Calcium binding capacity of the cytosol and endoplasmic reticulum of mouse pancreatic acinar cells

An integrative view on vacuolar pH homeostasis in Arabidopsis thaliana: Combining mathematical modeling and experimentation

The acidification of plant vacuoles is of great importance for various physiological processes, as a multitude of secondary active transporters utilize the proton gradient established across the vacuolar membrane. Vacuolar-type H⁺ -translocating ATPases and a pyrophosphatase are thought to enable vacuoles to accumulate protons against their electrochemical potential. However, recent studies pointed to the ATPase located at the trans-Golgi network/early endosome (TGN/EE) to contribute to vacuolar acidification in a manner not understood as of now. Here, we combined experimental data and computational modeling to test different hypotheses for vacuolar acidification mechanisms. For this, we analyzed different models with respect to their ability to describe existing experimental data. To better differentiate between alternative acidification mechanisms, new experimental data have been generated. By fitting the models to the experimental data, we were able to prioritize the hypothesis in which vesicular trafficking of Ca²⁺ /H⁺ -antiporters from the TGN/EE to the vacuolar membrane and the activity of ATP-dependent Ca²⁺ -pumps at the tonoplast might explain the residual acidification observed in Arabidopsis mutants defective in vacuolar proton pump activity. The presented modeling approach provides an integrative perspective on vacuolar pH regulation in Arabidopsis and holds potential to guide further experimental work.

The roles of calcium and ATP in the physiology and pathology of the exocrine pancreas

This review deals with the roles of calcium ions and ATP in the control of the normal functions of the different cell types in the exocrine pancreas as well as the roles of these molecules in the pathophysiology of acute pancreatitis. Repetitive rises in the local cytosolic calcium ion concentration in the apical part of the acinar cells not only activate exocytosis but also, via an increase in the intramitochondrial calcium ion concentration, stimulate the ATP formation that is needed to fuel the energy-requiring secretion process. However, intracellular calcium overload, resulting in a global sustained elevation of the cytosolic calcium ion concentration, has the opposite effect of decreasing mitochondrial ATP production, and this initiates processes that lead to necrosis. In the last few years it has become possible to image calcium signaling events simultaneously in acinar, stellate, and immune cells in intact lobules of the exocrine pancreas. This has disclosed processes by which these cells interact with each other, particularly in relation to the initiation and development of acute pancreatitis. By unraveling the molecular mechanisms underlying this disease, several promising therapeutic intervention sites have been identified. This provides hope that we may soon be able to effectively treat this often fatal disease.

Signaling through Ca2+ Microdomains from Store-Operated CRAC Channels

Calcium (Ca²⁺) ion microdomains are subcellular regions of high Ca²⁺ concentration that develop rapidly near open Ca²⁺ channels in the plasma membrane or internal stores and generate local regions of high Ca²⁺ concentration. These microdomains are remarkably versatile in that they activate a range of responses that differ enormously in both their temporal and spatial profile. In this review, we describe how Ca²⁺ microdomains generated by store-operated calcium channels, a widespread and conserved Ca²⁺ entry pathway, stimulate different signaling pathways, and how the spatial extent of a Ca²⁺ microdomain can be influenced by Ca²⁺ ATPase pumps.

Cytoplasmic Calcium Buffering: An Integrative Crosstalk

Calcium (Ca²⁺) buffering is part of an integrative crosstalk between different mechanisms and elements involved in the control of free Ca²⁺ ions persistence in the cytoplasm and hence, in the Ca²⁺-dependence of many intracellular processes. Alterations of Ca²⁺ homeostasis and signaling from systemic to subcellular levels also play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of many diseases.Compared with Ca²⁺ sequestration towards intracellular Ca²⁺ stores, Ca²⁺ buffering is a rapid process occurring in a subsecond scale. Any molecule (or binding site) with the ability to bind Ca²⁺ ions could be considered, at least in principle, as a buffer. However, the term Ca²⁺ buffer is applied only to a small subset of Ca²⁺ binding proteins containing acidic side-chain residues.Ca²⁺ buffering in the cytoplasm mainly relies on mobile and immobile or fixed buffers controlling the diffusion of free Ca²⁺ ions inside the cytosol both temporally and spatially. Mobility of buffers depends on their molecular weight, but other parameters as their concentration, affinity for Ca²⁺ or Ca²⁺ binding and dissociation kinetics next to their diffusional mobility also contribute to make Ca²⁺ signaling one of the most complex signaling activities of the cell.The crosstalk between all the elements involved in the intracellular Ca²⁺ dynamics is a process of extreme complexity due to the diversity of structural and molecular elements involved but permit a highly regulated spatiotemporal control of the signal mediated by Ca²⁺ ions. The basis of modeling tools to study Ca²⁺ dynamics are also presented.

Visualization of astrocytic intracellular Ca2+ mobilization

Astrocytes generate robust intracellular Ca²⁺ concentration changes (Ca²⁺ signals), which are assumed to regulate astrocytic functions that play crucial roles in the regulation of brain functions. One frequently used strategy for exploring the role of astrocytic Ca²⁺ signalling is the use of mice deficient in the type 2 inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor (IP₃ R2). These IP₃ R2-knockout (KO) mice are reportedly devoid of Ca²⁺ mobilization from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) in astrocytes. However, they have shown no functional deficits in several studies, causing a heated debate as to the functional relevance of ER-mediated Ca²⁺ signalling in astrocytes. Recently, the assumption that Ca²⁺ mobilization from the ER is absent in IP₃ R2-KO astrocytes has been re-evaluated using intraorganellar Ca²⁺ imaging techniques. The new results indicated that IP₃ R2-independent Ca²⁺ release may generate Ca²⁺ nanodomains around the ER, which may help explain the absence of functional deficits in IP₃ R2-KO mice.

Research Progress on the Relationship Between Acute Pancreatitis and Calcium Overload in Acinar Cells

Acute pancreatitis is a human disease with multiple causes that leads to autodigestion of the pancreas. There is sufficient evidence to support the key role of sustained increase in cytosolic calcium concentrations in the early pathogenesis of the disease. To clarify the mechanism of maintaining calcium homeostasis in the cell and pathological processes caused by calcium overload would help to research directly targeted therapeutic agents. We will specifically review the following: intracellular calcium homeostasis and regulation, the occurrence of calcium overload in acinar cells, the role of calcium overload in the pathogenesis of AP, the treatment strategy proposed for calcium overload.

Ca2+ tunnelling through the ER lumen as a mechanism for delivering Ca2+ entering via store-operated Ca2+ channels to specific target sites

Ca²⁺ signalling is perhaps the most universal and versatile mechanism regulating a wide range of cellular processes. Because of the many different calcium‐binding proteins distributed throughout cells, signalling precision requires localized rises in the cytosolic Ca²⁺ concentration. In electrically non‐excitable cells, for example epithelial cells, this is achieved by primary release of Ca²⁺ from the endoplasmic reticulum via Ca²⁺ release channels placed close to the physiological target. Because any rise in the cytosolic Ca²⁺ concentration activates Ca²⁺ extrusion, and in order for cells not to run out of Ca²⁺, there is a need for compensatory Ca²⁺ uptake from the extracellular fluid. This Ca²⁺ uptake occurs through a process known as store‐operated Ca²⁺ entry. Ideally Ca²⁺ entering the cell should not diffuse to the target site through the cytosol, as this would potentially activate undesirable processes. Ca²⁺ tunnelling through the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum is a mechanism for delivering Ca²⁺ entering via store‐operated Ca²⁺ channels to specific target sites, and this process has been described in considerable detail in pancreatic acinar cells and oocytes. Here we review the most important evidence and present a generalized concept.

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition, IP3 receptors and ER-PM junctions: translocation of Ca2+ signalling complexes and regulation of migration

Disconnection of a cell from its epithelial neighbours and the formation of a mesenchymal phenotype are associated with profound changes in the distribution of cellular components and the formation of new cellular polarity. We observed a dramatic redistribution of inositol trisphosphate receptors (IP3Rs) and stromal interaction molecule 1 (STIM1)-competent endoplasmic reticulum-plasma membrane junctions (ER-PM junctions) when pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) cells disconnect from their neighbours and undergo individual migration. In cellular monolayers IP3Rs are juxtaposed with tight junctions. When individual cells migrate away from their neighbours IP3Rs preferentially accumulate at the leading edge where they surround focal adhesions. Uncaging of inositol trisphosphate (IP3) resulted in prominent accumulation of paxillin in focal adhesions, highlighting important functional implications of the observed novel structural relationships. ER-PM junctions and STIM1 proteins also migrate to the leading edge and position closely behind the IP3Rs, creating a stratified distribution of Ca(2+) signalling complexes in this region. Importantly, migration of PDAC cells was strongly suppressed by selective inhibition of IP3Rs and store-operated Ca(2+) entry (SOCE), indicating that these mechanisms are functionally required for migration.

Ca2+ Diffusion through Endoplasmic Reticulum Supports Elevated Intraterminal Ca2+ Levels Needed to Sustain Synaptic Release from Rods in Darkness

In addition to vesicle release at synaptic ribbons, rod photoreceptors are capable of substantial slow release at non-ribbon release sites triggered by Ca(2+)-induced Ca(2+) release (CICR) from intracellular stores. To maintain CICR as rods remain depolarized in darkness, we hypothesized that Ca(2+) released into the cytoplasm from terminal endoplasmic reticulum (ER) can be replenished continuously by ions diffusing within the ER from the soma. We measured [Ca(2+)] changes in cytoplasm and ER of rods from Ambystoma tigrinum retina using various dyes. ER [Ca(2+)] changes were measured by loading ER with fluo-5N and then washing dye from the cytoplasm with a dye-free patch pipette solution. Small dye molecules diffused within ER between soma and terminal showing a single continuous ER compartment. Depolarization of rods to -40 mV depleted Ca(2+) from terminal ER, followed by a decline in somatic ER [Ca(2+)]. Local activation of ryanodine receptors in terminals with a spatially confined puff of ryanodine caused a decline in terminal ER [Ca(2+)], followed by a secondary decrease in somatic ER. Localized photolytic uncaging of Ca(2+) from o-nitrophenyl-EGTA in somatic ER caused an abrupt Ca(2+) increase in somatic ER, followed by a slower Ca(2+) increase in terminal ER. These data suggest that, during maintained depolarization, a soma-to-terminal [Ca(2+)] gradient develops within the ER that promotes diffusion of Ca(2+) ions to resupply intraterminal ER Ca(2+) stores and thus sustain CICR-mediated synaptic release. The ability of Ca(2+) to move freely through the ER may also promote bidirectional communication of Ca(2+) changes between soma and terminal.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT

Vertebrate rod and cone photoreceptors both release vesicles at synaptic ribbons, but rods also exhibit substantial slow release at non-ribbon sites triggered by Ca(2+)-induced Ca(2+) release (CICR). Blocking CICR inhibits >50% of release from rods in darkness. How do rods maintain sufficiently high [Ca(2+)] in terminal endoplasmic reticulum (ER) to support sustained CICR-driven synaptic transmission? We show that maintained depolarization creates a [Ca(2+)] gradient within the rod ER lumen that promotes soma-to-terminal diffusion of Ca(2+) to replenish intraterminal ER stores. This mechanism allows CICR-triggered synaptic release to be sustained indefinitely while rods remain depolarized in darkness. Free diffusion of Ca(2+) within the ER may also communicate synaptic Ca(2+) changes back to the soma to influence other critical cell processes.

In situ Ca2+ titration in the fluorometric study of intracellular Ca2+ binding

Imaging with Ca(2+)-sensitive fluorescent dye has provided a wealth of insight into the dynamics of cellular Ca(2+) signaling. The spatiotemporal evolution of intracellular free Ca(2+) observed in imaging experiments is shaped by binding and unbinding to cytoplasmic Ca(2+) buffers, as well as the fluorescent indicator used for imaging. These factors must be taken into account in the interpretation of Ca(2+) imaging data, and can be exploited to investigate endogenous Ca(2+) buffer properties. Here we extended the use of Ca(2+) fluorometry in the characterization of Ca(2+) binding molecules within cells, building on a method of titration of intracellular Ca(2+) binding sites in situ with measured amounts of Ca(2+) entering through voltage-gated Ca(2+) channels. We developed a systematic procedure for fitting fluorescence data acquired during a series of voltage steps to models with multiple Ca(2+) binding sites. The method was tested on simulated data, and then applied to 2-photon fluorescence imaging data from rat posterior pituitary nerve terminals patch clamp-loaded with the Ca(2+) indicator fluo-8. Focusing on data sets well described by a single endogenous Ca(2+) buffer and dye, this method yielded estimates of the endogenous buffer concentration and Kd, the dye Kd, and the fraction of Ca(2+) inaccessible cellular volume. The in situ Kd of fluo-8 thus obtained was indistinguishable from that measured in vitro. This method of calibrating Ca(2+)-sensitive fluorescent dyes in situ has significant advantages over previous methods. Our analysis of Ca(2+) titration fluorometric data makes more effective use of the experimental data, and provides a rigorous treatment of multivariate errors and multiple Ca(2+) binding species. This method offers a versatile approach to the study of endogenous Ca(2+) binding molecules in their physiological milieu.

Pericellular Ca(2+) recycling potentiates thrombin-evoked Ca(2+) signals in human platelets

We have previously demonstrated that Na(+)/Ca(2+) exchangers (NCXs) potentiate Ca(2+) signaling evoked by thapsigargin in human platelets, via their ability to modulate the secretion of autocoids from dense granules. This link was confirmed in platelets stimulated with the physiological agonist, thrombin, and experiments were performed to examine how Ca(2+) removal by the NCX modulates platelet dense granule secretion. In cells loaded with the near-membrane indicator FFP-18, thrombin stimulation was observed to elicit an NCX-dependent accumulation of Ca(2+) in a pericellular region around the platelets. To test whether this pericellular Ca(2+) accumulation might be responsible for the influence of NCXs over platelet function, platelets were exposed to fast Ca(2+) chelators or had their glycocalyx removed. Both manipulations of the pericellular Ca(2+) rise reduced thrombin-evoked Ca(2+) signals and dense granule secretion. Blocking Ca(2+)-permeable ion channels had a similar effect, suggesting that Ca(2+) exported into the pericellular region is able to recycle back into the platelet cytosol. Single cell imaging with extracellular Fluo-4 indicated that thrombin-evoked rises in extracellular [Ca(2+)] occurred within the boundary described by the cell surface, suggesting their presence within the open canalicular system (OCS). FFP-18 fluorescence was similarly distributed. These data suggest that upon thrombin stimulation, NCX activity creates a rise in [Ca(2+)] within the pericellular region of the platelet from where it recycles back into the platelet cytosol, acting to both accelerate dense granule secretion and maintain the initial rise in cytosolic [Ca(2+)].

A mathematical model of T lymphocyte calcium dynamics derived from single transmembrane protein properties

Fate decision processes of T lymphocytes are crucial for health and disease. Whether a T lymphocyte is activated, divides, gets anergic, or initiates apoptosis depends on extracellular triggers and intracellular signaling. Free cytosolic calcium dynamics plays an important role in this context. The relative contributions of store-derived calcium entry and calcium entry from extracellular space to T lymphocyte activation are still a matter of debate. Here we develop a quantitative mathematical model of T lymphocyte calcium dynamics in order to establish a tool which allows to disentangle cause-effect relationships between ion fluxes and observed calcium time courses. The model is based on single transmembrane protein characteristics which have been determined in independent experiments. This reduces the number of unknown parameters in the model to a minimum and ensures the predictive power of the model. Simulation results are subsequently used for an analysis of whole cell calcium dynamics measured under various experimental conditions. The model accounts for a variety of these conditions, which supports the suitability of the modeling approach. The simulation results suggest a model in which calcium dynamics dominantly relies on the opening of channels in calcium stores while calcium entry through calcium-release activated channels (CRAC) is more associated with the maintenance of the T lymphocyte calcium levels and prevents the cell from calcium depletion. Our findings indicate that CRAC guarantees a long-term stable calcium level which is required for cell survival and sustained calcium enhancement.

The role of Ca2+ in the pathophysiology of pancreatitis

Acute pancreatitis is a human disease in which the pancreatic pro-enzymes, packaged into the zymogen granules of acinar cells, become activated and cause autodigestion. The main causes of pancreatitis are alcohol abuse and biliary disease. A considerable body of evidence indicates that the primary event initiating the disease process is the excessive release of Ca(2+) from intracellular stores, followed by excessive entry of Ca(2+) from the interstitial fluid. However, Ca(2+) release and subsequent entry are also precisely the processes that control the physiological secretion of digestive enzymes in response to stimulation via the vagal nerve or the hormone cholecystokinin. The spatial and temporal Ca(2+) signal patterns in physiology and pathology, as well as the contributions from different organelles in the different situations, are therefore critical issues. There has recently been significant progress in our understanding of both physiological stimulus-secretion coupling and the pathophysiology of acute pancreatitis. Very recently, a promising potential therapeutic development has occurred with the demonstration that the blockade of Ca(2+) release-activated Ca(2+) currents in pancreatic acinar cells offers remarkable protection against Ca(2+) overload, intracellular protease activation and necrosis evoked by a combination of alcohol and fatty acids, which is a major trigger of acute pancreatitis.

Regulators of calcium homeostasis identified by inference of kinetic model parameters from live single cells perturbed by siRNA

Assigning molecular functions and revealing dynamic connections between large numbers of partially characterized proteins in regulatory networks are challenges in systems biology. We showed that functions of signaling proteins can be discovered with a differential equations model of the underlying signaling process to extract specific molecular parameter values from single-cell, time-course measurements. By analyzing the effects of 250 small interfering RNAs on Ca(2+) signals in single cells over time, we identified parameters that were specifically altered in the Ca(2+) regulatory system. Analysis of the screen confirmed known functions of the Ca(2+) sensors STIM1 (stromal interaction molecule 1) and calmodulin and of Ca(2+) channels and pumps localized in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) or plasma membrane. Furthermore, we showed that the Alzheimer's disease-linked protein presenilin-2 and the channel protein ORAI2 prevented overload of ER Ca(2+) and that feedback from Ca(2+) to phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase and PLCδ (phospholipase Cδ) may regulate the abundance of the plasma membrane lipid PI(4,5)P2 (phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate) to control Ca(2+) extrusion. Thus, functions of signaling proteins and dynamic regulatory connections can be identified by extracting molecular parameter values from single-cell, time-course data.

Modeling secondary messenger pathways in neurovascular coupling

Neurovascular coupling is the well-documented link between neural stimulation and constriction or dilation of the surrounding vasculature. Glial cells mediate this response via their unique anatomy, which connects neurons to arterioles. It is believed that calcium transients and the release of secondary messengers by these cells influence the vascular response. We present a model of intracellular calcium dynamics in an astrocyte (glial cell) and show that stable oscillatory behaviour is possible under certain conditions. We then couple this to a novel model for the relationship between calcium concentration and the production of vasoactive secondary messengers through a fatty-acid intermediate. The two secondary messengers modelled are epoxyeicosatrienoic and 20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acids (EET and 20-HETE, respectively). These secondary messengers are produced on different time scales, and we show how this supports the observation that the vasculature dilates rapidly in response to neural stimulation, before returning to baseline levels on a slower time scale.

Molecular mechanisms of endolysosomal Ca2+ signalling in health and disease

Endosomes, lysosomes and lysosome-related organelles are emerging as important Ca2+ storage cellular compartments with a central role in intracellular Ca2+ signalling. Endocytosis at the plasma membrane forms endosomal vesicles which mature to late endosomes and culminate in lysosomal biogenesis. During this process, acquisition of different ion channels and transporters progressively changes the endolysosomal luminal ionic environment (e.g. pH and Ca2+) to regulate enzyme activities, membrane fusion/fission and organellar ion fluxes, and defects in these can result in disease. In the present review we focus on the physiology of the inter-related transport mechanisms of Ca2+ and H+ across endolysosomal membranes. In particular, we discuss the role of the Ca2+-mobilizing messenger NAADP (nicotinic acid adenine dinucleotide phosphate) as a major regulator of Ca2+ release from endolysosomes, and the recent discovery of an endolysosomal channel family, the TPCs (two-pore channels), as its principal intracellular targets. Recent molecular studies of endolysosomal Ca2+ physiology and its regulation by NAADP-gated TPCs are providing exciting new insights into the mechanisms of Ca2+-signal initiation that control a wide range of cellular processes and play a role in disease. These developments underscore a new central role for the endolysosomal system in cellular Ca2+ regulation and signalling.

The dynamics of mitochondrial Ca2+ fluxes

We have investigated the kinetics of mitochondrial Ca(2+) influx and efflux and their dependence on cytosolic [Ca(2+)] and [Na(+)] using low-Ca(2+)-affinity aequorin. The rate of Ca(2+) release from mitochondria increased linearly with mitochondrial [Ca(2+)] ([Ca(2+)](M)). Na(+)-dependent Ca(2+) release was predominant al low [Ca(2+)](M) but saturated at [Ca(2+)](M) around 400muM, while Na(+)-independent Ca(2+) release was very slow at [Ca(2+)](M) below 200muM, and then increased at higher [Ca(2+)](M), perhaps through the opening of a new pathway. Half-maximal activation of Na(+)-dependent Ca(2+) release occurred at 5-10mM [Na(+)], within the physiological range of cytosolic [Na(+)]. Ca(2+) entry rates were comparable in size to Ca(2+) exit rates at cytosolic [Ca(2+)] ([Ca(2+)](c)) below 7muM, but the rate of uptake was dramatically accelerated at higher [Ca(2+)](c). As a consequence, the presence of [Na(+)] considerably reduced the rate of [Ca(2+)](M) increase at [Ca(2+)](c) below 7muM, but its effect was hardly appreciable at 10muM [Ca(2+)](c). Exit rates were more dependent on the temperature than uptake rates, thus making the [Ca(2+)](M) transients to be much more prolonged at lower temperature. Our kinetic data suggest that mitochondria have little high affinity Ca(2+) buffering, and comparison of our results with data on total mitochondrial Ca(2+) fluxes indicate that the mitochondrial Ca(2+) bound/Ca(2+) free ratio is around 10- to 100-fold for most of the observed [Ca(2+)](M) range and suggest that massive phosphate precipitation can only occur when [Ca(2+)](M) reaches the millimolar range.

Oxidative protein folding in the endoplasmic reticulum: tight links to the mitochondria-associated membrane (MAM)

The production of secretory proteins at the ER (endoplasmic reticulum) depends on a ready supply of energy and metabolites as well as the close monitoring of the chemical conditions that favor oxidative protein folding. ER oxidoreductases and chaperones fold nascent proteins into their export-competent three-dimensional structure. Interference with these protein folding enzymes leads to the accumulation of unfolded proteins within the ER lumen, causing an acute organellar stress that triggers the UPR (unfolded protein response). The UPR increases the transcription of ER chaperones commensurate with the load of newly synthesized proteins and can protect the cell from ER stress. Persistant stress, however, can force the UPR to commit cells to undergo apoptotic cell death, which requires the emptying of ER calcium stores. Conversely, a continuous ebb and flow of calcium occurs between the ER and mitochondria during resting conditions on a domain of the ER that forms close contacts with mitochondria, the MAM (mitochondria-associated membrane). On the MAM, ER folding chaperones such as calnexin and calreticulin and oxidoreductases such as ERp44, ERp57 and Ero1alpha regulate calcium flux from the ER through reversible, calcium and redox-dependent interactions with IP3Rs (inositol 1,4,5-trisphophate receptors) and with SERCAs (sarcoplasmic/endoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPases). During apoptosis progression and depending on the identity of the ER chaperone and oxidoreductase, these interactions increase or decrease, suggesting that the extent of MAM targeting of ER chaperones and oxidoreductases could shift the readout of ER-mitochondria calcium exchange from housekeeping to apoptotic. However, little is known about the cytosolic factors that mediate the on/off interactions between ER chaperones and oxidoreductases with ER calcium channels and pumps. One candidate regulator is the multi-functional molecule PACS-2 (phosphofurin acidic cluster sorting protein-2). Recent studies suggest that PACS-2 mediates localization of a mobile pool of calnexin to the MAM in addition to regulating homeostatic ER calcium signaling as well as MAM integrity. Together, these findings suggest that cytosolic, membrane and lumenal proteins combine to form a two-way switch that determines the rate of protein secretion by providing ions and metabolites and that appears to participate in the pro-apoptotic ER-mitochondria calcium transfer.

Cytosolic zinc buffering and muffling: their role in intracellular zinc homeostasis

Our knowledge of the molecular mechanisms of intracellular homeostatic control of zinc ions is now firmly grounded on experimental findings gleaned from the study of zinc proteomes and metallomes, zinc transporters, and insights from the use of computational approaches. A cell's repertoire of zinc homeostatic molecules includes cytosolic zinc-binding proteins, transporters localized to cytoplasmic and organellar membranes, and sensors of cytoplasmic free zinc ions. Under steady state conditions, a primary function of cytosolic zinc-binding proteins is to buffer the relatively large zinc content found in most cells to a cytosolic zinc(ii) ion concentration in the picomolar range. Under non-steady state conditions, zinc-binding proteins and transporters act in concert to modulate transient changes in cytosolic zinc ion concentration in a process that is called zinc muffling. For example, if a cell is challenged by an influx of zinc ions, muffling reactions will dampen the resulting rise in cytosolic zinc ion concentration and eventually restore the cytosolic zinc ion concentration to its original value by shuttling zinc ions into subcellular stores or by removing zinc ions from the cell. In addition, muffling reactions provide a potential means to control changes in cytosolic zinc ion concentrations for purposes of cell signalling in what would otherwise be considered a buffered environment not conducive for signalling. Such intracellular zinc ion signals are known to derive from redox modifications of zinc-thiolate coordination environments, release from subcellular zinc stores, and zinc ion influx via channels. Recently, it has been discovered that metallothionein binds its seven zinc ions with different affinities. This property makes metallothionein particularly well positioned to participate in zinc buffering and muffling reactions. In addition, it is well established that metallothionein is a source of zinc ions under conditions of redox signalling. We suggest that the biological functions of transient changes in cytosolic zinc ion concentrations (presumptive zinc signals) complement those of calcium ions in both spatial and temporal dimensions.

Downstream from calcium signalling: mitochondria, vacuoles and pancreatic acinar cell damage

Ca(2+) is one of the most ancient and ubiquitous second messengers. Highly polarized pancreatic acinar cells serve as an important cellular model for studies of Ca(2+) signalling and homeostasis. Downstream effects of Ca(2+) signalling have been and continue to be an important research avenue. The primary functions regulated by Ca(2+) in pancreatic acinar cells--exocytotic secretion and fluid secretion--have been defined and extensively characterized in the second part of the last century. The role of cytosolic Ca(2+) in cellular pathology and the related question of the interplay between Ca(2+) signalling and bioenergetics are important current research lines in our and other laboratories. Recent findings in these interwoven research areas are discussed in the current review.

Computational study of non-homogeneous distribution of Ca(2+) handling systems in cerebellar granule cells

The spatiotemporal distribution of cytosolic free calcium concentration ([Ca(2+)](i)) in cerebellar granule cells (GrCs) is thought to be critical in defining the occurrence and direction of long-term changes in synaptic strength at cerebellar mossy fiber-GrC synapses. Despite this, the mechanisms responsible for shaping Ca(2+) transients in GrCs are not well understood. To investigate the interplay between Ca(2+) entry, extrusion, buffering and dendritic morphology in shaping Ca(2+) elevations in GrCs, we developed a model of Ca(2+) regulation in these cells and examined the requirements for reproducing fluorescence responses to depolarization and synaptic stimulation previously described in the literature. Two conclusions can be drawn from our simulation results. First, a significant progressive decrease in the amplitudes of depolarization-evoked fluorescence transients from the dendritic endings (digits) toward the soma of GrCs, can be reproduced in the model only if the density of Ca(2+) channels is considerably higher or the concentration of endogenous buffers is much lower in the digits than in the parent dendrites. In contrast, heterogeneities in the distribution of Ca(2+) pumps or in cytosolic fractional volume cannot account for the formation of [Ca(2+)](i) gradients in GrCs. Second, much lower amplitudes of fluorescence transients induced by depolarization and synaptic stimulation than expected from typical measurements of Ca(2+) and NMDA receptor-mediated currents can be reconciled with a pronounced slowing of the decay of fluorescence responses in the digits of GrCs after introducing a high-affinity Ca(2+) indicator if a high-capacity immobile Ca(2+) buffer (presumably plasma membrane-associated) is suggested to be present in the soma and apical part of digits. Mitochondria also are likely to modulate synaptically evoked Ca(2+) responses in GrCs. The alternative hypotheses are thoroughly discussed and research avenues for their testing in future experiments are proposed.

Rapid downregulation of the Ca2+-signal after exocytosis stimulation in Paramecium cells: essential role of a centrin-rich filamentous cortical network, the infraciliary lattice

We analysed in Paramecium tetraurelia cells the role of the infraciliary lattice, a cytoskeletal network containing numerous centrin isoforms tightly bound to large binding proteins, in the re-establishment of Ca2+ homeostasis following exocytosis stimulation. The wild type strain d4-2 has been compared with the mutant cell line Delta-PtCenBP1 which is devoid of the infraciliary lattice ("Delta-PtCenBP1" cells). Exocytosis is known to involve the mobilization of cortical Ca2+-stores and a superimposed Ca2+-influx and was analysed using Fura Red ratio imaging. No difference in the initial signal generation was found between wild type and Delta-PtCenBP1 cells. In contrast, decay time was greatly increased in Delta-PtCenBP1 cells particularly when stimulated, e.g., in presence of 1mM extracellular Ca2+, [Ca2+]o. Apparent halftimes of f/f0 decrease were 8.5 s in wild type and approximately 125 s in Delta-PtCenBP1 cells, requiring approximately 30 s and approximately 180 s, respectively, to re-establish intracellular [Ca2+] homeostasis. Lowering [Ca2+]o to 0.1 and 0.01 mM caused an acceleration of intracellular [Ca2+] decay to t(1/2)=33 s and 28 s, respectively, in Delta-PtCenBP1 cells as compared to 8.1 and 5.6, respectively, for wild type cells. We conclude that, in Paramecium cells, the infraciliary lattice is the most efficient endogenous Ca2+ buffering system allowing the rapid downregulation of Ca2+ signals after exocytosis stimulation.

Ca2+ microdomains near plasma membrane Ca2+ channels: impact on cell function

In eukaryotic cells, a rise in cytoplasmic Ca(2+) can activate a plethora of responses that operate on time scales ranging from milliseconds to days. Inherent to the use of a promiscuous signal like Ca(2+) is the problem of specificity: how can Ca(2+) activate some responses but not others? We now know that the spatial profile of the Ca(2+) signal is important Ca(2+) does not simply rise uniformly throughout the cytoplasm upon stimulation but can reach very high levels locally, creating spatial gradients. The most fundamental local Ca(2+) signal is the Ca(2+) microdomain that develops rapidly near open plasmalemmal Ca(2+) channels like voltage-gated L-type (Cav1.2) and store-operated CRAC channels. Recent work has revealed that Ca(2+) microdomains arising from these channels are remarkably versatile in triggering a range of responses that differ enormously in both temporal and spatial profile. Here, I delineate basic features of Ca(2+) microdomains and then describe how these highly local signals are used by Ca(2+)-permeable channels to drive cellular responses.

Ca2+ signalling and Ca2+-activated ion channels in exocrine acinar cells

The development of the calcium signalling field, from its early beginnings some 40 years ago to the present, is described. Calcium signalling in exocrine gland acinar cells and the effects of neurotransmitter- or hormone-elicited rises in the cytosolic calcium ion concentration on ion channel gating are reviewed. The highly polarized arrangement of the organelle systems in living acinar cells is described as well as its importance for the physiologically relevant local and polarized calcium signalling events.

Polarized calcium signaling in exocrine gland cells

Cytosolic Ca2+ signals are crucial for the control of fluid and enzyme secretion from exocrine glands. The highly polarized exocrine acinar cells have evolved sophisticated and complex Ca2+ signaling mechanisms that exercise precise control of the secretory events occurring across the apical plasma membrane bordering the gland lumen. Ca2+ stores in the endoplasmic reticulum, the secretory granules, the lysosomes, and the endosomes all play important roles in the generation of the local apical Ca2+ spikes that switch on Cl(-) channels in the apical plasma membrane as well as exocytotic export of enzymes. The mitochondria are crucial not only for ATP generation but also for the physiologically important subcellular compartmentalization of the cytosolic Ca2+ signals.

High- and low-calcium-dependent mechanisms of mitochondrial calcium signalling

The Ca(2+) coupling between endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and mitochondria is central to multiple cell survival and cell death mechanisms. Cytoplasmic [Ca(2+)] ([Ca(2+)](c)) spikes and oscillations produced by ER Ca(2+) release are effectively delivered to the mitochondria. Propagation of [Ca(2+)](c) signals to the mitochondria requires the passage of Ca(2+) across three membranes, namely the ER membrane, the outer mitochondrial membrane (OMM) and the inner mitochondrial membrane (IMM). Strategic positioning of the mitochondria by cytoskeletal transport and interorganellar tethers provides a means to promote the local transfer of Ca(2+) between the ER membrane and OMM. In this setting, even >100 microM [Ca(2+)] may be attained to activate the low affinity mitochondrial Ca(2+) uptake. However, a mitochondrial [Ca(2+)] rise has also been documented during submicromolar [Ca(2+)](c) elevations. Evidence has been emerging that Ca(2+) exerts allosteric control on the Ca(2+) transport sites at each membrane, providing mechanisms that may facilitate the Ca(2+) delivery to the mitochondria. Here we discuss the fundamental mechanisms of ER and mitochondrial Ca(2+) transport, particularly the control of their activity by Ca(2+) and evaluate both high- and low-[Ca(2+)]-activated mitochondrial calcium signals in the context of cell physiology.

Extracellular calcium as an integrator of tissue function

The past several decades of research into calcium signaling have focused on intracellular calcium (Ca(i)(2+)), revealing both exquisite spatial and dynamic control of this potent second messenger. Our understanding of Ca(i)(2+) signaling has benefited from the evolution of cell culture methods, development of high affinity fluorescent calcium indicators (both membrane-permeant small molecules and genetically encoded proteins), and high-resolution fluorescence microscopy. As our understanding of single cell calcium dynamics has increased, translational efforts have attempted to push calcium signaling studies back into tissues, organs and whole animals. Emerging results from these more complicated, diffusion-limited systems have begun to define a role for extracellular calcium (Ca(o)(2+)) as an agonist, spurred by the cloning and characterization of a G protein-coupled receptor activated by Ca(o)(2+) (the calcium sensing receptor, CaR). Here, we review the current state-of-the art for measurement of Ca(o)(2+) fluctuations, and the evidence that fluctuations in Ca(o)(2+) can act as primary signals regulating cell function. Current results suggest that Ca(o)(2+) in bone and epidermis may act as a chemotactic homing signal, targeting cells to the appropriate tissue locations prior to initiation of the differentiation program. Ca(i)(2+) signaling-mediated Ca(o)(2+) fluctuations in interstitial spaces may integrate cell signaling responses in multicellular networks through activation of CaR. Appreciation of the importance of Ca(o)(2+) fluctuations in coordinating cell function will likely spur identification of additional, niche-specific Ca(2+) sensors, and provide unique insights into the regulation of multicellular signaling networks.

Ca2+ release dynamics in parotid and pancreatic exocrine acinar cells evoked by spatially limited flash photolysis

Intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca(2+)](i)) signals are central to the mechanisms underlying fluid and protein secretion in pancreatic and parotid acinar cells. Calcium release was studied in natively buffered cells following focal laser photolysis of caged molecules. Focal photolysis of caged-inositol 1,4,5 trisphosphate (InsP(3)) in the apical region resulted in Ca(2+) release from the apical trigger zone and, after a latent period, the initiation of an apical-to-basal Ca(2+) wave. The latency was longer and the wave speed significantly slower in pancreatic compared with parotid cells. Focal photolysis in basal regions evoked only limited Ca(2+) release at the photolysis site and never resulted in a propagating wave. Instead, an apical-to-basal wave was initiated following a latent period. Again, the latent period was significantly longer under all conditions in pancreas than parotid. Although slower in pancreas than parotid, once initiated, the apical-to-basal wave speed was constant in a particular cell type. Photo release of caged-Ca(2+) failed to evoke a propagating Ca(2+) wave in either cell type. However, the kinetics of the Ca(2+) signal evoked following photolysis of caged-InsP(3) were significantly dampened by ryanodine in parotid but not pancreas, indicating a more prominent functional role for ryanodine receptor (RyR) following InsP(3) receptor (InsP(3)R) activation. These data suggest that differing expression levels of InsP(3)R, RyR, and possibly cellular buffering capacity may contribute to the fast kinetics of Ca(2+) signals in parotid compared with pancreas. These properties may represent a specialization of the cell type to effectively stimulate Ca(2+)-dependent effectors important for the differing primary physiological role of each gland.

The Endoplasmic Reticulum as an Integrator of Multiple Dendritic Events

Dendrites are integrating elements that receive numerous subsets of heterogeneous synaptic inputs, which generate temporally and spatially distinct changes in membrane potential and intracellular Ca2+ levels in local domains. The ubiquitously distributed endoplasmic reticulum (ER) in dendrites is luminally connected to the bulk ER in the soma, constituting a huge interconnected intracellular network that allows rapid Ca2+ diffusion and equilibration. The ER is an excitable organelle that can elicit or terminate cytosolic Ca2+ signals in local or global domains. The absolute level or changes in the Ca2+ concentration in the ER lumen are also very important for the synthesis and maturation of proteins, regulation of gene expression, mitochondrial functions, neuronal excitability, and synaptic plasticity. Through the connected lumen of the ER, information from multiple dendritic events in neurons appears to be delivered into the bulk ER in the soma. Therefore, the ER network in neurons is emerging as a conveyor and integrator of signals. In this article, we will discuss the various roles of the ER and the functional and structural organization of the ER network in neurons. NEUROSCIENTIST 14(1):68—77, 2008.

Calcium and cell death

Calcium signalling system controls majority of cellular reactions. Calcium signals occurring within tightly regulated temporal and spatial domains, govern a host of Ca2(+)-dependent enzymes, which in turn determine specified cellular responses. Generation of Ca2+ signals is achieved through coordinated activity of several families of Ca2+ channels and transporters differentially distributed between intracellular compartments. Cell damage induced by environmental insults or by overstimulation of physiological pathways results in pathological Ca2+ signals, which trigger necrotic or apoptotic cellular death.

Twenty years of calcium imaging: cell physiology to dye for

The use of fluorescent dyes over the past two decades has led to a revolution in our understanding of calcium signaling. Given the ubiquitous role of Ca(2+) in signal transduction at the most fundamental levels of molecular, cellular, and organismal biology, it has been challenging to understand how the specificity and versatility of Ca(2+) signaling is accomplished. In excitable cells, the coordination of changing Ca(2+) concentrations at global (cellular) and well-defined subcellular spaces through the course of membrane depolarization can now be conceptualized in the context of disease processes such as cardiac arrhythmogenesis. The spatial and temporal dimensions of Ca(2+) signaling are similarly important in non-excitable cells, such as endothelial and epithelial cells, to regulate multiple signaling pathways that participate in organ homeostasis as well as cellular organization and essential secretory processes.

Dissecting ICRAC, a store-operated calcium current

The use of Ca(2+) for intracellular signalling necessitates tight local and global control of cytoplasmic Ca(2+) concentration, and mechanisms for maintaining the net Ca(2+) balance. It has long been recognized that intracellular Ca(2+) stores exert control over Ca(2+) influx at the plasma membrane through a process of store-operated Ca(2+) entry (SOCE). The Ca(2+) current I(CRAC) is the best characterized instance of SOCE, but the elements of the pathway leading to I(CRAC) have eluded biochemical definition for more than a decade. However, the recent identification of key proteins underlying I(CRAC)--STIM1 and Orai1--has led to several insights into this ER-to-plasma membrane signalling system and to the recognition that it is an ancient and conserved mechanism in multicellular organisms.

Depolarization-induced calcium responses in sympathetic neurons: relative contributions from Ca2+ entry, extrusion, ER/mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake and release, and Ca2+ buffering

Many models have been developed to account for stimulus-evoked [Ca(2+)] responses, but few address how responses elicited in specific cell types are defined by the Ca(2+) transport and buffering systems that operate in the same cells. In this study, we extend previous modeling studies by linking the time course of stimulus-evoked [Ca(2+)] responses to the underlying Ca(2+) transport and buffering systems. Depolarization-evoked [Ca(2+)](i) responses were studied in sympathetic neurons under voltage clamp, asking how response kinetics are defined by the Ca(2+) handling systems expressed in these cells. We investigated five cases of increasing complexity, comparing observed and calculated responses deduced from measured Ca(2+) handling properties. In Case 1, [Ca(2+)](i) responses were elicited by small Ca(2+) currents while Ca(2+) transport by internal stores was inhibited, leaving plasma membrane Ca(2+) extrusion intact. In Case 2, responses to the same stimuli were measured while mitochondrial Ca(2+) uptake was active. In Case 3, responses were elicited as in Case 2 but with larger Ca(2+) currents that produce larger and faster [Ca(2+)](i) elevations. Case 4 included the mitochondrial Na/Ca exchanger. Finally, Case 5 included ER Ca(2+) uptake and release pathways. We found that [Ca(2+)](i) responses elicited by weak stimuli (Cases 1 and 2) could be quantitatively reconstructed using a spatially uniform model incorporating the measured properties of Ca(2+) entry, removal, and buffering. Responses to strong depolarization (Case 3) could not be described by this model, but were consistent with a diffusion model incorporating the same Ca(2+) transport and buffering descriptions, as long as endogenous buffers have low mobility, leading to steep radial [Ca(2+)](i) gradients and spatially nonuniform Ca(2+) loading by mitochondria. When extended to include mitochondrial Ca(2+) release (Case 4) and ER Ca(2+) transport (Case 5), the diffusion model could also account for previous measurements of stimulus-evoked changes in total mitochondrial and ER Ca concentration.

Movement of calcium signals and calcium-binding proteins: firewalls, traps and tunnels

In the board game 'Snakes and Ladders', placed on the image of a pancreatic acinar cell, calcium ions have to move from release sites in the secretory region to the nucleus. There is another important contraflow - from calcium entry channels in the basal part of the cell to ER (endoplasmic reticulum) terminals in the secretory granule region. Both transport routes are perilous as the messenger can disappear in any place on the game board. It can be grabbed by calcium ATPases of the ER (masquerading as a snake but functioning like a ladder) and tunnelled through its low buffering environment, it can be lured into the whirlpools of mitochondria uniporters and forced to regulate the tricarboxylic acid cycle, and it can be permanently placed inside the matrix of secretory granules and released only outside the cell. The organelles could trade calcium (e.g. from the ER to mitochondria and vice versa) almost depriving this ion the light of the cytosol and noble company of cytosolic calcium buffers. Altogether it is a rich and colourful story.

Calcium ions and integration in neural circuits

Integration in the nervous system is achieved by signal processing within dynamic functional ensembles formed by highly complex neuronal-glial cellular circuits. The interactions between electrically excitable neuronal networks and electrically non-excitable glial syncytium occur through either chemical transmission, which involves the release of transmitters from presynaptic terminals or from astroglial cells, or via direct intercellular contacts, gap junctions. Calcium ions act as a universal intracellular signalling system, which controls many aspects of neuronal-glial communications. In neurones, calcium signalling events regulate the exocytosis of neurotransmitters and establish the link between excitation of postsynaptic cells and integrative intracellular events, which control synaptic strength, expression of genes and memory function. In glial cells metabotropic receptor mediated release of calcium ions from the intracellular endoplasmic reticulum calcium store provide specific form of glial excitability. Glial calcium signals ultimately result in vesicular secretion of "glio" transmitters, which affect neuronal networks thus closing the glial-neuronal circuits. Cellular signalling through calcium ions therefore can be regarded as a molecular mechanism of integration in the nervous system.

Calcium signaling in physiology and pathophysiology

Calcium ions are the most ubiquitous and pluripotent cellular signaling molecules that control a wide variety of cellular processes. The calcium signaling system is represented by a relatively limited number of highly conserved transporters and channels, which execute Ca2+ movements across biological membranes and by many thousands of Ca2+-sensitive effectors. Molecular cascades, responsible for the generation of calcium signals, are tightly controlled by Ca2+ ions themselves and by genetic factors, which tune the expression of different Ca2+-handling molecules according to adaptational requirements. Ca2+ ions determine normal physiological reactions and the development of many pathological processes.

Autonomous regulation of free Ca2+ concentrations in isolated plant cell nuclei: a mathematical analysis

Experiments performed on nuclei isolated from animal or plant cells have provided evidence that the nucleus generates directly specific nucleoplasmic calcium transients in response to external stimuli. Recent data suggest that isolated plant nuclei might be considered as a closed system where the nuclear concentration of free calcium would be regulated by reversible movements between the nucleoplasm and nuclear stores. We have addressed the relevance of this hypothesis by developing a mathematical approach to simulate nucleoplasmic calcium dynamics generated under various pH and temperature conditions. Here, we show that the experimental results could be explained provided that calcium channels as well as systems transporting calcium are present on the inner nuclear membrane. The putative channels would allow the entry of calcium into the nucleoplasm whereas the elusive transporting system(s) would contribute to replenish the nuclear stores. The simple proposed model is versatile enough to explain and predict autonomous changes in free calcium in the nucleoplasm of isolated plant nuclei.

Store-Operated Calcium Channels

In electrically nonexcitable cells, Ca2+influx is essential for regulating a host of kinetically distinct processes involving exocytosis, enzyme control, gene regulation, cell growth and proliferation, and apoptosis. The major Ca2+entry pathway in these cells is the store-operated one, in which the emptying of intracellular Ca2+stores activates Ca2+influx (store-operated Ca2+entry, or capacitative Ca2+entry). Several biophysically distinct store-operated currents have been reported, but the best characterized is the Ca2+release-activated Ca2+current, ICRAC. Although it was initially considered to function only in nonexcitable cells, growing evidence now points towards a central role for ICRAC-like currents in excitable cells too. In spite of intense research, the signal that relays the store Ca2+content to CRAC channels in the plasma membrane, as well as the molecular identity of the Ca2+sensor within the stores, remains elusive. Resolution of these issues would be greatly helped by the identification of the CRAC channel gene. In some systems, evidence suggests that store-operated channels might be related to TRP homologs, although no consensus has yet been reached. Better understood are mechanisms that inactivate store-operated entry and hence control the overall duration of Ca2+entry. Recent work has revealed a central role for mitochondria in the regulation of ICRAC, and this is particularly prominent under physiological conditions. ICRACtherefore represents a dynamic interplay between endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria, and plasma membrane. In this review, we describe the key electrophysiological features of ICRACand other store-operated Ca2+currents and how they are regulated, and we consider recent advances that have shed insight into the molecular mechanisms involved in this ubiquitous and vital Ca2+entry pathway.

Physiology and Pathophysiology of the Calcium Store in the Endoplasmic Reticulum of Neurons

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is the largest single intracellular organelle, which is present in all types of nerve cells. The ER is an interconnected, internally continuous system of tubules and cisterns, which extends from the nuclear envelope to axons and presynaptic terminals, as well as to dendrites and dendritic spines. Ca2+release channels and Ca2+pumps residing in the ER membrane provide for its excitability. Regulated ER Ca2+release controls many neuronal functions, from plasmalemmal excitability to synaptic plasticity. Enzymatic cascades dependent on the Ca2+concentration in the ER lumen integrate rapid Ca2+signaling with long-lasting adaptive responses through modifications in protein synthesis and processing. Disruptions of ER Ca2+homeostasis are critically involved in various forms of neuropathology.

One-way calcium spill-over during signal transduction in Paramecium cells: from the cell cortex into cilia, but not in the reverse direction

We asked to what extent Ca(2+) signals in two different domains of Paramecium cells remain separated during different stimulations. Wild-type (7S) and pawn cells (strain d4-500r, without ciliary voltage-dependent Ca(2+)-channels) were stimulated for trichocyst exocytosis within 80 ms by quenched-flow preparation and analysed by energy-dispersive X-ray microanalysis (EDX), paralleled by fast confocal fluorochrome analysis. We also analysed depolarisation-dependent calcium signalling during ciliary beat rerversal, also by EDX, after 80-ms stimulation in the quenched-flow mode. EDX and fluorochrome analysis enable to register total and free intracellular calcium concentrations, [Ca] and [Ca(2+)], respectively. After exocytosis stimulation we find by both methods that the calcium signal sweeps into the basis of cilia, not only in 7S but also in pawn cells which then also perform ciliary reversal. After depolarisation we see an increase of [Ca] along cilia selectively in 7S, but not in pawn cells. Opposite to exocytosis stimulation, during depolarisation no calcium spill-over into the nearby cytosol and no exocytosis occurs. In sum, we conclude that cilia must contain a very potent Ca(2+) buffering system and that ciliary reversal induction, much more than exocytosis stimulation, involves strict microdomain regulation of Ca(2+) signals.

The intracellular dissipation of cytosolic calcium following glucose re-addition to carbohydrate depleted Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Glucose re-addition to carbohydrate starved yeast cells leads to a transient elevation of eytosolic calcium (TECC). Concomitantly, a cytosolic proton extrusion occurs through the activation of the vacuolar H(+)-ATPase and the plasma membrane H(+)-ATPases. This study addressed the dissipation of the TECC through intracellular compartmentalization and the possible affects of the H(+)-ATPases on this process. Both the vacuole and the Golgi-ER apparatus were found to play important roles in distributing calcium to internal stores. Additionally, the inhibition of cytosolic proton extrusion augmented cytosolic calcium responses. A model where pH dependent cytosolic calcium buffering plays an important role in the dissipation of the TECC in Saccharomyces cerevisiae is proposed.

Calcium and mitochondria

The literature suggests that the physiological functions for which mitochondria sequester Ca(2+) are (1). to stimulate and control the rate of oxidative phosphorylation, (2). to induce the mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT) and perhaps apoptotic cell death, and (3). to modify the shape of cytosolic Ca(2+) pulses or transients. There is strong evidence that intramitochondrial Ca(2+) controls both the rate of ATP production by oxidative phosphorylation and induction of the MPT. Since the results of these processes are so divergent, the signals inducing them must not be ambiguous. Furthermore, as pointed out by Balaban [J. Mol. Cell. Cardiol. 34 (2002 ) 11259-11271], for any repetitive physiological process dependent on intramitochondrial free Ca(2+) concentration ([Ca(2+)](m)), a kind of intramitochondrial homeostasis must exist so that Ca(2+) influx during the pulse is matched by Ca(2+) efflux during the period between pulses to avoid either Ca(2+) buildup or depletion. In addition, mitochondrial Ca(2+) transport modifies both spatial and temporal aspects of cytosolic Ca(2+) signaling. Here, we look at the amounts of Ca(2+) necessary to mediate the functions of mitochondrial Ca(2+) transport and at the mechanisms of transport themselves in order to set up a hypothesis about how the mechanisms carry out their roles. The emphasis here is on isolated mitochondria and on general mitochondrial properties in order to focus on how mitochondria alone may function to fulfill their physiological roles even though the interactions of mitochondria with other organelles, particularly with endoplasmic and sarcoplasmic reticulum [Sci. STKE re1 (2004) 1-9], may also influence this story.