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Calmodulin in Paramecium: Focus on Genomic Data. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10101915. [PMID: 36296191 PMCID: PMC9608856 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10101915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Revised: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Calcium (Ca2+) is a universal second messenger that plays a key role in cellular signaling. However, Ca2+ signals are transduced with the help of Ca2+-binding proteins, which serve as sensors, transducers, and elicitors. Among the collection of these Ca2+-binding proteins, calmodulin (CaM) emerged as the prototypical model in eukaryotic cells. This is a small protein that binds four Ca2+ ions and whose functions are multiple, controlling many essential aspects of cell physiology. CaM is universally distributed in eukaryotes, from multicellular organisms, such as human and land plants, to unicellular microorganisms, such as yeasts and ciliates. Here, we review most of the information gathered on CaM in Paramecium, a group of ciliates. We condense the information here by mentioning that mature Paramecium CaM is a 148 amino acid-long protein codified by a single gene, as in other eukaryotic microorganisms. In these ciliates, the protein is notoriously localized and regulates cilia function and can stimulate the activity of some enzymes. When Paramecium CaM is mutated, cells show flawed locomotion and/or exocytosis. We further widen this and additional information in the text, focusing on genomic data.
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Plattner H. Evolutionary Cell Biology of Proteins from Protists to Humans and Plants. J Eukaryot Microbiol 2017; 65:255-289. [PMID: 28719054 DOI: 10.1111/jeu.12449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2017] [Revised: 07/04/2017] [Accepted: 07/07/2017] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
During evolution, the cell as a fine-tuned machine had to undergo permanent adjustments to match changes in its environment, while "closed for repair work" was not possible. Evolution from protists (protozoa and unicellular algae) to multicellular organisms may have occurred in basically two lineages, Unikonta and Bikonta, culminating in mammals and angiosperms (flowering plants), respectively. Unicellular models for unikont evolution are myxamoebae (Dictyostelium) and increasingly also choanoflagellates, whereas for bikonts, ciliates are preferred models. Information accumulating from combined molecular database search and experimental verification allows new insights into evolutionary diversification and maintenance of genes/proteins from protozoa on, eventually with orthologs in bacteria. However, proteins have rarely been followed up systematically for maintenance or change of function or intracellular localization, acquirement of new domains, partial deletion (e.g. of subunits), and refunctionalization, etc. These aspects are discussed in this review, envisaging "evolutionary cell biology." Protozoan heritage is found for most important cellular structures and functions up to humans and flowering plants. Examples discussed include refunctionalization of voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels in cilia and replacement by other types during evolution. Altogether components serving Ca2+ signaling are very flexible throughout evolution, calmodulin being a most conservative example, in contrast to calcineurin whose catalytic subunit is lost in plants, whereas both subunits are maintained up to mammals for complex functions (immune defense and learning). Domain structure of R-type SNAREs differs in mono- and bikonta, as do Ca2+ -dependent protein kinases. Unprecedented selective expansion of the subunit a which connects multimeric base piece and head parts (V0, V1) of H+ -ATPase/pump may well reflect the intriguing vesicle trafficking system in ciliates, specifically in Paramecium. One of the most flexible proteins is centrin when its intracellular localization and function throughout evolution is traced. There are many more examples documenting evolutionary flexibility of translation products depending on requirements and potential for implantation within the actual cellular context at different levels of evolution. From estimates of gene and protein numbers per organism, it appears that much of the basic inventory of protozoan precursors could be transmitted to highest eukaryotic levels, with some losses and also with important additional "inventions."
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Affiliation(s)
- Helmut Plattner
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, P. O. Box M625, Konstanz, 78457, Germany
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Role of H(+)-pyrophosphatase activity in the regulation of intracellular pH in a scuticociliate parasite of turbot: Physiological effects. Exp Parasitol 2016; 169:59-68. [PMID: 27480055 DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2016.07.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2015] [Revised: 06/04/2016] [Accepted: 07/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The scuticociliatosis is a very serious disease that affects the cultured turbot, and whose causal agent is the anphizoic and marine euryhaline ciliate Philasterides dicentrarchi. Several protozoans possess acidic organelles that contain high concentrations of pyrophosphate (PPi), Ca(2+) and other elements with essential roles in vesicular trafficking, pH homeostasis and osmoregulation. P. dicentrarchi possesses a pyrophosphatase (H(+)-PPase) that pumps H(+) through the membranes of vacuolar and alveolar sacs. These compartments share common features with the acidocalcisomes described in other parasitic protozoa (e.g. acid content and Ca(2+) storage). We evaluated the effects of Ca(2+) and ATP on H (+)-PPase activity in this ciliate and analyzed their role in maintaining intracellular pH homeostasis and osmoregulation, by the addition of PPi and inorganic molecules that affect osmolarity. Addition of PPi led to acidification of the intracellular compartments, while the addition of ATP, CaCl2 and bisphosphonates analogous of PPi and Ca(2+) metabolism regulators led to alkalinization and a decrease in H(+)-PPase expression in trophozoites. Addition of NaCl led to proton release, intracellular Ca(2+) accumulation and downregulation of H(+)-PPase expression. We conclude that the regulation of the acidification of intracellular compartments may be essential for maintaining the intracellular pH homeostasis necessary for survival of ciliates and their adaptation to salt stress, which they will presumably face during the endoparasitic phase, in which the salinity levels are lower than in their natural environment.
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Narematsu N, Quek R, Chiam KH, Iwadate Y. Ciliary metachronal wave propagation on the compliant surface ofParameciumcells. Cytoskeleton (Hoboken) 2015; 72:633-46. [DOI: 10.1002/cm.21266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2015] [Revised: 11/23/2015] [Accepted: 11/24/2015] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Naoki Narematsu
- Department of Functional Molecular Biology, Graduate School of Medicine; Yamaguchi University; Yamaguchi 753-8512 Japan
| | - Raymond Quek
- A*STAR Institute of High Performance Computing; 1 Fusionopolis Way #16-16 Singapore 138632
| | - Keng-Hwee Chiam
- A*STAR Bioinformatics Institute; 30 Biopolis St #07-01 Singapore 138671
- Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore; T-Lab #05-01, 5A Engineering Drive 1 Singapore 117411
| | - Yoshiaki Iwadate
- Department of Functional Molecular Biology, Graduate School of Medicine; Yamaguchi University; Yamaguchi 753-8512 Japan
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Plattner H. Molecular aspects of calcium signalling at the crossroads of unikont and bikont eukaryote evolution – The ciliated protozoan Paramecium in focus. Cell Calcium 2015; 57:174-85. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ceca.2014.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2014] [Revised: 12/01/2014] [Accepted: 12/02/2014] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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Plattner H. Calcium signalling in the ciliated protozoan model, Paramecium: strict signal localisation by epigenetically controlled positioning of different Ca²⁺-channels. Cell Calcium 2014; 57:203-13. [PMID: 25277862 DOI: 10.1016/j.ceca.2014.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2014] [Accepted: 09/01/2014] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The Paramecium tetraurelia cell is highly organised, with regularly spaced elements pertinent to Ca(2+) signalling under epigenetic control. Vesicles serving as stationary Ca(2+) stores or undergoing trafficking contain Ca(2+)-release channels (PtCRCs) which, according to sequence and domain comparison, are related either to inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (InsP3) receptors (IP3R) or to ryanodine receptor-like proteins (RyR-LP) or to both, with intermediate characteristics or deviation from conventional domain structure. Six groups of such PtCRCs have been found. The ryanodine-InsP3-receptor homology (RIH) domain is not always recognisable, in contrast to the channel domain with six trans-membrane domains and the pore between transmembrane domain 5 and 6. Two CRC subtypes tested more closely, PtCRC-II and PtCRC-IV, with and without an InsP3-binding domain, reacted to InsP3 and to caffeine, respectively, and hence represent IP3Rs and RyR-LPs. IP3Rs occur in the contractile vacuole complex where they allow for stochastic constitutive Ca(2+) reflux into the cytosol. RyR-LPs are localised to cortical Ca(2+) stores; they are engaged in dense core-secretory vesicle exocytosis by Ca(2+) release, superimposed by Ca(2+)-influx via non-ciliary Ca(2+)-channels. One or two different types of PtCRCs also occur in other vesicles undergoing trafficking. Since the PtCRCs described combine different features they are considered derivatives of primitive precursors. The highly regular, epigenetically controlled design of a Paramecium cell allows it to make Ca(2+) available very locally, in a most efficient way, along predetermined trafficking pathways, including regulation of exocytosis, endocytosis, phagocytosis and recycling phenomena. The activity of cilia is also regulated by Ca(2+), yet independently from any CRCs, by de- and hyperpolarisation of the cell membrane potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helmut Plattner
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, P.O. Box M625, 78457 Konstanz, Germany.
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Kutomi O, Seki M, Nakamura S, Kamachi H, Noguchi M. Inactivation of Ca2+-induced ciliary reversal by high-salt extraction in the cilia of Paramecium. PROTOPLASMA 2013; 250:1219-1227. [PMID: 23636433 DOI: 10.1007/s00709-013-0504-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2013] [Accepted: 04/17/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Intracellular Ca(2+) induces ciliary reversal and backward swimming in Paramecium. However, it is not known how the Ca(2+) signal controls the motor machinery to induce ciliary reversal. We found that demembranated cilia on the ciliated cortical sheets from Paramecium caudatum lost the ability to undergo ciliary reversal after brief extraction with a solution containing 0.5 M KCl. KNO(3), which is similar to KCl with respect to chaotropic effect; it had the same effect as that of KCl on ciliary response. Cyclic AMP antagonizes Ca(2+)-induced ciliary reversal. Limited trypsin digestion prevents endogenous A-kinase and cAMP-dependent phosphorylation of an outer arm dynein light chain and induces ciliary reversal. However, the trypsin digestion prior to the high-salt extraction did not affect the inhibition of Ca(2+)-induced ciliary reversal caused by the high-salt extraction. Furthermore, during the course of the high-salt extraction, some axonemal proteins were extracted from ciliary axonemes, suggesting that they may be responsible for Ca(2+)-induced ciliary reversal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Osamu Kutomi
- Department of Environmental Biology and Chemistry, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, University of Toyama, Toyama, 930-8555, Japan,
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Plattner H. Calcium regulation in the protozoan model, Paramecium tetraurelia. J Eukaryot Microbiol 2013; 61:95-114. [PMID: 24001309 DOI: 10.1111/jeu.12070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2013] [Revised: 06/21/2013] [Accepted: 06/28/2013] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Early in eukaryotic evolution, the cell has evolved a considerable inventory of proteins engaged in the regulation of intracellular Ca(2+) concentrations, not only to avoid toxic effects but beyond that to exploit the signaling capacity of Ca(2+) by small changes in local concentration. Among protozoa, the ciliate Paramecium may now be one of the best analyzed models. Ciliary activity and exo-/endocytosis are governed by Ca(2+) , the latter by Ca(2+) mobilization from alveolar sacs and a superimposed store-operated Ca(2+) -influx. Paramecium cells possess plasma membrane- and endoplasmic reticulum-resident Ca(2+) -ATPases/pumps (PMCA, SERCA), a variety of Ca(2+) influx channels, including mechanosensitive and voltage-dependent channels in the plasma membrane, furthermore a plethora of Ca(2+) -release channels (CRC) of the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate and ryanodine receptor type in different compartments, notably the contractile vacuole complex and the alveolar sacs, as well as in vesicles participating in vesicular trafficking. Additional types of CRC probably also occur but they have not been identified at a molecular level as yet, as is the equivalent of synaptotagmin as a Ca(2+) sensor for exocytosis. Among established targets and sensors of Ca(2+) in Paramecium are calmodulin, calcineurin, as well as Ca(2+) /calmodulin-dependent protein kinases, all with multiple functions. Thus, basic elements of Ca(2+) signaling are available for Paramecium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helmut Plattner
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, P.O. Box 5544, 78457, Konstanz, Germany
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Plattner H, Sehring IM, Mohamed IK, Miranda K, De Souza W, Billington R, Genazzani A, Ladenburger EM. Calcium signaling in closely related protozoan groups (Alveolata): non-parasitic ciliates (Paramecium, Tetrahymena) vs. parasitic Apicomplexa (Plasmodium, Toxoplasma). Cell Calcium 2012; 51:351-82. [PMID: 22387010 DOI: 10.1016/j.ceca.2012.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2011] [Revised: 01/10/2012] [Accepted: 01/12/2012] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The importance of Ca2+-signaling for many subcellular processes is well established in higher eukaryotes, whereas information about protozoa is restricted. Recent genome analyses have stimulated such work also with Alveolates, such as ciliates (Paramecium, Tetrahymena) and their pathogenic close relatives, the Apicomplexa (Plasmodium, Toxoplasma). Here we compare Ca2+ signaling in the two closely related groups. Acidic Ca2+ stores have been characterized in detail in Apicomplexa, but hardly in ciliates. Two-pore channels engaged in Ca2+-release from acidic stores in higher eukaryotes have not been stingently characterized in either group. Both groups are endowed with plasma membrane- and endoplasmic reticulum-type Ca2+-ATPases (PMCA, SERCA), respectively. Only recently was it possible to identify in Paramecium a number of homologs of ryanodine and inositol 1,3,4-trisphosphate receptors (RyR, IP3R) and to localize them to widely different organelles participating in vesicle trafficking. For Apicomplexa, physiological experiments suggest the presence of related channels although their identity remains elusive. In Paramecium, IP3Rs are constitutively active in the contractile vacuole complex; RyR-related channels in alveolar sacs are activated during exocytosis stimulation, whereas in the parasites the homologous structure (inner membrane complex) may no longer function as a Ca2+ store. Scrutinized comparison of the two closely related protozoan phyla may stimulate further work and elucidate adaptation to parasitic life. See also "Conclusions" section.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Plattner
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, P.O. Box 5560, 78457 Konstanz, Germany.
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Protein phosphatase 2B (PP2B, calcineurin) in Paramecium: partial characterization reveals that two members of the unusually large catalytic subunit family have distinct roles in calcium-dependent processes. EUKARYOTIC CELL 2010; 9:1049-63. [PMID: 20435698 DOI: 10.1128/ec.00322-09] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
We characterized the calcineurin (CaN) gene family, including the subunits CaNA and CaNB, based upon sequence information obtained from the Paramecium genome project. Paramecium tetraurelia has seven subfamilies of the catalytic CaNA subunit and one subfamily of the regulatory CaNB subunit, with each subfamily having two members of considerable identity on the amino acid level (>or=55% between subfamilies, >or=94% within CaNA subfamilies, and full identity in the CaNB subfamily). Within CaNA subfamily members, the catalytic domain and the CaNB binding region are highly conserved and molecular modeling revealed a three-dimensional structure almost identical to a human ortholog. At 14 members, the size of the CaNA family is unprecedented, and we hypothesized that the different CaNA subfamily members were not strictly redundant and that at least some fulfill different roles in the cell. This was tested by selecting two phylogenetically distinct members of this large family for posttranscriptional silencing by RNA interference. The two targets resulted in differing effects in exocytosis, calcium dynamics, and backward swimming behavior that supported our hypothesis that the large, highly conserved CaNA family members are not strictly redundant and that at least two members have evolved diverse but overlapping functions. In sum, the occurrence of CaN in Paramecium spp., although disputed in the past, has been established on a molecular level. Its role in exocytosis and ciliary beat regulation in a protozoan, as well as in more complex organisms, suggests that these roles for CaN were acquired early in the evolution of this protein family.
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Sehring IM, Klotz C, Beisson J, Plattner H. Rapid downregulation of the Ca2+-signal after exocytosis stimulation in Paramecium cells: essential role of a centrin-rich filamentous cortical network, the infraciliary lattice. Cell Calcium 2008; 45:89-97. [PMID: 18653233 DOI: 10.1016/j.ceca.2008.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2008] [Revised: 04/15/2008] [Accepted: 06/17/2008] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivonne M Sehring
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, P.O. Box 5560, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
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Nagamune K, Sibley LD. Comparative genomic and phylogenetic analyses of calcium ATPases and calcium-regulated proteins in the apicomplexa. Mol Biol Evol 2006; 23:1613-27. [PMID: 16751258 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msl026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 116] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The phylum Apicomplexa comprises a large group of early branching eukaryotes that includes a number of human and animal parasites. Calcium controls a number of vital processes in apicomplexans including protein secretion, motility, and differentiation. Despite the importance of calcium as a second messenger, very little is known about the systems that control homeostasis or that regulate calcium signaling in parasites. The recent completion of many apicomplexan genomes provides new opportunity to define calcium response pathways in this group of parasites in comparison to model organisms. Whole-genome comparison between the apicomplexans Plasmodium spp., Cryptosporidium spp., and Toxoplasma gondii revealed the presence of several P-Type Ca2+ transporting ATPases including a single endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-type sarcoplasmic-endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ ATPase, several Golgi-like Ca2+ ATPases, and a single Ca2+/H+ exchanger. Only T. gondii showed evidence of plasma membrane-type Ca2+ ATPases or voltage-gated calcium channels. Despite pharmacological evidence for IP3 and ryanodine-mediated calcium release, animal-type calcium channels were not readily identified in parasites, indicating they are more similar to plants. Downstream of calcium release, a variety of EF-hand-containing proteins regulate calcium responses. Our analyses detected a single conserved calmodulin (CaM) homologue, 3 distinct centrin (CETN)-caltractin-like proteins, one of which is shared with ciliates, and a variety of deep-branching, CaM-CETN-like proteins. Apicomplexans were also found to contain a wide array of calcium-dependent protein kinases (CDPKs), which are commonly found in plants. Toxoplasma gondii contains more than 20 CDPK or CDPK-related kinases, which likely regulate a variety of responses including secretion, motility, and differentiation. Genomic and phylogenetic comparisons revealed that apicomplexans contain a variety of unusual calcium response pathways that are distinct from those seen in vertebrates. Notably, plant-like pathways for calcium release channels and calcium-dependent kinases are found in apicomplexans. The experimental flexibility of T. gondii should allow direct experimental manipulation of these pathways to validate their biological roles. The central importance of calcium in signaling and development, and the novel characteristics of many of these systems, indicates that parasite calcium pathways may be exploited as new therapeutic targets for intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kisaburo Nagamune
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, USA
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Plattner H, Hentschel J. Sub-second cellular dynamics: time-resolved electron microscopy and functional correlation. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF CYTOLOGY 2006; 255:133-76. [PMID: 17178466 DOI: 10.1016/s0074-7696(06)55003-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Subcellular processes, from molecular events to organellar responses and cell movement, cover a broad scale in time and space. Clearly the extremes, such as ion channel activation are accessible only by electrophysiology, whereas numerous routine methods exist for relatively slow processes. However, many other processes, from a millisecond time scale on, can be "caught" only by methods providing appropriate time resolution. Fast freezing (cryofixation) is the method of choice in that case. In combination with follow-up methodologies appropriate for electron microscopic (EM) analysis, with all its variations, such technologies can also provide high spatial resolution. Such analyses may include, for example, freeze-fracturing for analyzing restructuring of membrane components, scanning EM and other standard EM techniques, as well as analytical EM analyses. The latter encompass energy-dispersive x-ray microanalysis and electron spectroscopic imaging, all applicable, for instance, to the second messenger, calcium. Most importantly, when conducted in parallel, such analyses can provide a structural background to the functional analyses, such as cyclic nucleotide formation or protein de- or rephosphorylation during cell stimulation. In sum, we discuss many examples of how it is practically possible to achieve strict function-structure correlations in the sub-second time range. We complement this review by discussing alternative methods currently available to analyze fast cellular phenomena occurring in the sub-second time range.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helmut Plattner
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
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Maloney MS, McDaniel WS, Locknar SA, Torlina HM. Identification and localization of a protein immunologically related to Caltractin (Centrin) in the Myonemes and Membranelles of the Heterotrich ciliate Stentor coeruleus. J Eukaryot Microbiol 2005; 52:328-38. [PMID: 16014010 DOI: 10.1111/j.1550-7408.2005.00048x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The contractile properties of the myonemes of Stentor are very similar to caltractin (centrin)-containing fibers of other organisms. We investigated whether the calcium-binding protein caltractin was present in Stentor by using three different antibodies to caltractin or caltractin-related proteins, in conjunction with immunofluorescence microscopy and protein blotting. Immunofluorescence demonstrated that a protein immunologically similar to caltractin is present in the myonemes and in the bases of the membranelles of Stentor. The localization to the myonemes is observed in intact cells, osmotically lysed cells, and isolated cortices. Double-label immunofluorescence with anti-alpha-tubulin and anti-caltractin antibodies showed that the fluorescence in the myonemes was not in the overlying Km fibers. The myonemes in the posterior one-third of the cell appear as thick fibers with no cross-bridging. They become thinner as they approach the anterior end of the cell and show extensive cross-bridging here. Staining in the bases of the membranelles shows a distinct comma-like immunofluorescence pattern similar to that seen with protargol-stained cells and SEM views of the membranellar band reported by others. Western blots demonstrated that the caltractin-like protein in Stentor has an apparent molecular weight of 23 kDa compared with the 20-kDa protein from Chlamydomonas and is a calcium-binding protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael S Maloney
- Department of Biological Sciences, Butler University, Indianapolis, IN 46208, USA.
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Laizé V, Pombinho AR, Cancela ML. Characterization of Sparus aurata osteonectin cDNA and in silico analysis of protein conserved features: Evidence for more than one osteonectin in Salmonidae. Biochimie 2005; 87:411-20. [PMID: 15820747 DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2005.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2004] [Accepted: 01/20/2005] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Osteonectin is a matricellular protein involved in various cellular mechanisms but its exact function remains unclear despite numerous studies. We present here the cloning of Sparus aurata partial osteonectin cDNA and the reconstruction of 15 other sequences from both vertebrates and invertebrates, almost doubling the set of available sequences (a total of 35 sequences is now available). Taking advantage of the resulting large amount of data, we have created multiple sequence alignments and identified osteonectin putative conserved features (intra- and inter-disulfide bonds, collagen- and calcium-binding domains and phosphorylation sites) likely to be important for protein structure and function. This work also provides the first evidence for the presence of more than one osteonectin in some species. Finally, S. aurata osteonectin gene expression has been shown to initiate during larval development shortly after gastrulation, and to be high in bone-derived cell lines while down-regulated during extracellular matrix mineralization, further emphasizing the important role of osteonectin in skeletal development and bone formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent Laizé
- CCMAR, University of Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
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Noguchi M, Kitani T, Ogawa T, Inoue H, Kamachi H. Augmented ciliary reorientation response and cAMP-dependent protein phosphorylation induced by glycerol in triton-extracted Paramecium. Zoolog Sci 2005; 22:41-8. [PMID: 15684582 DOI: 10.2108/zsj.22.41] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
In the presence of 30% glycerol, the cilia of a permeabilized cell model from Paramecium exhibit dynamic orientation changes while displaying only a restricted cyclic beating with a very small amplitude. The direction of cilia under these conditions corresponds to the direction of the effective power stroke of cilia beating in the absence of glycerol, i.e., pointing posteriorly in the absence of Ca2+ and anteriorly at > 10(-6) M Ca2+. Ciliary reorientation toward the posterior in response to the removal of Ca2+ is particularly conspicuous; all the cilia become predominantly pointing to the posterior end all through their beating phases. Previous studies suggested that the effect of glycerol is caused through modification of cAMP-dependent protein phosphorylation. To determine whether glycerol in fact affects ciliary reorientation through changes in protein phosphorylation, here we examined protein phosphorylation in the axonemes. Glycerol stimulated cAMP-induced phosphorylation of 29-kDa and 65-kDa proteins. The stimulation of phosphorylation was found to be partly due to the inhibition of endogenous phosphodiesterase (PDE), and partly due to the inhibition of the dephosphorylation of the 29-kDa and 65-kDa phosphoproteins within the axoneme. Thus glycerol appears to cause predominant posterior orientation of cilia by stimulating cAMP-dependent phosphorylation on those proteins. In addition, glycerol appears to inhibit ciliary beating through inhibition of dynein ATPase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Munenori Noguchi
- Department of Environmental Biology and Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Toyama University, Toyama 930-8555, Japan.
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Sehring IM, Plattner H. Ca2+ oscillations mediated by exogenous GTP in Paramecium cells: assessment of possible Ca2+ sources. Cell Calcium 2005; 36:409-20. [PMID: 15451624 DOI: 10.1016/j.ceca.2004.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2004] [Revised: 02/27/2004] [Accepted: 04/05/2004] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
We applied exogenous guanosine trisphosphate, GTP, to Paramecium tetraurelia cells injected with Fura Red for analysing changes of free intracellular Ca(2+) concentrations, [Ca(2+)](i), during periodic back-/forward swimming thus induced. Strain ginA (non-responsive to GTP) shows no Ca(2+) signal upon GTP application. In strain nd6 (normal Ca(2+) signalling) an oscillating [Ca(2+)](i) response with a prominent first peak occurs upon GTP stimulation, but none after mock-stimulation or after 15 min adaptation to GTP. While this is in agreement with previous electrophysiological analyses, we now try to identify more clearly the source(s) of Ca(2+). Stimulation of nd6 cells, after depletion of Ca(2+) from their cortical stores (alveolar sacs), shows the same Ca(2+) oscillation pattern but with reduced amplitudes, and a normal behavioural response is observed. Stimulation with GTP, supplemented with the Ca(2+) chelator BAPTA, results in loss of the first prominent Ca(2+) peak, in reduction of the following Ca(2+) amplitudes, and in the absence of any behavioural response. Both these observations strongly suggest that for the initiation of GTP-mediated back-/forward swimming Ca(2+) from the extracellular medium is needed. For the maintenance of the Ca(2+) oscillations a considerable fraction must come from internal stores, probably other than alveolar sacs, rather likely from the endoplasmic reticulum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivonne M Sehring
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, P.O. Box 5560, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
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Gonda K, Yoshida A, Oami K, Takahashi M. Centrin is essential for the activity of the ciliary reversal-coupled voltage-gated Ca2+ channels. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2004; 323:891-7. [PMID: 15381084 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2004.08.172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2004] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Voltage-gated Ca(2+) channels play a critical role in controlling Ca(2+) entry in various cells. Ciliary reversal in Paramecium depends on the Ca(2+) influx through voltage-gated Ca(2+) channels on the ciliary membrane. One of the voltage-gated Ca(2+) channel mutants in Paramecium caudatum, cnrC, neither produces Ca(2+) action potentials nor responds to any depolarizing stimuli. Here, we report that the cnrC(+) gene product is P. caudatum centrin (Pccentrin1p), a member of the Ca(2+)-binding EF-hand protein superfamily. The Pccentrin1p gene of cnrC was found to contain a single-base deletion, a mutation that caused the loss of the fourth EF-hand of Pccentrin1p. Moreover, the wild-type Ca(2+) channel function was impaired by Pccentrin1p gene silencing, leading to the loss of current-evoked Ca(2+) action potentials and stimulated ciliary reversal. These results demonstrate that Pccentrin1p is indispensable for the activity of the voltage-gated Ca(2+) channels that control ciliary reversal in Paramecium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kohsuke Gonda
- Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8572, Japan
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Husser MR, Hardt M, Blanchard MP, Hentschel J, Klauke N, Plattner H. One-way calcium spill-over during signal transduction in Paramecium cells: from the cell cortex into cilia, but not in the reverse direction. Cell Calcium 2004; 36:349-58. [PMID: 15451619 DOI: 10.1016/j.ceca.2004.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2003] [Revised: 01/23/2004] [Accepted: 02/03/2004] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc R Husser
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, P.O. Box 5560, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
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