttranslationally modified upon intracellular Ca(2+) increase in thymocytes. Through the analyses using various inhibitors, store-operated Ca(2+) entry (SOCE) was found to be an essential factor for the Tespa1 protein modification induced by T cell receptor (TCR)-stimulation. Remarkably, the Ca(2+)-dependent Tespa1 protein modification was restored by in vitro protein phosphatase treatment, indicating that this modification was due to phosphorylation. Moreover, we examined whether Ca(2+)-dependent phosphorylation of Tespa1 protein would affect the physical association between Tespa1 and IP3R proteins, revealing that physical association of these proteins is maintained regardless of the presence or absence of phosphorylation of Tespa1. In addition, KRAP protein which represents substantial amino acid sequence homology to Tespa1 was also posttranslationally phosphorylated by intracellular Ca(2+) increase in HCT116 human colon cancer cells and HEK293 human embryonic kidney cells, suggesting that common signaling mechanism(s) may contribute to the molecular modification of Tespa1 and KRAP in different cellular processes. All these results suggested a novel molecular modification of Tespa1 and the existence of the regulatory pathway that SOCE affects the Tespa1-IP3R molecular complex.

A Na+/Ca2+ exchanger-like protein (AtNCL) involved in salt stress in Arabidopsis

Calcium ions (Ca(2+)) play a crucial role in many key physiological processes; thus, the maintenance of Ca(2+) homeostasis is of primary importance. Na(+)/Ca(2+) exchangers (NCXs) play an important role in Ca(2+) homeostasis in animal excitable cells. Bioinformatic analysis of the Arabidopsis genome suggested the existence of a putative NCX gene, Arabidopsis NCX-like (AtNCL), encoding a protein with an NCX-like structure and different from Ca(2+)/H(+) exchangers and Na(+)/H(+) exchangers previously identified in plant. AtNCL was identified to localize in the Arabidopsis cell membrane fraction, have the ability of binding Ca(2+), and possess NCX-like activity in a heterologous expression system of cultured mammalian CHO-K1 cells. AtNCL is broadly expressed in Arabidopsis, and abiotic stresses stimulated its transcript expression. Loss-of-function atncl mutants were less sensitive to salt stress than wild-type or AtNCL transgenic overexpression lines. In addition, the total calcium content in whole atncl mutant seedlings was higher than that in wild type by atomic absorption spectroscopy. The level of free Ca(2+) in the cytosol and Ca(2+) flux at the root tips of atncl mutant plants, as detected using transgenic aequorin and a scanning ion-selective electrode, required a longer recovery time following NaCl stress compared with that in wild type. All of these data suggest that AtNCL encodes a Na(+)/Ca(2+) exchanger-like protein that participates in the maintenance of Ca(2+) homeostasis in Arabidopsis. AtNCL may represent a new type of Ca(2+) transporter in higher plants.