Phosphoryl transfer and calcium ion occlusion in the calcium pump

A tight coupling between adenosine triphosphate (ATP) hydrolysis and vectorial ion transport has to be maintained by ATP-consuming ion pumps. We report two crystal structures of Ca2+-bound sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum Ca2+-adenosine triphosphatase (SERCA) at 2.6 and 2.9 angstrom resolution in complex with (i) a nonhydrolyzable ATP analog [adenosine (beta-gamma methylene)-triphosphate] and (ii) adenosine diphosphate plus aluminum fluoride. SERCA reacts with ATP by an associative mechanism mediated by two Mg2+ ions to form an aspartyl-phosphorylated intermediate state (Ca2-E1 approximately P). The conformational changes that accompany the reaction with ATP pull the transmembrane helices 1 and 2 and close a cytosolic entrance for Ca2+, thereby preventing backflow before Ca2+ is released on the other side of the membrane.     

Oscillation of cyclic adenosine monophosphate concentration during the myocardial contraction cycle

The concentration of adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cyclic AMP) rises and falls during each myocardial contraction cycle. Peak concentrations of cyclic AMP precede peak development of systolic tension. Epinephrine alters the normal oscillation in myocardial cyclic AMP and increases both diastolic and systolic concentrations of the cyclic nucleotide. These transient changes in myocardial cyclic AMP indicate a potential role for cyclic AMP as a beat-to-beat regulator of myocardial contractility.     

Cytosolic calcium during contraction of isolated mammalian gastric muscle cells

During activation of visceral smooth muscle there is an increase in cytosolic-free calcium, but the source (intracellular calcium release or calcium influx), kinetics, and stoichiometry of this increase have not been determined. Here, the fluorescent indicator, quin2-acetoxymethyl ester, was used to measure directly cytosolic-free calcium during contraction of isolated stomach muscle cells induced by the two neuropeptides cholecystokinin-octapeptide and Met-enkephalin as well as acetylcholine. An increase in cytosolic-free calcium was seen that was (i) dependent on the concentration of contractile agonist, (ii) derived from intracellular sources (that is, not significantly affected by removal of ambient calcium or addition of a calcium channel blocker), and (iii) kinetically and stoichiometrically related to net calcium efflux and contraction. In contrast, the increase in cytosolic-free calcium induced by depolarizing concentrations of potassium was caused by influx of calcium through voltage-dependent calcium channels.     

Calcium current and activation of contraction in ventricular myocardial fibers

In thin bundles of dog ventricular myocardium, a slow inward current (distinct from the sodium inward current) could be recorded under voltageclamp conditions. This inward current was influenced by changes in external calcium concentration, but it was not dependent on external sodium concentration. Therefore, this current which contributes an appreciable amount of charge transfer during the plateau of the action potential, is carried by calcium ions. In sodium-free solution, the flow of calcium ions into the fiber is directly related to activation of contraction. In sodium-containing solution, however, calcium inward current serves primarily to fill up some intracellular stores from which calcium can be released by moderate depolarization.     

Regional changes in calcium underlying contraction of single smooth muscle cells

The role of calcium in regulating the contractile state of smooth muscle has been investigated by measuring calcium and contraction in single smooth muscle cells with the calcium-sensitive dye fura-2 and the digital imaging microscope. The concentration of free calcium in the cytoplasm increased after stimulation of the cells by depolarization with high potassium or by application of carbachol. Changes in calcium always preceded contraction. The increase in calcium induced by these stimuli was limited to less than 1 microM. Calcium within the nucleus was also subject to a limitation of its rise during contraction. Intranuclear calcium rose from 200 nM at rest to no more than 300 nM while cytoplasmic calcium rose to over 700 nM. These apparent ceilings for both cytoplasmic and intranuclear calcium may result either from negative feedback of calcium on cytoplasmic and nuclear calcium channel gating mechanisms, respectively, or from the presence of calcium pumps that are strongly activated at the calcium ceilings.     

Role of myocardial catecholamines in cardiac contractility

In cats bilateral sympathectomy or administration of reserpine results in a marked reduction in concentration of myocardial catecholamines. The contractility of papillary muscles from such animals is significantly less than that of muscles from untreated animals. These findings demonstrate the importance of normal levels of myocardial catecholamines in the maintenance of normal cardiac contractility.     

钙离子在哺乳动物卵母细胞发育关键时期的作用

Ca~(2+)是广泛存在的信号分子,钙信号转导对多种细胞生理生化活动有重要的调控作用,越来越多的证据表明钙信号参与卵母细胞减数分裂。钙稳态是细胞内Ca~(2+)信号在时间和空间上的动态平衡,对卵母细胞钙稳态的研究是目前重要的研究热点之一。本文综述了钙稳态及钙离子对卵母细胞成熟和发育过程中的双线期阻滞恢复、MII期阻滞恢复和细胞凋亡的作用,发现某些哺乳动物双线期及MII期适当增加胞内钙离子水平可以使卵母细胞退出阻滞,而超出生理水平的胞内钙则会诱导细胞凋亡,并通过探究钙离子在卵母细胞减数分裂恢复和调控凋亡过程中的作用机制,为辅助生殖技术的进一步研究提供依据。     

钙依赖蛋白激酶与植物钙离子的信号转导

钙离子所依赖的蛋白激酶(CDPKs)在植物钙信号转导过程中发挥着关键作用。本文就CDPK的结构以及生物学功能等方面做了较为详尽的阐述。     

Sodium current-induced release of calcium from cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum

The role of sodium-calcium exchange at the sarcolemma in the release of calcium from cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum was investigated in voltage-clamped, isolated cardiac myocytes. In the absence of calcium entry through voltage-dependent calcium channels, membrane depolarization elicited release of calcium from ryanodine-sensitive internal stores. This process was dependent on sodium entry through tetrodotoxin-sensitive sodium channels. Calcium release under these conditions was also dependent on extracellular calcium concentration, suggesting a calcium-induced trigger release mechanism that involves calcium entry into the cell by sodium-calcium exchange. This sodium current-induced calcium release mechanism may explain, in part, the positive inotropic effects of cardiac glycosides and the negative inotropic effects of a variety of antiarrhythmic drugs that interact with cardiac sodium channels. In response to a transient rise of intracellular sodium, sodium-calcium exchange may promote calcium entry into cardiac cells and trigger sarcoplasmic calcium release during physiologic action potentials.     

Antagonism of veratrine by calcium ion in monolayers of stearic acid

Force-area diagrams for monolayers of stearic acid on Ringer's solution demonstrate a competition between veratrine and calcium for carboxyl groups of the films. The competition occurs at customary concentrations. Local anesthetics act quite differently. The interactions suggest those observed less directly in living cells and therefore indicate that such surface films may serve as models for the study of drug and ion effects.     

Localization of calcium in amyloplasts of root-cap cells using ion microscopy

An ion microscope has been used to demonstrate that the calcium ion is present in the amyloplasts of root-cap cells of corn, pea, and lettuce. The localization of calcium in the gravity-sensing organelle suggests a possible role of calcium in the gravity-sensing mechanism of plant roots.     

荧光指示剂检测甜菜胞内钙离子的条件优化

胞内钙离子信号做为第二信使参与植物抗病信号转导途径。以甜菜叶片为试验材料,用孵育方法将Ca2+荧光探针Fluo-3/AM载入甜菜细胞中,并结合激光共聚焦扫描显微技术,研究甜菜叶片胞质游离Ca2+的测定方法。结果表明,采用20μmol·L-1的钙离子荧光指示剂Fluo-3/AM装载顺次进行低温4℃孵育120 min,25℃孵育120 min,可获得较为理想的甜菜叶片胞质游离Ca2+染色结果。该方法可用于检测BNYVV侵染甜菜叶片胞质游离钙离子的变化,为研究甜菜BNYVV入侵甜菜后胞内钙信号作用提供理论研究基础。     

Heat inactivation of the relaxing site of actomyosin: prevention and reversal with dithiothreitol

Adenosine triphosphate and magnesium (MgATP) inhibit contraction by binding to a specific relaxing site on natural actomyosin gel. This inhibitory control site is distinct from the active sites where MgATP causes contraction.In high concentrations of MgATP, calcium triggers contraction by releasing the protein from substrate inhibition, allowing the contractile reactions to occur. Heating the protein for 5 minutes at 43 degrees C selectively inactivates the relaxing site. After this treatment, actomyosin with MgATP contracts as well without calcium as with it. That this effect of heat is prevented and reversed by dithiothreitol (an agent that reduces disulfide bonds) indicates that the structure of the relaxing site depends on certain labile sulfhydryl groups, which may be those of tropomyosin. When these are oxidized to disulfide bonds, the site loses its activity; when the disulfide bonds are reduced, the site regains its activity.     

Regulation of calcium release is gated by calcium current, not gating charge, in cardiac myocytes

In skeletal muscle, intramembrane charge movement initiates the processes that lead to the release of calcium from the sarcoplasmic reticulum. In cardiac muscle, in contrast, the similarity of the voltage dependence of developed tension and intracellular calcium transients to that of calcium current suggests that the calcium current may gate the release of calcium. Nevertheless, a mechanism similar to that of skeletal muscle continues to be postulated for cardiac muscle. By using rapid exchange (20 to 50 milliseconds) of the extracellular solutions in rat ventricular myocytes in which the intracellular calcium transients or cell shortening were measured, it has now been shown that the influx of calcium through the calcium channel is a mandatory link in the processes that couple membrane depolarization to the release of calcium. Thus, intramembrane charge movement does not contribute to the release of calcium in heart muscle.     

Puparium formation in flies: contraction to puparium induced by ecdysone

Larvae of the fly Calliphora erythrocephala (Meigen) were deprived surgically of their ring glands at an age prior to the appearance of ecdysone in the blood, and then injected with ecdysone. They contracted into the typical barrel-shaped puparium, before the onset of tanning. This proved that ecdysone controls the puparium contraction as well as tanning.     

Expansion and contraction of the sahara desert from 1980 to 1990

Data from polar-orbiting meteorological satellites have been used to determine the extent of the Sahara Desert and to document its interannual variation from 1980 to 1990. The Sahara Desert ranged from 8,633,000 square kilometers in 1980 to 9,982,000 square kilometers in 1984. The greatest annual north-south latitudinal movement of the southern Saharan boundary was 110 kilometers from 1984 to 1985 and resulted in a decrease in desert area of 724,000 square kilometers.     

Effect of membrane potential changes on the calcium transient in single rat cardiac muscle cells

The mechanism that links membrane potential changes to the release of calcium from internal stores to cause contraction of cardiac cells is unclear. By using the calcium indicator fura-2 under voltage-clamp conditions, changes in intracellular calcium could be monitored in single rat ventricular cells while controlling membrane potential. The voltage dependence of the depolarization-induced increase in intracellular calcium was not the same as that of the calcium current (Isi), which suggests that only a small fraction of Isi is required to trigger calcium release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum. In addition, sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium release may be partly regulated by membrane potential, since repolarization could terminate the rise in intracellular calcium. Thus, changes in the action potential will have immediate effects on the time course of the calcium transient beyond those associated with its effects on Isi.     

Nitrate ions: Potentiation of increased permeability to sugar associated with muscle contraction

Nitrate ions potentiate twitch tension and enhance the increase in permeability to sugar which occurs in electrically stimulated frog sartorius muscles. However, the potentiating effect of nitrate ions on permeability is not dependent upon an increase in twitch tension. The possible relation of changes in permeability to alterations of the concentration of calcium ions in the cell is discussed.