text:
Methane emissions from the 2015 Aliso Canyon blowout in Los Angeles, CA.
Conley, S; Franco, G; Faloona, I; Blake, D R; Peischl, J; Ryerson, T B
Single-point failures of natural gas infrastructure can hamper methane emission control strategies designed to mitigate climate change. The 23 October 2015 blowout of a well connected to the Aliso Canyon underground storage facility in California resulted in a massive release of natural gas. Analysis of methane and ethane data from dozens of plume transects, collected during 13 research-aircraft flights between 7 November 2015 and 13 February 2016, shows atmospheric leak rates of up to 60 metric tons of methane and 4.5 metric tons of ethane per hour. At its peak, this blowout effectively doubled the methane emission rate of the entire Los Angeles basin and, in total, released 97,100 metric tons of methane to the atmosphere. PMID:26917596
Hazard assessment at Teide-Pico Viejo volcanic complex (Tenerife, Canary Islands)
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Marti, Joan; Sobradelo, Rosa; Felpeto, Alicia
Mid to long-term hazard assessment is conducted at Teide-Pico Viejo volcanic complex as a first step to evaluate volcanic risk in Tenerife, a densely populated island that is one of the biggest tourist destinations in Europe. Teide-Pico Viejo stratovolcanoes started to grow up in the interior of the Las Cañadas caldera, in the central part of Tenerife, about 190 ka ago, after the formation of the youngest sector of the caldera. Since then they have produced more than 150 km3 of rocks which represent a complete basanite to phonolite series. Eruptive activity at Teide-Pico Viejo complex has been traditionally considered as mostly effusive, but new field data has revealed that explosive activity of phonolitic and basaltic magmas, including plinian and subplinian eruptions and the generation of a wide range of PDCs, has also been significant, particularly during the last 30 ka. Most of the Teide products have been emplaced towards the north, inside the Icod and La Orotava valleys, or at the interior of the caldera, while towards the south the caldera wall has stopped the emplacement of such products from going further. The last eruption from the Teide-Pico Viejo central vents, the Lavas Negras eruption, took place about 1000 years ago, but younger eruptive episodes have occurred along the flanks of these stratovolcanoes. Despite the occurrence of numerous eruptions during the last 30 ka and the existence of unequivocal signs of activity in historical times (fumaroles, seismicity) and, even, a clear unrest episode that started in 2004 and is still ongoing, Teide-Pico Viejo stratovolcanoes have not been considered as a major threat by some scientists and also by the local authorities who have dedicated minimum attention to them in the recently approved regional emergency plan. If this view prevails it is obvious that risk mitigation in Tenerife will not succeed. In order to contribute to change that view on the danger potential of Teide-Pico Viejo, and to insist on the
Space-based remote imaging spectroscopy of the Aliso Canyon CH4 superemitter
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Thompson, D. R.; Thorpe, A. K.; Frankenberg, C.; Green, R. O.; Duren, R.; Guanter, L.; Hollstein, A.; Middleton, E.; Ong, L.; Ungar, S.
The Aliso Canyon gas storage facility near Porter Ranch, California, produced a large accidental CH4 release from October 2015 to February 2016. The Hyperion imaging spectrometer on board the EO-1 satellite successfully detected this event, achieving the first orbital attribution of CH4 to a single anthropogenic superemitter. Hyperion measured shortwave infrared signatures of CH4 near 2.3 μm at 0.01 μm spectral resolution and 30 m spatial resolution. It detected the plume on three overpasses, mapping its magnitude and morphology. These orbital observations were consistent with measurements by airborne instruments. We evaluate Hyperion instrument performance, draw implications for future orbital instruments, and extrapolate the potential for a global survey of CH4 superemitters.
Use of a Hydrogel-Coated Self-Expandable Coil to Salvage a Failed Transcatheter Embolization of a Mesenteric Hemorrhage
Bui, James T.; West, Derek L.; Pai, Rajiv; Owens, Charles A.
HydroCoil (MicroVention, Aliso Viejo, CA, USA) is a self-expanding detachable coil developed to improve the endovascular occlusion of intracranial aneurysms. The hydrogel polymer covering the microcoil expands to several times its original diameter to enhance thrombosis of the intended vessel. We made use of this new technology to occlude a mesenteric artery pseudoaneurysm that failed superselective embolization with standard microcoils.
Bayesian event tree for long-term volcanic hazard assessment: Application to Teide-Pico Viejo stratovolcanoes, Tenerife, Canary Islands
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Sobradelo, R.; Martí, J.
In modern volcanology one of the most important goals is to perform hazard and risk assessment of volcanoes near urbanized areas. Previous work has been done to assess volcanic hazard in the form of event tree structures containing possible eruptive scenarios. Probability methods have been applied to these structures to estimate the long term probability for each scenario. However, most of these event tree models show restrictions in the eruptive scenarios they consider and/or on the possibility of having volcanic unrest triggered by other forces than magmatic. In this paper, we present a Bayesian event tree structure which accounts for external triggers (geothermal, seismic) as a source of volcanic unrest and looks at the hazard from different types of magma composition and different vent locations (as opposite to a central vent only). We apply the model to the particular case of Teide-Pico Viejo stratovolcanoes, two alkaline composite volcanoes that have erupted 1.8-3 km3 of mafic and felsic magmas from different vent sites during the last 35 ka, situated on a densely populated island, one of the biggest tourist destinations of Europe, and for which limited geological and no historical data exist. Hence, the importance of volcanic hazard assessment for risk-based decision-making in land use planning and emergency management. A previous attempt to estimate the volcanic hazard for Teide-Pico Viejo has been done using an event tree structure based on Elicitation of Expert Judgment. The new method overcomes some limitations of the previous method, including human decision bias, epistemic and aleatoric uncertainties, restrictions on the segmentation complexity of the event tree structure, and automatically updating. The main steps are the following: (1) Design an extensive tree-shaped Bayesian network with possible eruptive scenarios following the case of Teide-Pico Viejo volcanic complex. (2) Build a Bayesian model to estimate the long term volcanic hazard for each
"Estoy viejo" [I'm old]: internalized ageism as self-referential, negative, ageist speech in the Republic of Panama.
Campos, Irma D; Stripling, Ashley M; Heesacker, Martin
Ageism is a form of discrimination that anyone may experience at some point in life (Palmore 2004). Yet ageism is rarely the focus of behavioral research (Nelson 2005). Age can be understood as a social construct that reflects social norms (Lemus and Exposito 2005). Based on our review of the published literature, there were two studies on perceptions of aging among Latina/os in the United States (Beyene et al. 2002; Sarkisian et al. 2006). These studies investigated perceptions and expectations of aging among older Latina/o adults rather than direct experiences of ageism. It is important to note that Latina/os are not a homogenous group and that there are within-group differences. For this reason, this study explored internalized, negative ageism specifically in the Republic of Panama. Although Panama has unique characteristics, it also reflects Central American culture and therefore should provide initial insights regarding Central American self-referential, negative, ageist talk, which we labeled "Estoy viejo." Flanagan's Critical Incident Technique was used to access and understand participants' (ages 18-65) negative ageist talk (n=159). Participants who reported engaging in "Estoy viejo." (46.3% of those sampled) were significantly younger than participants who did not (p< .05). One potential explanation is that younger participants may have been more influenced by North American culture and its strongly negative ageist stereotypes than older participants, who may have identified primarily with Central American culture. PMID:22993106
The 5,660 yBP Boquerón explosive eruption, Teide-Pico Viejo complex, Tenerife
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
García, Olaya; Bonadonna, Costanza; Martí, Joan; Pioli, Laura
Quantitative hazard assessments of active volcanoes require an accurate knowledge of the past eruptive activity in terms of eruption dynamics and the stratified products of eruption. Teide-Pico Viejo (TPV) is one of the largest volcanic complexes in Europe, but the associated eruptive history has only been constrained based on very general stratigraphic and geochronological data. In particular, recent studies have shown that explosive activity has been significantly more frequently common than previously thought. Our study contributes to characterization of explosive activity of TPV by describing for the first time the subplinian eruption of El Boquerón (5,660 yBP), a satellite dome located on the northern slope of the Pico Viejo stratovolcano. Stratigraphic data suggest complex shifting from effusive phases with lava flows to highly explosive phase that generated a relatively thick and widespread pumice fallout deposit. This explosive phase is classified as a subplinian eruption of VEI 3 that lasted for about 9-15 h and produced a plume with a height of up to 9 km above sea level (i.e. 7 km above the vent; MER of 6.9-8.2 × 105 kg/s). The tephra deposit (minimum bulk volume of 4-6 × 107 m3) was dispersed to the NE by up to 10 m/s winds. A similar eruption today would significantly impact the economy of Tenerife (e.g. tourism and aviation), with major consequences mainly for the communities around the Icod Valley, and to a minor extent, the Orotava Valley. This vulnerability shows that a better knowledge of the past explosive history of TPV and an accurate estimate of future potentials to generate violent eruptions is required in order to quantify and mitigate the associated volcanic risk.
Gold deposition by sulfidation of ferrous Fe in the lacustrine sediments of the Pueblo Viejo district (Dominican Republic): The effect of Fe-C-S diagenesis on later hydrothermal mineralization in a Maar-Diatreme complex
Kettler, R.M.; Rye, R.O.; Kesler, S.E.; Meyers, P.A.; Polanco, J.; Russell, N.
The Pueblo Viejo district, located in the Cordillera Central of the Dominican Republic, contains large Au-Ag deposits associated with acid-sulfate alteration within spilites, conglomerates and carbonaceous sedimentary rocks that were deposited in a maar-diatreme complex. Much of the Au mineralization occurs in pyritic, carbonaceous siltstones of the Pueblo Viejo Maar-Diatreme Member of the Cretaceous Los Ranchos Formation. Pyrite is the only Fe-bearing phase in mineralized rock, whereas siderite is the dominant Fe-bearing phase in siltstones distal to mineralization. Disseminated pyrite occurs as framboids, cubes, pyritohedra, concretions and cement. Early framboids occur throughout the district. Au occurs as inclusions in later non-framboid disseminated pyrite (NFDP); an occurrence that is interpreted to be indicative of contemporaneous deposition. Pyrite framboids exhibit a wide range of ??34Scdt-values (-17.5 to +4.8???) and are interpreted to have formed during biogenic reduction of pore-water sulfate. The NFDP yield restricted ??34Scdt-values ( x ?? = -5.2???, s = ??2.4???, n = 43) similar to those obtained from later vein pyrite ( x ?? = -6.4???, s = ??1.5???, n = 12). Alunite and barite have ??34S-values ranging from +18.8 to +21.6???. The interpretation that the NFDP, vein pyrite, alunite and barite, and possibly even the framboidal pyrite share a common source of igneous sulfur is supported by the ??34S data. Siderite occurs as concretions and cement, contains abundant Mg (Fe0.75Mg0.19Mn0.03Ca0.02CO3) and has ??13Cpdb- and ??18Osmow-values ranging from -2.5 to +1.1%. and +14.6 to +19.5???, respectively. These data are consistent with the interpretation that the siderite formed in lacustrine sediments and that the carbonate in the siderite is probably methanogenic, although contributions from oxidation of organic matter during biogenic sulfate reduction, thermal decarboxylation of organic matter, or magmatic vapor cannot be ruled out. Disseminated Au
A long-term volcanic hazard event tree for Teide-Pico Viejo stratovolcanoes (Tenerife, Canary Islands)
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Martí, J.; Aspinall, W. P.; Sobradelo, R.; Felpeto, A.; Geyer, A.; Ortiz, R.; Baxter, P.; Cole, P.; Pacheco, J.; Blanco, M. J.; Lopez, C.
We propose a long-term volcanic hazards event tree for Teide-Pico Viejo stratovolcanoes, two complex alkaline composite volcanoes that have erupted 1.8-3 km 3 of mafic and felsic magmas from different vent sites during the last 35 ka. This is the maximum period that can be investigated from surface geology and also represents an upper time limit for the appearance of the first phonolites on that volcano. The whole process of the event tree construction was divided into three stages. The first stage included the determination of the spatial probability of vent opening for basaltic and phonolitic eruptions, based on the available geological and geophysical data. The second, involved the analysis of the different eruption types that have characterised the volcanic activity from Teide during this period. The third stage focussed on the generation of the event tree from the information obtained in the two previous steps and from the application of a probabilistic analysis on the occurrence of each possible eruption type. As for other volcanoes, the structure of the Teide-Pico Viejo Event Tree was subdivided into several steps of eruptive progression from general to more specific events. The precursory phase was assumed as an unrest episode of any geologic origin (magmatic, hydrothermal or tectonic), which could be responsible for a clear increase of volcanic activity revealed by geophysical and geochemical monitoring. According to the present characteristics of Teide-Pico Viejo and their past history, we started by considering whether the unrest episode would lead to a sector collapse or not. If the sector collapse does not occur but an eruption is expected, this could be either from the central vents or from any of the volcanoes' flanks. In any of these cases, there are several possibilities according to what has been observed in the period considered in our study. In the case that a sector collapse occurs and is followed by an eruption we considered it as a flank
A new Late Triassic age for the Puesto Viejo Group (San Rafael depocenter, Argentina): SHRIMP U-Pb zircon dating and biostratigraphic correlations across southern Gondwana
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Ottone, Eduardo G.; Monti, Mariana; Marsicano, Claudia A.; de la Fuente, Marcelo S.; Naipauer, Maximiliano; Armstrong, Richard; Mancuso, Adriana C.
The Puesto Viejo Group crops out in the San Rafael Block, southwest Mendoza, at approximately 35° S and 68°20‧ W. It consists of the basal mainly grayish Quebrada de los Fósiles Formation (QF) overlying by the reddish Río Seco de la Quebrada Formation (RSQ). The basal unit includes both plant remains (pleuromeians and sphenopsids) and vertebrates (scattered fish scales, dicynodont synapsids and remains of an archosauriform). In contrast, the RSQ beds have yielded only tetrapods, although a more diverse fauna. The latter includes cynodonts as Cynognathus, Pascualognathus and Diademodon, and also dicynodonts (Vinceria and Kannemeyeria). Based on the assemblage of tetrapod taxa the bearing levels were correlated to the Cynognathus AZ of South Africa and thus referred to the Middle Triassic (Anisian). We obtained a SHRIMP 238U/206Pb age of 235.8 ± 2.0 Ma from a rhyolitic ignimbrite interdigitated between the QF and RSQ formations at the Quebrada de los Fósiles section. This new radiometric date for the Puesto Viejo Group suggests that the tetrapod fauna in the RSQ beds existed, instead, during the Late Triassic (early Carnian) some 10 Ma later than the currently accepted age. Two scenarios might explain our results: first, the Cynognathus AZ of South Africa is wrongly assigned to the lower Middle Triassic (Anisan) and should be considered younger in age, Late Triassic (Carnian); second, the relative age of the Cynognathus AZ of South Africa is correct but the inferred range of Cynognathus and Diademodon is incorrect as they were present during the Late Triassic (Carnian) at least in South America. In any case, this new date pose serious doubts about the validity of biostratigraphic correlations based solely on tetrapod taxa, a common practice for Triassic continental successions across Gondwana.
Pittman, Jon K
Calcium transporters that mediate the removal of Ca(2+) from the cytosol and into internal stores provide a critical role in regulating Ca(2+) signals following stimulus induction and in preventing calcium toxicity. The vacuole is a major calcium store in many organisms, particularly plants and fungi. Two main pathways facilitate the accumulation of Ca(2+) into vacuoles, Ca(2+)-ATPases and Ca(2+)/H(+) exchangers. Here I review the biochemical and regulatory features of these transporters that have been characterised in yeast and plants. These Ca(2+) transport mechanisms are compared with those being identified from other vacuolated organisms including algae and protozoa. Studies suggest that Ca(2+) uptake into vacuoles and other related acidic Ca(2+) stores occurs by conserved mechanisms which developed early in evolution. PMID:21310481
Mitochondrial Ca2+-induced Ca2+ Release Mediated by the Ca2+ Uniporter
Montero, Mayte; Alonso, Maria Teresa; Albillos, Almudena; García-Sancho, Javier; Alvarez, Javier
We have reported that a population of chromaffin cell mitochondria takes up large amounts of Ca2+ during cell stimulation. The present study focuses on the pathways for mitochondrial Ca2+ efflux. Treatment with protonophores before cell stimulation abolished mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake and increased the cytosolic [Ca2+] ([Ca2+]c) peak induced by the stimulus. Instead, when protonophores were added after cell stimulation, they did not modify [Ca2+]c kinetics and inhibited Ca2+ release from Ca2+-loaded mitochondria. This effect was due to inhibition of mitochondrial Na+/Ca2+ exchange, because blocking this system with CGP37157 produced no further effect. Increasing extramitochondrial [Ca2+]c triggered fast Ca2+ release from these depolarized Ca2+-loaded mitochondria, both in intact or permeabilized cells. These effects of protonophores were mimicked by valinomycin, but not by nigericin. The observed mitochondrial Ca2+-induced Ca2+ release response was insensitive to cyclosporin A and CGP37157 but fully blocked by ruthenium red, suggesting that it may be mediated by reversal of the Ca2+ uniporter. This novel kind of mitochondrial Ca2+-induced Ca2+ release might contribute to Ca2+ clearance from mitochondria that become depolarized during Ca2+ overload. PMID:11160823
Routes of Ca2+ Shuttling during Ca2+ Oscillations
Pecze, László; Blum, Walter; Schwaller, Beat
In some cell types, Ca2+ oscillations are strictly dependent on Ca2+ influx across the plasma membrane, whereas in others, oscillations also persist in the absence of Ca2+ influx. We observed that, in primary mesothelial cells, the plasmalemmal Ca2+ influx played a pivotal role. However, when the Ca2+ transport across the plasma membrane by the "lanthanum insulation method" was blocked prior to the induction of the serum-induced Ca2+ oscillations, mitochondrial Ca2+ transport was found to be able to substitute for the plasmalemmal Ca2+ exchange function, thus rendering the oscillations independent of extracellular Ca2+. However, in a physiological situation, the Ca2+-buffering capacity of mitochondria was found not to be essential for Ca2+ oscillations. Moreover, brief spontaneous Ca2+ changes were observed in the mitochondrial Ca2+ concentration without apparent changes in the cytosolic Ca2+ concentration, indicating the presence of a mitochondrial autonomous Ca2+ signaling mechanism. In the presence of calretinin, a Ca2+-buffering protein, the amplitude of cytosolic spikes during oscillations was decreased, and the amount of Ca2+ ions taken up by mitochondria was reduced. Thus, the increased calretinin expression observed in mesothelioma cells and in certain colon cancer might be correlated to the increased resistance of these tumor cells to proapoptotic/pronecrotic signals. We identified and characterized (experimentally and by modeling) three Ca2+ shuttling pathways in primary mesothelial cells during Ca2+ oscillations: Ca2+ shuttled between (i) the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and mitochondria, (ii) the ER and the extracellular space, and (iii) the ER and cytoplasmic Ca2+ buffers. PMID:26396196
Topological organization of CA3-to-CA1 excitation.
Hongo, Yoshie; Ogawa, Koichi; Takahara, Yuji; Takasu, Keiko; Royer, Sebastien; Hasegawa, Minoru; Sakaguchi, Gaku; Ikegaya, Yuji
The CA1-projecting axons of CA3 pyramidal cells, called Schaffer collaterals, constitute one of the major information flow routes in the hippocampal formation. Recent anatomical studies have revealed the non-random structural connectivity between CA3 and CA1, but little is known regarding the functional connectivity (i.e. how CA3 network activity is functionally transmitted downstream to the CA1 network). Using functional multi-neuron calcium imaging of rat hippocampal slices, we monitored the spatiotemporal patterns of spontaneous CA3 and CA1 burst activity under pharmacological GABAergic blockade. We found that spatially clustered CA3 activity patterns were transformed into layered CA1 activity sequences. Specifically, synchronized bursts initiated from multiple hot spots in CA3 ensembles, and CA1 neurons located deeper in the pyramidal cell layer were recruited during earlier phases of the burst events. The order of these sequential activations was maintained across the bursts, but the sequence velocity varied depending on the inter-burst intervals. Thus, CA3 axons innervate CA1 neurons in a highly topographical fashion. PMID:26036915
Brewer 112 is located in Riverside CA, measuring ultraviolet solar radiation. Irradiance and column ozone are derived from this data. Ultraviolet solar radiation is measured with a Brewer Mark IV, single-monochrometer, spectrophotometer manufactured by SCI-TEC Instruments, Inc. o...
Intracellular BK(Ca) (iBK(Ca)) channels.
Singh, Harpreet; Stefani, Enrico; Toro, Ligia
The large conductance calcium- and voltage-activated potassium channel (BK(Ca)) is widely expressed at the plasma membrane. This channel is involved in a variety of fundamental cellular functions including excitability, smooth muscle contractility, and Ca(2+) homeostasis, as well as in pathological situations like proinflammatory responses in rheumatoid arthritis, and cancer cell proliferation. Immunochemical, biochemical and pharmacological studies from over a decade have intermittently shown the presence of BK(Ca) in intracellular organelles. To date, intracellular BK(Ca) (iBK(Ca)) has been localized in the mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum, nucleus and Golgi apparatus but its functional role remains largely unknown except for the mitochondrial BK(Ca) whose opening is thought to play a role in protecting the heart from ischaemic injury. In the nucleus, pharmacology suggests a role in regulating nuclear Ca(2+), membrane potential and eNOS expression. Establishing the molecular correlates of iBK(Ca), the mechanisms defining iBK(Ca) organelle-specific targeting, and their modulation are challenging questions. This review summarizes iBK(Ca) channels, their possible functions, and efforts to identify their molecular correlates. PMID:22930268
Cardiac Ca2+ signaling and Ca2+ sensitizers.
Endoh, Masao
The role of Ca2+ in cardiac excitation-contraction (E-C) coupling has been established by simultaneous measurements of contractility and Ca2+ transients by means of aequorin in intact myocardium and Ca2+ sensitive fluorescent dyes in single myocytes. The E-C coupling process can be classified into 3 processes: upstream (Ca2+ mobilization), central (Ca2+ binding to troponin C) and downstream mechanism (thin filament regulation and crossbridge cycling). These mechanisms are regulated differentially by various inotropic interventions. Positive force-frequency relationship and effects of beta-adrenoceptor stimulation, phosphodiesterase 3 inhibitors and digitalis are essentially exerted via upstream mechanism. Alpha-adrenoceptor stimulation, endothelin-1, angiotensin II, and clinically available Ca2+ sensitizers, such as levosimendan and pimobendan, act by a combination of the upstream and central/downstream mechanism. The Frank-Starling mechanism and effects of Ca2+ sensitizers such as EMD 57033 and Org 30029 are primarily induced via the central/downstream mechanism. Whereas the upstream and central mechanisms are markedly suppressed in failing myocytes and under acidotic conditions, Ca2+ sensitizers such as EMD 57033 and Org 30029 can induce cardiotonic effects under such conditions. Ca2+ sensitizers have high therapeutic potential for the treatment of contractile dysfunction in congestive heart failure and ischemic heart diseases, because they have energetic advantages and less risk of Ca2+ overload and can maintain effectiveness under pathological conditions. PMID:18981594
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
2001-01-01These band composites, acquired on June 4, 2000, cover a 11 by 13.5 km sub-scene in the Coachella Valley, CA. The area is shown by the yellow box on the full scene in the LOWER RIGHT corner, northwest of the Salton Sea. This is a major agricultural region of California, growing fruit and produce throughout the year. Different combinations of ASTER bands help identify the different crop types. UPPER LEFT: bands 3, 2, 1 as red, green, and blue (RGB); UPPER RIGHT: bands 4, 2, 1 as RGB; LOWER LEFT: bands 4, 3, 2 as RGB. The image is centered at 33.6 degrees north latitude, 116.1 degrees west longitude. The U.S. science team is located at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. The Terra mission is part of NASA's Science Mission Directorate.
Urban, Nicole
Summary Twenty five years after its discovery, circulating CA125 antigen is recommended for clinical use in the US for ovarian cancer (OC) screening of high risk women with ovaries despite its limited sensitivity and specificity. Recent findings suggest that CA125 might also serve as a predictive marker for pre-invasive OC. Methods to quantify circulating CA125 evolved towards sensitive and reliable double determinant ELISA assays. The CA125 gene, MUC16, was cloned 20 years after the protein discovery and revealed a very complex and unusual glycoprotein structure suggesting an immunological role. Recent evidence points toward CA125 function in the induction of materno-fetal tolerance through the alteration of NK phenotype. Two receptors for CA125 have been described: mesothelin and galectin-1. The specific location and functional proprieties of CA125 make it a therapeutic target of choice; clinical trials have demonstrated that anti-CA125 injections are well tolerated and suggest a potential survival benefit. PMID:20477371
Dynamic buffering of mitochondrial Ca2+ during Ca2+ uptake and Na+-induced Ca2+ release
Blomeyer, Christoph A.; Bazil, Jason N.; Stowe, David F.; Pradhan, Ranjan K.; Dash, Ranjan K.; Camara, Amadou K. S.
In cardiac mitochondria, matrix free Ca2+ ([Ca2+]m) is primarily regulated by Ca2+ uptake and release via the Ca2+ uniporter (CU) and Na+/Ca2+ exchanger (NCE) as well as by Ca2+ buffering. Although experimental and computational studies on the CU and NCE dynamics exist, it is not well understood how matrix Ca2+ buffering affects these dynamics under various Ca2+ uptake and release conditions, and whether this influences the stoichiometry of the NCE. To elucidate the role of matrix Ca2+ buffering on the uptake and release of Ca2+, we monitored Ca2+ dynamics in isolated mitochondria by measuring both the extra-matrix free [Ca2+] ([Ca2+]e) and [Ca2+]m. A detailed protocol was developed and freshly isolated mitochondria from guinea pig hearts were exposed to five different [CaCl2] followed by ruthenium red and six different [NaCl]. By using the fluorescent probe indo-1, [Ca2+] and [Ca2+e]m were spectrofluorometrically quantified, and the stoichiometry of the NCE was determined. In addition, we measured NADH, membrane potential, matrix volume and matrix pH to monitor Ca2+-induced changes in mitochondrial bioenergetics. Our [Ca2+]e and [Ca2+]m measurements demonstrate that Ca2+ uptake and release do not show reciprocal Ca2+ dynamics in the extra-matrix and matrix compartments. This salient finding is likely caused by a dynamic Ca2+ buffering system in the matrix compartment. The Na+ - induced Ca2+ release demonstrates an electrogenic exchange via the NCE by excluding an electroneutral exchange. Mitochondrial bioenergetics were only transiently affected by Ca2+ uptake in the presence of large amounts of CaCl2, but not by Na+- induced Ca2+ release. PMID:23225099
CaPTC hosts the 'Biennial Science of Global Prostate Cancer Disparities in Black Men' conference to address the growing global public health problem of prostate cancer among Black men in industrialized and developing countries.
Effect of High Shock Number on Acute Complication Development After Extracorporeal Shockwave Lithotripsy
Hadj-Moussa, Miriam
Abstract Purpose We assessed whether high shock number is associated with higher rates of acute complication development after extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy (SWL). Patients and Methods A retrospective chart review of 372 patients who underwent 436 SWL procedures at 24 kV using a Medstone STS-T lithotripter (Medstone International Inc., Aliso Viejo, CA) was conducted. Complications occurred within 4 weeks of SWL. Treatments were split into three cohorts based on shock number (<2400, 2401–4000, and >4000). Postoperative sequelae of patients who were stone free and those with residual stone were studied separately. Chi-square tests were used to evaluate the relationship between shock number cohort and postoperative complication development. Results SWL treatments recorded for each cohort were 158 (37.4%), 145 (34.4%), and 119 (28.2%), respectively. The short-term complication rate when SWL was successful was 8.3% overall. Complication rate for each cohort was 9.5% (11), 7.8% (5), and 7.2% (7), respectively. When SWL was successful, statistical analysis revealed no significant difference between complication rates and shock number cohort (P=0.63). Complications in patients with a residual stone occurred after 41.4% of treatments and trended upward with shock number cohort, but did not reach statistical significance (P=0.84). Conclusions At high voltage, high shock number was not shown to cause higher rates of short-term postoperative complications, as experienced by patients, when SWL was successful or resulted in a residual stone, yet complication rates associated with residual stone burden were approximately five times as common. Forgoing a higher shock number in the presence of a residual stone may therefore increase the risks of sequelae immediately after SWL. PMID:23537270
Mitochondrial Ca(2+) Processing by a Unit of Mitochondrial Ca(2+) Uniporter and Na(+)/Ca(2+) Exchanger Supports the Neuronal Ca(2+) Influx via Activated Glutamate Receptors.
Strokin, Mikhail; Reiser, Georg
The current study demonstrates that in hippocampal neurons mitochondrial Ca(2+) processing supports Ca(2+) influx via ionotropic glutamate (Glu) receptors. We define mitochondrial Ca(2+) processing as Ca(2+) uptake via mitochondrial Ca(2+) uniporter (MCU) combined with subsequent Ca(2+) release via mitochondrial Na(+)/Ca(2+) exchanger (NCX). Our tool is to measure the Ca(2+) influx rate in primary hippocampal co-cultures, i.e. neurons and astrocytes, by fluorescent digital microscopy, using a Fura-2-quenching method where we add small amounts of Mn(2+) in the superfusion medium. Thus, Ca(2+) influx is measured with Mn(2+) in the bath. Ru360 as inhibitor of mitochondrial Ca(2+) uptake through MCU strongly reduces the rate of Ca(2+) influx in Glu-stimulated primary hippocampal neurons. Similarly, the Ca(2+) influx rate in Glu-stimulated neurons declines after suppression of potential-dependent MCU, when we depolarize mitochondria with rotenone. With inhibition of Ca(2+) release from mitochondria via NCX using CGP-37157 the Ca(2+) influx via N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)- and kainate-sensitive receptors is slowed down. Working jointly as mitochondrial Ca(2+) processing unit, MCU and NCX, apparently sustain the Ca(2+) throughput of activated Glu-sensitive receptors. Our results revise the role frequently attributed to mitochondria in neuronal Ca(2+) homeostasis, where mitochondria function mainly as Ca(2+) buffer, and prevent excessively high cytosolic Ca(2+) concentration increase during neuronal activity. The mechanism to control Ca(2+) influx in neurons, as discovered in this study, highlights mitochondrial Ca(2+) processing as a promising pharmacological target. We discuss this pathway in relation to the endoplasmic reticulum-related mechanisms of Ca(2+) processing. PMID:26842930
The Influence of Ca2+ Buffers on Free [Ca2+] Fluctuations and the Effective Volume of Ca2+ Microdomains
Weinberg, Seth H.; Smith, Gregory D.
Intracellular calcium (Ca2+) plays a significant role in many cell signaling pathways, some of which are localized to spatially restricted microdomains. Ca2+ binding proteins (Ca2+ buffers) play an important role in regulating Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]). Buffers typically slow [Ca2+] temporal dynamics and increase the effective volume of Ca2+ domains. Because fluctuations in [Ca2+] decrease in proportion to the square-root of a domain's physical volume, one might conjecture that buffers decrease [Ca2+] fluctuations and, consequently, mitigate the significance of small domain volume concerning Ca2+ signaling. We test this hypothesis through mathematical and computational analysis of idealized buffer-containing domains and their stochastic dynamics during free Ca2+ influx with passive exchange of both Ca2+ and buffer with bulk concentrations. We derive Langevin equations for the fluctuating dynamics of Ca2+ and buffer and use these stochastic differential equations to determine the magnitude of [Ca2+] fluctuations for different buffer parameters (e.g., dissociation constant and concentration). In marked contrast to expectations based on a naive application of the principle of effective volume as employed in deterministic models of Ca2+ signaling, we find that mobile and rapid buffers typically increase the magnitude of domain [Ca2+] fluctuations during periods of Ca2+ influx, whereas stationary (immobile) Ca2+ buffers do not. Also contrary to expectations, we find that in the absence of Ca2+ influx, buffers influence the temporal characteristics, but not the magnitude, of [Ca2+] fluctuations. We derive an analytical formula describing the influence of rapid Ca2+ buffers on [Ca2+] fluctuations and, importantly, identify the stochastic analog of (deterministic) effective domain volume. Our results demonstrate that Ca2+ buffers alter the dynamics of [Ca2+] fluctuations in a nonintuitive manner. The finding that Ca2+ buffers do not suppress intrinsic domain [Ca2
Effects of Ca antagonists on Ca fluxes in resistance vessels
Cauvin, C.; Saida, K.; van Breemen, C.
Researchers have examined contractions and /sup 45/Ca fluxes induced by norepinephrine (NE) and 80 mM potassium (high K) depolarization and their inhibition by dilitazem in rabbit mesenteric resistance vessels. Contraction induced by both NE and high K depended almost completely on extracellular Ca. Dose-response curves for diltiazem inhibition of NE (10(-5) M) and high K contractions showed ED50 values of 1 X 10(-8) and 6 X 10(-7) M, respectively, indicating that the receptor-operated channel (ROC) was more sensitive than the potential-operated channel (POC) to the action of diltiazem. Diltiazem (10(-6) M) was shown to inhibit NE- and 80 mM K-stimulated /sup 45/Ca influx effectively by 87 +/- 15 and 85 +/- 10%, respectively. Comparison of these data to those obtained from aorta suggest that although the sensitivity of the POC is approximately the same in aorta and mesenteric resistance vessels, the sensitivity of the ROC is much greater in the latter. This increased sensitivity is paralleled by a greatly decreased role of intracellular Ca release in NE contraction in mesenteric resistance vessels.
Timing in Cellular Ca2+ signaling
Boulware, Michael J.; Marchant, Jonathan S.
Calcium (Ca2+) signals are generated across a broad time range. Kinetic considerations impact how information is processed to encode and decode Ca2+ signals, the choreography of responses that ensure specific and efficient signaling and the overall temporal gearing such that ephemeral Ca2+ signals have lasting physiological value. The reciprocal importance of timing for Ca2+ signaling, and Ca2+ signaling for timing is exemplified by the altered kinetic profiles of Ca2+ signals in certain diseases and the likely role of basal Ca2+ fluctuations in the perception of time itself. PMID:18786382
Izu, Leighton T.; Xie, Yuanfang; Sato, Daisuke; Bányász, Tamás; Chen-Izu, Ye
Ca2+ waves were probably first observed in the early 1940s. Since then Ca2+ waves have captured the attention of an eclectic mixture of mathematicians, neuroscientists, muscle physiologists, developmental biologists, and clinical cardiologists. This review discusses the current state of mathematical models of Ca2+ waves, the normal physiological functions Ca2+ waves might serve in cardiac cells, as well as how the spatial arrangement of Ca2+ release channels shape Ca2+ waves, and we introduce the idea of Ca2+ phase waves that might provide a useful framework for understanding triggered arrhythmias. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled 'Calcium Signaling in Heart'. PMID:23220129
Large Ca2+-dependent facilitation of CaV2.1 channels revealed by Ca2+ photo-uncaging
Lee, Shin-Rong; Adams, Paul J; Yue, David T
Key points CaV2.1 channels constitute a dominant Ca2+ entry pathway into brain neurons, triggering downstream Ca2+-dependent processes such as neurotransmitter release. CaV2.1 is itself modulated by Ca2+, resulting in activity-dependent enhancement of channel opening termed Ca2+-dependent facilitation (CDF). Real-time Ca2+ imaging and Ca2+ uncaging here reveal that CDF turns out to be strikingly faster, more Ca2+ sensitive, and larger than anticipated on previous grounds. Robust resolution of the quantitative profile of CDF enables deduction of a realistic biophysical model for this process. These results suggest that CaV2.1 CDF would figure most prominently in short-term synaptic plasticity and cerebellar Purkinje cell rhythmicity. Abstract CaV2.1 (P-type) voltage-gated Ca2+ channels constitute a major source of neuronal Ca2+ current, strongly influencing rhythmicity and triggering neurotransmitter release throughout the central nervous system. Fitting with such stature among Ca2+ entry pathways, CaV2.1 is itself feedback regulated by intracellular Ca2+, acting through calmodulin to facilitate channel opening. The precise neurophysiological role of this calcium-dependent facilitation (CDF) remains uncertain, however, in large measure because the very magnitude, Ca2+ dependence and kinetics of CDF have resisted quantification by conventional means. Here, we utilize the photo-uncaging of Ca2+ with CaV2.1 channels fluxing Li+ currents, so that voltage-dependent activation of channel gating is no longer conflated with Ca2+ entry, and CDF is then driven solely by light-induced increases in Ca2+. By using this strategy, we now find that CDF can be unexpectedly large, enhancing currents by as much as twofold at physiological voltages. CDF is steeply Ca2+ dependent, with a Hill coefficient of approximately two, a half-maximal effect reached by nearly 500 nm Ca2+, and Ca2+ on/off kinetics in the order of milliseconds to tens of milliseconds. These properties were
Angular dependence in proton-proton correlation functions in central 40Ca + 40Ca and 48Ca + 48Ca reactions
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Henzl, V.; Kilburn, M. A.; Chajęcki, Z.; Henzlova, D.; Lynch, W. G.; Brown, D.; Chbihi, A.; Coupland, D. D. S.; Danielewicz, P.; Desouza, R. T.; Famiano, M.; Herlitzius, C.; Hudan, S.; Lee, Jenny; Lukyanov, S.; Rogers, A. M.; Sanetullaev, A.; Sobotka, L. G.; Sun, Z. Y.; Tsang, M. B.; Vander Molen, A.; Verde, G.; Wallace, M. S.; Youngs, M.
The angular dependence of proton-proton correlation functions is studied in central 40Ca+40Ca and 48Ca+48Ca nuclear reactions at E/A=80 MeV. Measurements were performed with the High Resolution Array (HiRA) complemented by the 4π Array at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory. A striking angular dependence in the laboratory frame is found within proton-proton correlation functions for both systems that greatly exceeds the measured and expected isospin dependent difference between the neutron-rich and neutron-deficient systems. Sources measured at backward angles reflect the participant zone of the reaction, while much larger sources observed at forward angles reflect the expanding, fragmenting, and evaporating projectile remnants. The decrease of the size of the source with increasing momentum is observed at backward angles while a weaker trend in the opposite direction is observed at forward angles. The results are compared to the theoretical calculations using the Boltzmann-Uehling-Uhlenbeck (BUU) transport model.
STIM Is a Ca2+ Sensor Essential for Ca2+-Store-Depletion-Triggered Ca2+ Influx
Liou, Jen; Kim, Man Lyang; Heo, Won Do; Jones, Joshua T.; Myers, Jason W.; Ferrell, James E.; Meyer, Tobias
Summary Ca2+ signaling in nonexcitable cells is typically initiated by receptor-triggered production of inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate and the release of Ca2+ from intracellular stores [1]. An elusive signaling process senses the Ca2+ store depletion and triggers the opening of plasma membrane Ca2+ channels [2–5]. The resulting sustained Ca2+ signals are required for many physiological responses, such as T cell activation and differentiation [6]. Here, we monitored receptor-triggered Ca2+ signals in cells transfected with siRNAs against 2,304 human signaling proteins, and we identified two proteins required for Ca2+-store-depletion-mediated Ca2+ influx, STIM1 and STIM2 [7–9]. These proteins have a single transmembrane region with a putative Ca2+ binding domain in the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum. Ca2+ store depletion led to a rapid translocation of STIM1 into puncta that accumulated near the plasma membrane. Introducing a point mutation in the STIM1 Ca2+ binding domain resulted in prelocalization of the protein in puncta, and this mutant failed to respond to store depletion. Our study suggests that STIM proteins function as Ca2+ store sensors in the signaling pathway connecting Ca2+ store depletion to Ca2+ influx. PMID:16005298
Decoding Ca2+ signals in plants
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Sathyanarayanan, P. V.; Poovaiah, B. W.
Different input signals create their own characteristic Ca2+ fingerprints. These fingerprints are distinguished by frequency, amplitude, duration, and number of Ca2+ oscillations. Ca(2+)-binding proteins and protein kinases decode these complex Ca2+ fingerprints through conformational coupling and covalent modifications of proteins. This decoding of signals can lead to a physiological response with or without changes in gene expression. In plants, Ca(2+)-dependent protein kinases and Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinases are involved in decoding Ca2+ signals into phosphorylation signals. This review summarizes the elements of conformational coupling and molecular mechanisms of regulation of the two groups of protein kinases by Ca2+ and Ca2+/calmodulin in plants.
Decoding Ca2+ signals in plants.
Sathyanarayanan, P V; Poovaiah, B W
Different input signals create their own characteristic Ca2+ fingerprints. These fingerprints are distinguished by frequency, amplitude, duration, and number of Ca2+ oscillations. Ca(2+)-binding proteins and protein kinases decode these complex Ca2+ fingerprints through conformational coupling and covalent modifications of proteins. This decoding of signals can lead to a physiological response with or without changes in gene expression. In plants, Ca(2+)-dependent protein kinases and Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinases are involved in decoding Ca2+ signals into phosphorylation signals. This review summarizes the elements of conformational coupling and molecular mechanisms of regulation of the two groups of protein kinases by Ca2+ and Ca2+/calmodulin in plants. PMID:16044584
A Devil in the Details: Matrix-Dependent 40Ca42Ca++/42Ca+ and Its Effects on Estimates of the Initial 41Ca/40Ca in the Solar System
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
McKeegan, K. D.; Liu, M.-C.
Ian Hutcheon established that the molecular ion interference 40Ca42Ca++/42Ca+ on 41K+ is strongly dependent on the mineral analyzed. Correction for this "matrix effect" led to a downward revision of the initial 41Ca/40Ca of the solar system.
Voltage-activated ion channels and Ca2+-induced Ca2+ release shape Ca2+ signaling in Merkel cells
Piskorowski, Rebecca; Haeberle, Henry; Panditrao, Mayuri V.; Lumpkin, Ellen A.
Ca2+ signaling and neurotransmission modulate touch-evoked responses in Merkel cell–neurite complexes. To identify mechanisms governing these processes, we analyzed voltage-activated ion channels and Ca2+ signaling in purified Merkel cells. Merkel cells in the intact skin were specifically labeled by antibodies against voltage-activated Ca2+ channels (CaV2.1) and voltage- and Ca2+-activated K+ (BKCa) channels. Voltage-clamp recordings revealed small Ca2+ currents, which produced Ca2+ transients that were amplified sevenfold by Ca2+-induced Ca2+ release. Merkel cells' voltage-activated K+ currents were carried predominantly by BKCa channels with inactivating and noninactivating components. Thus, Merkel cells, like hair cells, have functionally diverse BKCa channels. Finally, blocking K+ channels increased response magnitude and dramatically shortened Ca2+ transients evoked by mechanical stimulation. Together, these results demonstrate that Ca2+ signaling in Merkel cells is governed by the interplay of plasma membrane Ca2+ channels, store release and K+ channels, and they identify specific signaling mechanisms that may control touch sensitivity. PMID:18415122
Fine tuning of cytosolic Ca 2+ oscillations
Dupont, Geneviève; Combettes, Laurent
Ca 2+ oscillations, a widespread mode of cell signaling, were reported in non-excitable cells for the first time more than 25 years ago. Their fundamental mechanism, based on the periodic Ca 2+ exchange between the endoplasmic reticulum and the cytoplasm, has been well characterized. However, how the kinetics of cytosolic Ca 2+ changes are related to the extent of a physiological response remains poorly understood. Here, we review data suggesting that the downstream targets of Ca 2+ are controlled not only by the frequency of Ca 2+ oscillations but also by the detailed characteristics of the oscillations, such as their duration, shape, or baseline level. Involvement of non-endoplasmic reticulum Ca 2+ stores, mainly mitochondria and the extracellular medium, participates in this fine tuning of Ca 2+ oscillations. The main characteristics of the Ca 2+ exchange fluxes with these compartments are also reviewed.
CaMKII regulates intracellular Ca²⁺ dynamics in native endothelial cells.
Toussaint, Fanny; Charbel, Chimène; Blanchette, Alexandre; Ledoux, Jonathan
Localized endothelial Ca(2+) signalling, such as Ca(2+) pulsars, can modulate the contractile state of the underlying vascular smooth muscle cell through specific endothelial targets. In addition to K(Ca)3.1 as a target, Ca(2+) pulsars, an IP3R-dependent pulsatile Ca(2+) release from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) could activate a frequency-sensitive Ca(2+)-dependent kinase such as CaMKII. In the absence of extracellular Ca(2+), acetylcholine increased endothelial CaMKII phosphorylation and activation, thereby suggesting CaMKII activation independently of Ca(2+) influx. Herein, a reciprocal relation where CaMKII controls endothelial Ca(2+) dynamics has been investigated in mesenteric arteries. Both CaMKIIα and β isoforms have been identified in endothelial cells and close proximity (<40 nm) suggests their association in heteromultimers. Intracellular Ca(2+) monitoring with high speed confocal microscopy then showed that inhibition of CaMKII with KN-93 significantly increased the population of Ca(2+) pulsars active sites (+89%), suggesting CaMKII as a major regulator of Ca(2+) pulsars in native endothelium. Mechanistic insights were then sought through the elucidation of the impact of CaMKII on ER Ca(2+) store. ER Ca(2+) emptying was accelerated by CaMKII inhibition and ER Ca(2+) content was assessed using ionomycin. Exposure to KN-93 strongly diminished ER Ca(2+) content (-61%) by relieving CaMKII-dependent inhibition of IP3 receptors (IP3R). Moreover, in situ proximity ligation assay suggested CaMKII-IP3R promiscuity, essential condition for a protein-protein interaction. Interestingly, segregation of IP3R within myoendothelial projection (MEP) appears to be isoform-specific. Hence, only IP3R type 1 and type 2 are detected within fenestrations of the internal elastic lamina, sites of MEP, whilst type 3 is absent from these structures. In summary, CaMKII seems to act as a Ca(2+)-sensitive switch of a negative feedback loop regulating endothelial Ca(2
Potentiation of inositol trisphosphate-induced Ca2+ mobilization in Xenopus oocytes by cytosolic Ca2+.
Yao, Y; Parker, I
1. The ability of cytosolic Ca2+ ions to modulate inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (Insp3)-induced Ca2+ liberation from intracellular stores was studied in Xenopus oocytes using light flash photolysis of caged InsP3. Changes in cytosolic free Ca2+ level were effected by inducing Ca2+ entry through ionophore and voltage-gated plasma membrane channels and by injection of Ca2+ through a micropipette. Their effects on Ca2+ liberation were monitored by video imaging of Fluo-3 fluorescence and by voltage clamp recording of Ca(2+)-activated membrane Cl- currents. 2. Treatment of oocytes with the Ca2+ ionophores A23187 and ionomycin caused a transient elevation of cytosolic Ca2+ level when cells were bathed in Ca(2+)-free solution, which probably arose because of release of Ca2+ from intracellular stores. 3. Membrane current and Fluo-3 Ca2+ signals evoked by photoreleased InsP3 in ionophore-treated oocytes were potentiated when the intracellular Ca2+ level was elevated by raising the Ca2+ level in the bathing solution. 4. Responses to photoreleased InsP3 were similarly potentiated following activation of Ca2+ entry through voltage-gated Ca2+ channels expressed in the plasma membrane. 5. Ca(2+)-activated membrane currents evoked by depolarization developed a delayed 'hump' component during sustained photorelease of InsP3, probably because Ca2+ ions entering through the membrane channels triggered liberation of Ca2+ from intracellular stores. 6. Ba2+ and Sr2+ ions were able to substitute for Ca2+ in potentiating InsP3-mediated Ca2+ liberation. 7. Gradual photorelease of InsP3 by weak photolysis light evoked Ca2+ liberation that began at particular foci and then propagated throughout, but not beyond that area of the oocyte exposed to the light. Local elevations of intracellular Ca2+ produced by microinjection of Ca2+ acted as new foci for the initiation of Ca2+ liberation by InsP3. 8. In resting oocytes, intracellular injections of Ca2+ resulted only in localized elevation of
Autonomous CaMKII requires further stimulation by Ca2+/calmodulin for enhancing synaptic strength
Barcomb, Kelsey; Buard, Isabelle; Coultrap, Steven J.; Kulbe, Jacqueline R.; O'Leary, Heather; Benke, Timothy A.; Bayer, K. Ulrich
A hallmark feature of Ca2+/calmodulin (CaM)-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) is generation of autonomous (Ca2+-independent) activity by T286 autophosphorylation. Biochemical studies have shown that "autonomous" CaMKII is ∼5-fold further stimulated by Ca2+/CaM, but demonstration of a physiological function for such regulation within cells has remained elusive. In this study, CaMKII-induced enhancement of synaptic strength in rat hippocampal neurons required both autonomous activity and further stimulation. Synaptic strength was decreased by CaMKIIα knockdown and rescued by reexpression, but not by mutants impaired for autonomy (T286A) or binding to NMDA-type glutamate receptor subunit 2B (GluN2B; formerly NR2B; I205K). Full rescue was seen with constitutively autonomous mutants (T286D), but only if they could be further stimulated (additional T305/306A mutation), and not with two other mutations that additionally impair Ca2+/CaM binding. Compared to rescue with wild-type CaMKII, the CaM-binding-impaired mutants even had reduced synaptic strength. One of these mutants (T305/306D) mimicked an inhibitory autophosphorylation of CaMKII, whereas the other one (Δstim) abolished CaM binding without introducing charged residues. Inhibitory T305/306 autophosphorylation also reduced GluN2B binding, but this effect was independent of reduced Ca2+/CaM binding and was not mimicked by T305/306D mutation. Thus, even autonomous CaMKII activity must be further stimulated by Ca2+/CaM for enhancement of synaptic strength.—Barcomb, K., Buard, I., Coultrap, S. J., Kulbe, J. R., O'Leary, H., Benke, T. A., Bayer, K. U. Autonomous CaMKII requires further stimulation by Ca2+/calmodulin for enhancing synaptic strength. PMID:24843070
46 CFR 7.125 - Point Vincente, CA to Point Conception, CA.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR
... 46 Shipping 1 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Point Vincente, CA to Point Conception, CA. 7.125 Section 7.125 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY PROCEDURES APPLICABLE TO THE PUBLIC BOUNDARY LINES Pacific Coast § 7.125 Point Vincente, CA to Point Conception, CA. (a) A line drawn...
Distinct Roles for Dorsal CA3 and CA1 in Memory for Sequential Nonspatial Events
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Farovik, Anja; Dupont, Laura M.; Eichenbaum, Howard
Previous studies have suggested that dorsal hippocampal areas CA3 and CA1 are both involved in representing sequences of events that compose unique episodes. However, it is uncertain whether the contribution of CA3 is restricted to spatial information, and it is unclear whether CA1 encodes order per se or contributes by an active maintenance of…
46 CFR 7.130 - Point Conception, CA to Point Sur, CA.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR
... 46 Shipping 1 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Point Conception, CA to Point Sur, CA. 7.130 Section 7... LINES Pacific Coast § 7.130 Point Conception, CA to Point Sur, CA. (a) A line drawn from the southernmost extremity of Fossil Point at longitude 120°43.5′ W. to the seaward extremity of Whaler...
46 CFR 7.130 - Point Conception, CA to Point Sur, CA.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR
... 46 Shipping 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Point Conception, CA to Point Sur, CA. 7.130 Section 7... LINES Pacific Coast § 7.130 Point Conception, CA to Point Sur, CA. (a) A line drawn from the southernmost extremity of Fossil Point at longitude 120°43.5′ W. to the seaward extremity of Whaler...
Expression and Localization of CaBP Ca2+ Binding Proteins in the Mouse Cochlea.
Yang, Tian; Scholl, Elizabeth S; Pan, Ning; Fritzsch, Bernd; Haeseleer, Françoise; Lee, Amy
CaBPs are a family of EF-hand Ca2+ binding proteins that are structurally similar to calmodulin. CaBPs can interact with, and yet differentially modulate, effectors that are regulated by calmodulin, such as Cav1 voltage-gated Ca2+ channels. Immunolabeling studies suggest that multiple CaBP family members (CaBP1, 2, 4, and 5) are expressed in the cochlea. To gain insights into the respective auditory functions of these CaBPs, we characterized the expression and cellular localization of CaBPs in the mouse cochlea. By quantitative reverse transcription PCR, we show that CaBP1 and CaBP2 are the major CaBPs expressed in mouse cochlea both before and after hearing onset. Of the three alternatively spliced variants of CaBP1 (caldendrin, CaBP1-L, and CaBP1-S) and CaBP2 (CaBP2-alt, CaBP2-L, CaBP2-S), caldendrin and CaBP2-alt are the most abundant. By in situ hybridization, probes recognizing caldendrin strongly label the spiral ganglion, while probes designed to recognize all three isoforms of CaBP1 weakly label both the inner and outer hair cells as well as the spiral ganglion. Within the spiral ganglion, caldendrin/CaBP1 labeling is associated with cells resembling satellite glial cells. CaBP2-alt is strongly expressed in inner hair cells both before and after hearing onset. Probes designed to recognize all three variants of CaBP2 strongly label inner hair cells before hearing onset and outer hair cells after the onset of hearing. Thus, CaBP1 and CaBP2 may have overlapping roles in regulating Ca2+ signaling in the hair cells, and CaBP1 may have an additional function in the spiral ganglion. Our findings provide a framework for understanding the role of CaBP family members in the auditory periphery. PMID:26809054
Expression and Localization of CaBP Ca2+ Binding Proteins in the Mouse Cochlea
Pan, Ning; Fritzsch, Bernd; Haeseleer, Françoise; Lee, Amy
CaBPs are a family of EF-hand Ca2+ binding proteins that are structurally similar to calmodulin. CaBPs can interact with, and yet differentially modulate, effectors that are regulated by calmodulin, such as Cav1 voltage-gated Ca2+ channels. Immunolabeling studies suggest that multiple CaBP family members (CaBP1, 2, 4, and 5) are expressed in the cochlea. To gain insights into the respective auditory functions of these CaBPs, we characterized the expression and cellular localization of CaBPs in the mouse cochlea. By quantitative reverse transcription PCR, we show that CaBP1 and CaBP2 are the major CaBPs expressed in mouse cochlea both before and after hearing onset. Of the three alternatively spliced variants of CaBP1 (caldendrin, CaBP1-L, and CaBP1-S) and CaBP2 (CaBP2-alt, CaBP2-L, CaBP2-S), caldendrin and CaBP2-alt are the most abundant. By in situ hybridization, probes recognizing caldendrin strongly label the spiral ganglion, while probes designed to recognize all three isoforms of CaBP1 weakly label both the inner and outer hair cells as well as the spiral ganglion. Within the spiral ganglion, caldendrin/CaBP1 labeling is associated with cells resembling satellite glial cells. CaBP2-alt is strongly expressed in inner hair cells both before and after hearing onset. Probes designed to recognize all three variants of CaBP2 strongly label inner hair cells before hearing onset and outer hair cells after the onset of hearing. Thus, CaBP1 and CaBP2 may have overlapping roles in regulating Ca2+ signaling in the hair cells, and CaBP1 may have an additional function in the spiral ganglion. Our findings provide a framework for understanding the role of CaBP family members in the auditory periphery. PMID:26809054
Levels of CEA, CA153, CA199, CA724 and AFP in nipple discharge of breast cancer patients
Zhao, Song; Mei, Yu; Wang, Yongmei; Zhu, Jiang; Zheng, Guixi; Ma, Rong
The distinction between breast cancer and benign breast diseases with nipple discharge remains an important diagnostic challenge. The purpose of this study was to predict the potential usefulness of tumor markers in nipple discharge and to investigate the relationship of tumor markers and clinical characteristics with breast cancer.One hundred and eleven patients with nipple discharge received breast surgery from November 2013 to December 2014 were included in the study. We evaluated levels of five tumor markers (CEA, CA153, CA199, CA724 and AFP) prior to treatment. Patients were divided into two groups according to postoperative pathological results: 30 cases in breast cancer group and 81 cases in benign group. The relationships of clinical characteristics with breast cancer were investigated by multivariate analysis with a logistic regression model.It showed significant differences in levels of nipple discharge CEA (P < 0.001) and CA153 (P = 0.014), but not CA199 (P = 0.856), CA724 (P = 0.171), AFP (P = 0.834) among two groups. Logistic regression analysis demonstrated complaint, age, menopause, abnormal palpable mass, CEA and CA153 were associated with breast cancer. In summary, measurements of CA199, CA724 and AFP in nipple discharge are not of great clinical value. Detecting CEA and CA153 in nipple dischargecould potentially be used for the early detection of breast cancer with in high-risk populations. PMID:26885008
Voltage-gated Ca2+ entry and ryanodine receptor Ca2+-induced Ca2+ release in preglomerular arterioles.
Fellner, Susan K; Arendshorst, William J
We have previously shown that in afferent arterioles, angiotensin II (ANG II) involves activation of the inositol trisphosphate receptor (IP(3)R), activation of adenine diphosphoribose (ADPR) cyclase, and amplification of the initial IP(3)R-stimulated release of cytosolic Ca(2+) ([Ca(2+)](i)) from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) (Fellner SK, Arendshorst WJ. Am J Physiol Renal Physiol 288: F785-F791, 2004). The response of the ryanodine receptor (RyR) to local increases in [Ca(2+)](i) is defined as calcium-induced calcium release (CICR). To investigate whether Ca(2+) entry via voltage-gated channels (VGCC) can stimulate CICR, we treated fura 2-loaded, freshly isolated afferent arterioles with KCl (40 mM; high KCl). In control arterioles, peak [Ca(2+)](i) increased by 165 +/- 10 nM. Locking the RyR in the closed position with ryanodine (100 microM) inhibited the [Ca(2+)](i) response by 59% (P < 0.01). 8-Br cADPR, a specific blocker of the ability of cyclic ADPR (cADPR) to sensitize the RyR to Ca(2+), caused a 43% inhibition. We suggest that the lower inhibition by 8-Br cADPR (P = 0.02, ryanodine vs. 8-Br cADPR) represents endogenously active ADPR cyclase. Depletion of SR Ca(2+) stores by inhibiting the SR Ca(2+)-ATPase with cyclopiazonic acid or thapsigargin blocked the [Ca(2+)](i) responses to KCl by 51% (P not significant vs. ryanodine or 8-Br cADPR). These data suggest that about half of the increase in [Ca(2+)](i) induced by high KCl is accomplished by activation of CICR through the ability of entered Ca(2+) to expose the RyR to high local concentrations of Ca(2+) and that endogenous cADPR contributes to the process. PMID:17190906
Kinetic Study on Desulfurization of Hot Metal Using CaO and CaC2
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Lindström, David; Sichen, Du
The kinetics and reaction mechanisms of hot metal desulfurization using CaO and CaC2 were studied in a well-controlled atmosphere with a lab scale high temperature furnace. The growths of CaS around CaO and CaC2 were measured and compared at 1773 K (1500 °C). The parabolic rate constant was evaluated to be 5 × 10-7 (cm s-1) on CaO particles, and 2.4 × 10-7 (cm s-1) on CaC2. The bigger parabolic constant of CaO resulted in more efficient desulfurization. Agglomerates and big CaO particles led to 2CaO·SiO2 formation which hindered further utilization of CaO for desulfurization. The 2CaO·SiO2 formation was favoured by a high oxygen potential. Since the desulfurization reaction of CaO not only produced CaS but also oxygen, the local oxygen concentration around big CaO particles was higher than around small particles.
Kinetic Study on Desulfurization of Hot Metal Using CaO and CaC2
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Lindström, David; Sichen, Du
The kinetics and reaction mechanisms of hot metal desulfurization using CaO and CaC2 were studied in a well-controlled atmosphere with a lab scale high temperature furnace. The growths of CaS around CaO and CaC2 were measured and compared at 1773 K (1500 °C). The parabolic rate constant was evaluated to be 5 × 10-7 (cm s-1) on CaO particles, and 2.4 × 10-7 (cm s-1) on CaC2. The bigger parabolic constant of CaO resulted in more efficient desulfurization. Agglomerates and big CaO particles led to 2CaO·SiO2 formation which hindered further utilization of CaO for desulfurization. The 2CaO·SiO2 formation was favoured by a high oxygen potential. Since the desulfurization reaction of CaO not only produced CaS but also oxygen, the local oxygen concentration around big CaO particles was higher than around small particles.
Interplay Between Intracellular Ca(2+) Oscillations and Ca(2+)-stimulated Mitochondrial Metabolism.
Wacquier, Benjamin; Combettes, Laurent; Van Nhieu, Guy Tran; Dupont, Geneviève
Oscillations of cytosolic Ca(2+) concentration are a widespread mode of signalling. Oscillatory spikes rely on repetitive exchanges of Ca(2+) between the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and the cytosol, due to the regulation of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptors. Mitochondria also sequester and release Ca(2+), thus affecting Ca(2+) signalling. Mitochondrial Ca(2+) activates key enzymes involved in ATP synthesis. We propose a new integrative model for Ca(2+) signalling and mitochondrial metabolism in electrically non-excitable cells. The model accounts for (1) the phase relationship of the Ca(2+) changes in the cytosol, the ER and mitochondria, (2) the dynamics of mitochondrial metabolites in response to cytosolic Ca(2+) changes, and (3) the impacts of cytosol/mitochondria Ca(2+) exchanges and of mitochondrial metabolism on Ca(2+) oscillations. Simulations predict that as expected, oscillations are slowed down by decreasing the rate of Ca(2+) efflux from mitochondria, but also by decreasing the rate of Ca(2+) influx through the mitochondrial Ca(2+) uniporter (MCU). These predictions were experimentally validated by inhibiting MCU expression. Despite the highly non-linear character of Ca(2+) dynamics and mitochondrial metabolism, bioenergetics were found to be robust with respect to changes in frequency and amplitude of Ca(2+) oscillations. PMID:26776859
Interplay Between Intracellular Ca2+ Oscillations and Ca2+-stimulated Mitochondrial Metabolism
Wacquier, Benjamin; Combettes, Laurent; Van Nhieu, Guy Tran; Dupont, Geneviève
Oscillations of cytosolic Ca2+ concentration are a widespread mode of signalling. Oscillatory spikes rely on repetitive exchanges of Ca2+ between the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and the cytosol, due to the regulation of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptors. Mitochondria also sequester and release Ca2+, thus affecting Ca2+ signalling. Mitochondrial Ca2+ activates key enzymes involved in ATP synthesis. We propose a new integrative model for Ca2+ signalling and mitochondrial metabolism in electrically non-excitable cells. The model accounts for (1) the phase relationship of the Ca2+ changes in the cytosol, the ER and mitochondria, (2) the dynamics of mitochondrial metabolites in response to cytosolic Ca2+ changes, and (3) the impacts of cytosol/mitochondria Ca2+ exchanges and of mitochondrial metabolism on Ca2+ oscillations. Simulations predict that as expected, oscillations are slowed down by decreasing the rate of Ca2+ efflux from mitochondria, but also by decreasing the rate of Ca2+ influx through the mitochondrial Ca2+ uniporter (MCU). These predictions were experimentally validated by inhibiting MCU expression. Despite the highly non-linear character of Ca2+ dynamics and mitochondrial metabolism, bioenergetics were found to be robust with respect to changes in frequency and amplitude of Ca2+ oscillations. PMID:26776859
Ca isotope cycling in a forested ecosystem
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Holmden, Chris; Bélanger, Nicolas
Reports of large Ca isotope fractionations between trees and soils prompted this study of a Boreal forest ecosystem near La Ronge, Saskatchewan, to improve understanding of this phenomenon. The results on five tree species (black spruce, trembling aspen, white spruce, jack pine, balsam poplar) confirm that nutrient Ca uptake by plants favors the light isotopes, thus driving residual Ca in plant available soil pools towards enrichment in the heavy isotopes. Substantial within-tree fraction occurs in tissues formed along the transpiration stream, with low δ 44Ca values in fine roots (2 mm), intermediate values in stemwood, and high values in foliage. Separation factors between different plant tissues are similar between species, but the initial fractionation step in the tips of the fine roots is species specific, and/or sensitive to the local soil environment. Soil water δ 44Ca values appear to increase with depth to at least 35 cm below the top of the forest floor, which is close to the deepest level of fine roots. The heavy plant fractionated signature of Ca in the finely rooted upper soils filters downward where it is retained on ion exchange sites, leached into groundwater, and discharged into surface waters. The relationship between Ca uptake by tree fine roots and the pattern of δ 44Ca enrichment with soil depth was modeled for two Ca pools: the forest floor (litter) and the underlying (upper B) mineral soil. Six study plots were investigated along two hillside toposequences trending upwards from a first order stream. We used allometric equations describing the Ca distribution in boreal tree species to calculate weighted average δ 44Ca values for the stands in each plot and estimate Ca uptake rates. The δ 44Ca value of precipitation was measured, and soil weathering signatures deduced, by acid leaching of lower B mineral soils. Steady state equations were used to derive a set of model Ca fluxes and fractionation factors for each plot. The model reproduces
Drugs preventing Na+ and Ca2+ overload.
Ravens, U; Himmel, H M
Cardiac intracellular Na+and Ca2+homeostasis is regulated by the concerted action of ion channels, pumps and exchangers. The Na+, K+-ATPase produces the electrochemical concentration gradient for Na+, which is the driving force for Ca2+removal from the cytosol via the Na+/Ca2+exchange. Reduction of this gradient by increased intracellular Na+concentration leads to cellular Ca2+overload resulting in arrhythmias and contractile dysfunction. Na+and Ca2+overload-associated arrhythmias can be produced experimentally by inhibition of Na+efflux (digitalis-induced intoxication) and by abnormal Na+influx via modulated Na+channels (veratridine, DPI 201-106; hypoxia) or via the Na+, H+exchanger. Theoretically, blockers of Na+and Ca2+channels, inhibitors of abnormal oscillatory release of Ca2+from internal stores or modulators of the Na+, Ca2+and Na+, H+exchanger activities could protect against cellular Na+and Ca2+overload. Three exemplary drugs that prevent Na+and Ca2+overload, i.e. the benzothiazolamine R56865, the methylenephenoxydioxy-derivative CP-060S, and the benzoyl-guanidine Hoe 642, a Na+, H+exchange blocker, are briefly reviewed with respect to their efficacy on digitalis-, veratridine- and ischaemia/reperfusion-induced arrhythmias. PMID:10094840
Trace element proxies (Sr/Ca, Ba/Ca and Pb/Ca) in Bivalve shells: environmental signals or not?
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Gillikin, D. P.; Dehairs, F.; Steenmans, D.; Meng, L.; Haifeng, T.; Navez, J.; Andre, L.; Baeyens, W.; Keppens, E.; Calmars Group,.
Coral and sclerosponge skeletons have both been used as recorders of their environment. Sr/Ca, Ba/Ca and Pb/Ca have all shown to be useful in these substrates, giving insight into the past environment in which the skeleton grew (e.g., Lea et al., 1989, Nature 340, 373-376; Beck et al., 1992, Science 257, 644-647; Lazareth et al., 2000, Geology 28, 515-518; Rosenheim et al., 2004, Geology 32, 145-148). Although bivalves have not been studied as extensively as corals, these proxies are apparently not as reliable in bivalves (e.g., Vander Putten et al., 2000, GCA 64, 997-1011). We therefore investigate Sr/Ca and Pb/Ca in two species of aragonitic clams (Mercenaria mercenaria and Saxidomus giganteus) and Ba/Ca in the calcite layer of the mussel Mytilus edulis. Results indicate that Sr/Ca is primarily controlled by growth rate in S. giganteus whereas there was no relationship between these parameters in M. mercenaria. Pb/Ca is somewhat reproducible between specimens of S. giganteus, however long-term Pb/Ca records (1949-2003) in the shell of M. mercenaria did not show the expected curve of anthropogenically introduced lead, indicating that they are not recording environmental Pb concentrations. Therefore, Sr/Ca and Pb/Ca incorporation seem to be regulated by biological processes and not directly by environmental parameters. Ba/Ca in M. edulis shells on the other hand, does seem to be directly linked to the environment. Shells grown under laboratory and natural conditions both show the same linear relationship between dissolved Ba/Ca and shell Ba/Ca. Experiments involving manipulations of dissolved and particulate (i.e. food) Ba/Ca, suggest that the dominant pathway of barium into the shell is from the dissolved phase via the hemolymph. We were unable to explain the large peaks noted in the Ba/Ca profiles, however, they did not seem linked to phytoplankton blooms as has been previously suggested (Stecher et al., 1996, GCA 60, 3445-3456; Vander Putten et al., 2000
Time course of Ca and Ca-dependent K currents during molluscan nerve cell action potentials.
Gola, M; Hussy, N; Crest, M; Ducreux, C
The time courses of Ca and Ca-dependent K currents during Ca-dependent action potentials were obtained by recording the membrane currents produced in response to spike-like voltage clamp pulses before and after selective blockade of channels. The Ca current had a biphasic waveform with a first surge and a late, large entry. The Ca-dependent K(Ca) current onset was relatively fast with a peak occurring at half spike repolarization. The fast activation of the K(Ca) current was consecutive to the first Ca entry. It is concluded that K(Ca) currents constitute a powerful spike repolarization mechanism in addition to the voltage-dependent K currents. PMID:2430243
Topographic specificity of functional connections from hippocampal CA3 to CA1
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Brivanlou, Iman H.; Dantzker, Jami L. M.; Stevens, Charles F.; Callaway, Edward M.
The hippocampus is a cortical region thought to play an important role in learning and memory. Most of our knowledge about the detailed organization of hippocampal circuitry responsible for these functions is derived from anatomical studies. These studies present an incomplete picture, however, because the functional character and importance of connections are often not revealed by anatomy. Here, we used a physiological method (photostimulation with caged glutamate) to probe the fine pattern of functional connectivity between the CA3 and CA1 subfields in the mouse hippocampal slice preparation. We recorded intracellularly from CA1 and CA3 pyramidal neurons while scanning with photostimulation across the entire CA3 subfield with high spatial resolution. Our results show that, at a given septotemporal level, nearby CA1 neurons receive synaptic inputs from neighboring CA3 neurons. Thus, the CA3 to CA1 mapping preserves neighbor relations.
Impact of seawater [Ca2+] on the calcification and calciteMg / Ca of Amphistegina lessonii
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Mewes, A.; Langer, G.; Thoms, S.; Nehrke, G.; Reichart, G.-J.; de Nooijer, L. J.; Bijma, J.
Mg / Ca ratios in foraminiferal tests are routinely used as paleotemperature proxies, but on long timescales, they also hold the potential to reconstruct past seawater Mg / Ca. The impact of both temperature and seawater Mg / Ca on Mg incorporation in Foraminifera has been quantified by a number of studies. The underlying mechanism responsible for Mg incorporation in foraminiferal calcite and its sensitivity to environmental conditions, however, has not been fully identified. A recently published biomineralization model (Nehrke et al., 2013) proposes a combination of transmembrane transport and seawater leakage or vacuolization to link calcite Mg / Ca to seawater Mg / Ca and explains inter-species variability in Mg / Ca ratios. To test the assumptions of this model, we conducted a culture study in which seawater Mg / Ca was manipulated by varying [Ca2+] and keeping [Mg2+] constant. Foraminiferal growth rates, test thickness and calcite Mg / Ca of newly formed chambers were analyzed. Results showed optimum growth rates and test thickness at Mg / Ca closest to that of ambient seawater. Calcite Mg / Ca is positively correlated to seawater Mg / Ca, indicating that it is not absolute seawater [Ca2+] and [Mg2+] but their ratio that controls Mg / Ca in tests. These results demonstrate that the calcification process cannot be based only on seawater vacuolization, supporting the mixing model proposed by Nehrke et al. (2013). Here, however, we suggest transmembrane transport fractionation that is not as strong as suggested by Nehrke et al. (2013).
Dietary calcium deficiency increases Ca2+ uptake and Ca2+ extrusion mechanisms in chick enterocytes.
Centeno, Viviana A; Díaz de Barboza, Gabriela E; Marchionatti, Ana M; Alisio, Arturo E; Dallorso, Maria E; Nasif, Renée; Tolosa de Talamoni, Nori G
Ca2+ uptake and Ca2+ extrusion mechanisms were studied in enterocytes with different degree of differentiation from chicks adapted to a low Ca2+ diet as compared to animals fed a normal diet. Chicks adapted to a low Ca2+ diet presented hypocalcemia, hypophosphatemia and increased serum 1,25(OH)2D3 and Ca2+ absorption. Low Ca2+ diet increased the alkaline phosphatase (AP) activity, independently of the cellular maturation, but it did not alter gamma-glutamyl-transpeptidase activity. Ca2+ uptake, Ca2+-ATPase and Na(+)/Ca2+ exchanger activities and expressions were increased by the mineral-deficient diet either in mature or immature enterocytes. Western blots analysis shows that vitamin D receptor (VDR) expression was much higher in crypt cells than in mature cells. Low Ca2+ diet decreased the number of vitamin D receptor units in both kinds of cells. In conclusion, changes in Ca2+ uptake and Ca2+ extrusion mechanisms in the enterocytes by a low Ca2+ diet appear to be a result of enhanced serum levels of 1,25(OH)2D3, which would promote cellular differentiation producing cells more efficient to express vitamin D dependent genes required for Ca2+ absorption. PMID:15528161
Impact of seawater Ca2+ on the calcification and calcite Mg/Ca of Amphistegina lessonii
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Mewes, A.; Langer, G.; Thoms, S.; Nehrke, G.; Reichart, G.-J.; de Nooijer, L. J.; Bijma, J.
Mg/Ca ratios in foraminiferal tests are routinely used as paleo temperature proxy, but on long timescales, also hold the potential to reconstruct past seawater Mg/Ca. Impact of both temperature and seawater Mg/Ca on Mg incorporation in foraminifera have been quantified by a number of studies. The underlying mechanism responsible for Mg incorporation in foraminiferal calcite and its sensitivity to environmental conditions, however, is not fully identified. A recently published biomineralization model (Nehrke et al., 2013) proposes a combination of transmembrane transport and seawater leakage or vacuolization to link calcite Mg/Ca to seawater Mg/Ca and explains inter-species variability in Mg/Ca ratios. To test the assumptions of this model, we conducted a culture study in which seawater Mg/Ca was manipulated by varying [Ca2+] and keeping [Mg2+] constant. Foraminiferal growth rates, test thickness and calcite Mg/Ca of newly formed chambers were analyzed. Results showed optimum growth rates and test thickness at Mg/Ca closest to that of ambient seawater. Calcite Mg/Ca is positively correlated to seawater Mg/Ca, indicating that not absolute seawater [Ca2+] and [Mg2+], but the telative ratio controls Mg/Ca in tests. These results demonstrate that the calcification process cannot be based only on seawater vacuolization, supporting the mixing model proposed by Nehrke et al. (2013). Here we, however, suggest a transmembrane transport fractionation that is not as strong as suggested by Nehrke et al. (2013).
Ca2+ cycling in heart cells from ground squirrels: adaptive strategies for intracellular Ca2+ homeostasis.
Li, Xiao-Chen; Wei, Ling; Zhang, Guang-Qin; Bai, Zai-Ling; Hu, Ying-Ying; Zhou, Peng; Bai, Shu-Hua; Chai, Zhen; Lakatta, Edward G; Hao, Xue-Mei; Wang, Shi-Qiang
Heart tissues from hibernating mammals, such as ground squirrels, are able to endure hypothermia, hypoxia and other extreme insulting factors that are fatal for human and nonhibernating mammals. This study was designed to understand adaptive mechanisms involved in intracellular Ca(2+) homeostasis in cardiomyocytes from the mammalian hibernator, ground squirrel, compared to rat. Electrophysiological and confocal imaging experiments showed that the voltage-dependence of L-type Ca(2+) current (I(Ca)) was shifted to higher potentials in ventricular myocytes from ground squirrels vs. rats. The elevated threshold of I(Ca) did not compromise the Ca(2+)-induced Ca(2+) release, because a higher depolarization rate and a longer duration of action potential compensated the voltage shift of I(Ca). Both the caffeine-sensitive and caffeine-resistant components of cytosolic Ca(2+) removal were more rapid in ground squirrels. Ca(2+) sparks in ground squirrels exhibited larger amplitude/size and much lower frequency than in rats. Due to the high I(Ca) threshold, low SR Ca(2+) leak and rapid cytosolic Ca(2+) clearance, heart cells from ground squirrels exhibited better capability in maintaining intracellular Ca(2+) homeostasis than those from rats and other nonhibernating mammals. These findings not only reveal adaptive mechanisms of hibernation, but also provide novel strategies against Ca(2+) overload-related heart diseases. PMID:21935466
TMCO1 Is an ER Ca(2+) Load-Activated Ca(2+) Channel.
Wang, Qiao-Chu; Zheng, Qiaoxia; Tan, Haiyan; Zhang, Bing; Li, Xiaoling; Yang, Yuxiu; Yu, Jie; Liu, Yang; Chai, Hao; Wang, Xi; Sun, Zhongshuai; Wang, Jiu-Qiang; Zhu, Shu; Wang, Fengli; Yang, Maojun; Guo, Caixia; Wang, Heng; Zheng, Qingyin; Li, Yang; Chen, Quan; Zhou, Aimin; Tang, Tie-Shan
Maintaining homeostasis of Ca(2+) stores in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is crucial for proper Ca(2+) signaling and key cellular functions. The Ca(2+)-release-activated Ca(2+) (CRAC) channel is responsible for Ca(2+) influx and refilling after store depletion, but how cells cope with excess Ca(2+) when ER stores are overloaded is unclear. We show that TMCO1 is an ER transmembrane protein that actively prevents Ca(2+) stores from overfilling, acting as what we term a "Ca(2+) load-activated Ca(2+) channel" or "CLAC" channel. TMCO1 undergoes reversible homotetramerization in response to ER Ca(2+) overloading and disassembly upon Ca(2+) depletion and forms a Ca(2+)-selective ion channel on giant liposomes. TMCO1 knockout mice reproduce the main clinical features of human cerebrofaciothoracic (CFT) dysplasia spectrum, a developmental disorder linked to TMCO1 dysfunction, and exhibit severe mishandling of ER Ca(2+) in cells. Our findings indicate that TMCO1 provides a protective mechanism to prevent overfilling of ER stores with Ca(2+) ions. PMID:27212239
Allometric constraints on Sr/Ca and Ba/Ca partitioning in terrestrial mammalian trophic chains.
Balter, Vincent
In biological systems, strontium (Sr) and barium (Ba) are two non-essential elements, in comparison to calcium (Ca) which is essential. The Sr/Ca and Ba/Ca ratios tend to decrease in biochemical pathways which include Ca as an essential element, and these processes are termed biopurification of Ca. The quantitative pathway of the biopurification of Ca in relation to Sr and Ba between two biological reservoirs ( Rn and R(n -1)) is measured with an observed ratio (OR) expressed by the (Sr/Ca) Rn /(Sr/Ca)( Rn-1) and (Ba/Ca) Rn /(Ba/Ca)( Rn-1) ratios. For a mammalian organism, during the whole biopurification of Ca starting with the diet to the ultimate reservoir of Ca which is the bone, the mean values for ORSr and ORBa are 0.25 and 0.2, respectively. In this study, published Sr/Ca and Ba/Ca ratios are used for three sets of soils, plants, and bones of herbivorous and carnivorous mammals, each comprising a trophic chain, to illustrate the biopurification of Ca at the level of trophic chains. Calculated ORSr and ORBa of herbivore bones in relation to plants and of bones of carnivores in relation to bones of herbivores give ORSr=0.30+/-0.08 and ORBa=0.16+/-0.08, thus suggesting that trophic chains reflect the Sr/Ca and Ba/Ca fluxes that are prevalent at the level of a mammalian organism. The slopes of the three regression equations of log(Sr/Ca) vs. log(Ba/Ca) are similar, indicating that the process of biopurification of Ca with respect to Sr and Ba is due to biological processes and is independent of the geological settings. Modifications of the logarithmic expression of the Sr/Ca and Ba/Ca relationship allow a new formula of the biopurification process to be deduced, leading to the general equation ORBa=ORSr(1.79+/-0.33), where the allometric coefficient is the mean of the slopes of the three regression equations. Some recent examples are used to illustrate this new analysis of predator-prey relations between mammals. This opens up new possibilities for the
Glutamate excitotoxicity and Ca2+-regulation of respiration: Role of the Ca2+ activated mitochondrial transporters (CaMCs).
Rueda, Carlos B; Llorente-Folch, Irene; Traba, Javier; Amigo, Ignacio; Gonzalez-Sanchez, Paloma; Contreras, Laura; Juaristi, Inés; Martinez-Valero, Paula; Pardo, Beatriz; Del Arco, Araceli; Satrustegui, Jorgina
Glutamate elicits Ca(2+) signals and workloads that regulate neuronal fate both in physiological and pathological circumstances. Oxidative phosphorylation is required in order to respond to the metabolic challenge caused by glutamate. In response to physiological glutamate signals, cytosolic Ca(2+) activates respiration by stimulation of the NADH malate-aspartate shuttle through Ca(2+)-binding to the mitochondrial aspartate/glutamate carrier (Aralar/AGC1/Slc25a12), and by stimulation of adenine nucleotide uptake through Ca(2+) binding to the mitochondrial ATP-Mg/Pi carrier (SCaMC-3/Slc25a23). In addition, after Ca(2+) entry into the matrix through the mitochondrial Ca(2+) uniporter (MCU), it activates mitochondrial dehydrogenases. In response to pathological glutamate stimulation during excitotoxicity, Ca(2+) overload, reactive oxygen species (ROS), mitochondrial dysfunction and delayed Ca(2+) deregulation (DCD) lead to neuronal death. Glutamate-induced respiratory stimulation is rapidly inactivated through a mechanism involving Poly (ADP-ribose) Polymerase-1 (PARP-1) activation, consumption of cytosolic NAD(+), a decrease in matrix ATP and restricted substrate supply. Glutamate-induced Ca(2+)-activation of SCaMC-3 imports adenine nucleotides into mitochondria, counteracting the depletion of matrix ATP and the impaired respiration, while Aralar-dependent lactate metabolism prevents substrate exhaustion. A second mechanism induced by excitotoxic glutamate is permeability transition pore (PTP) opening, which critically depends on ROS production and matrix Ca(2+) entry through the MCU. By increasing matrix content of adenine nucleotides, SCaMC-3 activity protects against glutamate-induced PTP opening and lowers matrix free Ca(2+), resulting in protracted appearance of DCD and protection against excitotoxicity in vitro and in vivo, while the lack of lactate protection during in vivo excitotoxicity explains increased vulnerability to kainite-induced toxicity in Aralar
Exploring the Glycosylation of Serum CA125
Saldova, Radka; Struwe, Weston B.; Wynne, Kieran; Elia, Giuliano; Duffy, Michael J.; Rudd, Pauline M.
Ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynaecologic cancer affecting women. The most widely used biomarker for ovarian cancer, CA125, lacks sensitivity and specificity. Here, we explored differences in glycosylation of CA125 between serum from patients with ovarian cancer and healthy controls. We found differences between CA125 N-glycans from patient sera compared to controls. These include increases in core-fucosylated bi-antennary monosialylated glycans, as well as decreases in mostly bisecting bi-antennary and non-fucosylated glycans in patients compared to controls. Measurement of the glycosylated state of CA125 may therefore provide a more specific biomarker for patients with ovarian cancer. PMID:23896595
Oxidized CaMKII Triggers Atrial Fibrillation
Purohit, Anil; Rokita, Adam G.; Guan, Xiaoqun; Chen, Biyi; Koval, Olha M.; Voigt, Niels; Neef, Stefan; Sowa, Thomas; Gao, Zhan; Luczak, Elizabeth D.; Stefansdottir, Hrafnhildur; Behunin, Andrew C.; Li, Na; El-Accaoui, Ramzi N.; Yang, Baoli; Swaminathan, Paari Dominic; Weiss, Robert M.; Wehrens, Xander H.T.; Song, Long-Sheng; Dobrev, Dobromir; Maier, Lars S.; Anderson, Mark E.
Background Atrial fibrillation is a growing public health problem without adequate therapies. Angiotensin II (Ang II) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) are validated risk factors for atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients, but the molecular pathway(s) connecting ROS and AF is unknown. The Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) has recently emerged as a ROS activated proarrhythmic signal, so we hypothesized that oxidized CaMKIIδ(ox-CaMKII) could contribute to AF. Methods and Results We found ox-CaMKII was increased in atria from AF patients compared to patients in sinus rhythm and from mice infused with Ang II compared with saline. Ang II treated mice had increased susceptibility to AF compared to saline treated WT mice, establishing Ang II as a risk factor for AF in mice. Knock in mice lacking critical oxidation sites in CaMKIIδ (MM-VV) and mice with myocardial-restricted transgenic over-expression of methionine sulfoxide reductase A (MsrA TG), an enzyme that reduces ox-CaMKII, were resistant to AF induction after Ang II infusion. Conclusions Our studies suggest that CaMKII is a molecular signal that couples increased ROS with AF and that therapeutic strategies to decrease ox-CaMKII may prevent or reduce AF. PMID:24030498
The State of the Ca Isotope Proxy
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Fantle, M. S.; Tipper, E.
At the Earth's surface, Ca is a critical element at a variety of scales. It is both a biological nutrient and water-soluble, and is a major constituent of the dominant mineral sink for carbon in the ocean. Additionally, the 5‰ range in the stable isotope ratios of Ca (44Ca/40Ca) suggests that Ca isotopes may be a promising tracer of the Ca cycle, specifically the oceanic budget over time. Despite ~15 years of concentrated effort on high-precision Ca isotope measurements, the utility of Ca isotopes as a proxy remains far from clear. A variety of basic questions have yet to be resolved, both in the marine and terrestrial realms. To provide perspective, the current work presents a data compilation of over 60 published Ca isotope studies. The compilation includes δ44/40CaSRM-915a measurements of the modern Ca cycle, including rivers and groundwater, dust, soils and soil pore fluids, vegetation, rainwater, silicate minerals/rocks, and marine carbonates. The focus of this work is to quantify the leverage of inputs to change the isotopic composition of the ocean. One of the tenets of the weathering proxy is that there is little isotopic leverage to change seawater. If this assumption is valid, then significant variations in the isotopic composition of seawater can be explained to some extent by mass flux imbalances between Ca inputs and outputs, requiring the Ca cycle to be out of steady state for significant periods of time. Despite evidence that Ca fractionates in the modern system during continental cycling, the δ44Ca range of riverine inputs to the ocean is very narrow (especially when compared to the spread in marine carbonates). Thus, there appears to be minimal isotopic leverage amongst inputs to shift the ocean δ44Ca. In order to develop our understanding of the Ca isotope proxy, we identify two probable mechanisms for shifting ocean δ44Ca and evaluate them using a series of simple box models. In the terrestrial realm, plants exhibit a wide range of �
Ca2+ influx into lily pollen grains through a hyperpolarization-activated Ca2+-permeable channel which can be regulated by extracellular CaM.
Shang, Zhong-lin; Ma, Li-geng; Zhang, Hai-lin; He, Rui-rong; Wang, Xue-chen; Cui, Su-juan; Sun, Da-ye
Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and whole-cell patch-clamp were used to investigate the role of Ca2+ influx in maintaining the cytosolic Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]c) and the features of the Ca2+ influx pathway in germinating pollen grains of Lilium davidii D. [Ca2+]c decreased when Ca2+ influx was inhibited by EGTA or Ca2+ channel blockers. A hyperpolarization-activated Ca2+-permeable channel, which can be suppressed by trivalent cations, verapamil, nifedipine or diltiazem, was identified on the plasma membrane of pollen protoplasts with whole-cell patch-clamp recording. Calmodulin (CaM) antiserum and W7-agarose, both of which are cell-impermeable CaM antagonists, lead to a [Ca2+]c decrease, while exogenous purified CaM triggers a transient increase of [Ca2+]c and also remarkably activated the hyperpolarization-activated Ca2+ conductance on plasma membrane of pollen protoplasts in a dose-dependent manner. Both the increase of [Ca2+]c and the activation of Ca2+ conductance which were induced by exogenous CaM were inhibited by EGTA or Ca2+ channel blockers. This primary evidence showed the presence of a voltage-dependent Ca2+-permeable channel, whose activity may be regulated by extracellular CaM, in pollen cells. PMID:15695439
Extrapolating microdomain Ca2+ dynamics using BK channels as a Ca2+ sensor
Hou, Panpan; Xiao, Feng; Liu, Haowen; Yuchi, Ming; Zhang, Guohui; Wu, Ying; Wang, Wei; Zeng, Wenping; Ding, Mingyue; Cui, Jianming; Wu, Zhengxing; Wang, Lu-Yang; Ding, Jiuping
Ca2+ ions play crucial roles in mediating physiological and pathophysiological processes, yet Ca2+ dynamics local to the Ca2+ source, either from influx via calcium permeable ion channels on plasmic membrane or release from internal Ca2+ stores, is difficult to delineate. Large-conductance calcium-activated K+ (BK-type) channels, abundantly distribute in excitable cells and often localize to the proximity of voltage-gated Ca2+ channels (VGCCs), spatially enabling the coupling of the intracellular Ca2+ signal to the channel gating to regulate membrane excitability and spike firing patterns. Here we utilized the sensitivity and dynamic range of BK to explore non-uniform Ca2+ local transients in the microdomain of VGCCs. Accordingly, we applied flash photolysis of caged Ca2+ to activate BK channels and determine their intrinsic sensitivity to Ca2+. We found that uncaging Ca2+ activated biphasic BK currents with fast and slow components (time constants being τf ≈ 0.2 ms and τs ≈ 10 ms), which can be accounted for by biphasic Ca2+ transients following light photolysis. We estimated the Ca2+-binding rate constant kb (≈1.8 × 108 M−1s−1) for mSlo1 and further developed a model in which BK channels act as a calcium sensor capable of quantitatively predicting local microdomain Ca2+ transients in the vicinity of VGCCs during action potentials. PMID:26776352
EMRE is a Matrix Ca2+ Sensor that Governs Gatekeeping of the Mitochondrial Ca2+ Uniporter
Vais, Horia; Mallilankaraman, Karthik; Mak, Don-On Daniel; Hoff, Henry; Payne, Riley; Tanis, Jessica; Foskett, J. Kevin
SUMMARY The mitochondrial uniporter (MCU) is an ion channel that mediates Ca2+ uptake into the matrix to regulate metabolism, cell death and cytoplasmic Ca2+ signaling. Matrix Ca2+ concentration is similar to that in cytoplasm, despite an enormous driving force for entry, but the mechanisms that prevent mitochondrial Ca2+ overload are unclear. Here, we show that MCU channel activity is governed by matrix Ca2+ concentration through EMRE. Deletion or charge neutralization of its matrix-localized acidic carboxyl terminus abolishes matrix Ca2+ inhibition of MCU Ca2+ currents, resulting in MCU channel activation, enhanced mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake and constitutively elevated matrix Ca2+ concentration. EMRE-dependent regulation of MCU channel activity requires intermembrane space-localized MICU1, MICU2 and cytoplasmic Ca2+. Thus, mitochondria are protected from Ca2+ depletion and Ca2+ overload by a unique molecular complex that involves Ca2+ sensors on both sides of the inner mitochondrial membrane, coupled through EMRE. PMID:26774479
Extrapolating microdomain Ca(2+) dynamics using BK channels as a Ca(2+) sensor.
Hou, Panpan; Xiao, Feng; Liu, Haowen; Yuchi, Ming; Zhang, Guohui; Wu, Ying; Wang, Wei; Zeng, Wenping; Ding, Mingyue; Cui, Jianming; Wu, Zhengxing; Wang, Lu-Yang; Ding, Jiuping
Ca(2+) ions play crucial roles in mediating physiological and pathophysiological processes, yet Ca(2+) dynamics local to the Ca(2+) source, either from influx via calcium permeable ion channels on plasmic membrane or release from internal Ca(2+) stores, is difficult to delineate. Large-conductance calcium-activated K(+) (BK-type) channels, abundantly distribute in excitable cells and often localize to the proximity of voltage-gated Ca(2+) channels (VGCCs), spatially enabling the coupling of the intracellular Ca(2+) signal to the channel gating to regulate membrane excitability and spike firing patterns. Here we utilized the sensitivity and dynamic range of BK to explore non-uniform Ca(2+) local transients in the microdomain of VGCCs. Accordingly, we applied flash photolysis of caged Ca(2+) to activate BK channels and determine their intrinsic sensitivity to Ca(2+). We found that uncaging Ca(2+) activated biphasic BK currents with fast and slow components (time constants being τf ≈ 0.2 ms and τs ≈ 10 ms), which can be accounted for by biphasic Ca(2+) transients following light photolysis. We estimated the Ca(2+)-binding rate constant kb (≈1.8 × 10(8) M(-1) s(-1)) for mSlo1 and further developed a model in which BK channels act as a calcium sensor capable of quantitatively predicting local microdomain Ca(2+) transients in the vicinity of VGCCs during action potentials. PMID:26776352
Topography of Place Maps along the CA3-to-CA2 Axis of the Hippocampus.
Lu, Li; Igarashi, Kei M; Witter, Menno P; Moser, Edvard I; Moser, May-Britt
We asked whether the structural heterogeneity of the hippocampal CA3-CA2 axis is reflected in how space is mapped onto place cells in CA3-CA2. Place fields were smaller and sharper in proximal CA3 than in distal CA3 and CA2. The proximodistal shift was accompanied by a progressive loss in the ability of place cells to distinguish configurations of the same spatial environment, as well as a reduction in the extent to which place cells formed uncorrelated representations for different environments. The transition to similar representations was nonlinear, with the sharpest drop in distal CA3. These functional changes along the CA3-CA2 axis mirror gradients in gene expression and connectivity that partly override cytoarchitectonic boundaries between the subfields of the hippocampus. The results point to the CA3-CA2 axis as a functionally graded system with powerful pattern separation at the proximal end, near the dentate gyrus, and stronger pattern completion at the CA2 end. PMID:26298277
EMRE Is a Matrix Ca(2+) Sensor that Governs Gatekeeping of the Mitochondrial Ca(2+) Uniporter.
Vais, Horia; Mallilankaraman, Karthik; Mak, Don-On Daniel; Hoff, Henry; Payne, Riley; Tanis, Jessica E; Foskett, J Kevin
The mitochondrial uniporter (MCU) is an ion channel that mediates Ca(2+) uptake into the matrix to regulate metabolism, cell death, and cytoplasmic Ca(2+) signaling. Matrix Ca(2+) concentration is similar to that in cytoplasm, despite an enormous driving force for entry, but the mechanisms that prevent mitochondrial Ca(2+) overload are unclear. Here, we show that MCU channel activity is governed by matrix Ca(2+) concentration through EMRE. Deletion or charge neutralization of its matrix-localized acidic C terminus abolishes matrix Ca(2+) inhibition of MCU Ca(2+) currents, resulting in MCU channel activation, enhanced mitochondrial Ca(2+) uptake, and constitutively elevated matrix Ca(2+) concentration. EMRE-dependent regulation of MCU channel activity requires intermembrane space-localized MICU1, MICU2, and cytoplasmic Ca(2+). Thus, mitochondria are protected from Ca(2+) depletion and Ca(2+) overload by a unique molecular complex that involves Ca(2+) sensors on both sides of the inner mitochondrial membrane, coupled through EMRE. PMID:26774479
Biphasic decay of the Ca transient results from increased sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca leak
Sankaranarayanan, Rajiv; Li, Yatong; Greensmith, David J.; Eisner, David A.
Key points Ca leak from the sarcoplasmic reticulum through the ryanodine receptor (RyR) reduces the amplitude of the Ca transient and slows its rate of decay.In the presence of β‐adrenergic stimulation, RyR‐mediated Ca leak produces a biphasic decay of the Ca transient with a fast early phase and a slow late phase.Two forms of Ca leak have been studied, Ca‐sensitising (induced by caffeine) and non‐sensitising (induced by ryanodine) and both induce biphasic decay of the Ca transient.Only Ca‐sensitising leak can be reversed by traditional RyR inhibitors such as tetracaine.Ca leak can also induce Ca waves. At low levels of leak, waves occur. As leak is increased, first biphasic decay and then slowed monophasic decay is seen. The level of leak has major effects on the shape of the Ca transient. Abstract In heart failure, a reduction in Ca transient amplitude and contractile dysfunction can by caused by Ca leak through the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca channel (ryanodine receptor, RyR) and/or decreased activity of the SR Ca ATPase (SERCA). We have characterised the effects of two forms of Ca leak (Ca‐sensitising and non‐sensitising) on calcium cycling and compared with those of SERCA inhibition. We measured [Ca2+]i with fluo‐3 in voltage‐clamped rat ventricular myocytes. Increasing SR leak with either caffeine (to sensitise the RyR to Ca activation) or ryanodine (non‐sensitising) had similar effects to SERCA inhibition: decreased systolic [Ca2+]i, increased diastolic [Ca2+]i and slowed decay. However, in the presence of isoproterenol, leak produced a biphasic decay of the Ca transient in the majority of cells while SERCA inhibition produced monophasic decay. Tetracaine reversed the effects of caffeine but not of ryanodine. When caffeine (1 mmol l−1) was added to a cell which displayed Ca waves, the wave frequency initially increased before waves disappeared and biphasic decay developed. Eventually (at higher caffeine concentrations), the
Effects of Mg2+ on Ca2+ waves and Ca2+ transients of rat ventricular myocytes.
Terada, H; Hayashi, H; Noda, N; Satoh, H; Katoh, H; Yamazaki, N
It has been shown that the occurrence of the transient inward current, which is responsible for triggered activity, was often associated with propagating regions of increased intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i), i.e., the "Ca2+ wave." To investigate the mechanism of antiarrhythmic action of Mg2+, we have studied effects of high concentrations of Mg2+ on Ca2+ waves in isolated rat ventricular myocytes. [Ca2+]i was estimated using the Ca(2+)-indicating probe indo 1. Ca2+ waves in myocytes, stimulated at 0.2 Hz, were induced by perfusion of isoproterenol (10(-7) M). High Mg2+ concentration suppressed Ca2+ waves in a concentration-dependent manner (36% at 4 mM, 70% at 8 mM, and 82% at 12 mM). The Ca2+ channel blocker verapamil also suppressed Ca2+ waves in a similar way. In contrast with marked depression of Ca2+ transients by verapamil, Ca2+ transients were not affected by high Mg2+ concentration (8 mM). High Mg2+ concentration also reduced frequencies of Ca2+ waves in the absence of electrical stimulation, whereas verapamil failed to reduce frequencies of Ca2+ waves. Reduction in frequency of Ca2+ waves by high Mg2+ concentration was associated with slowing of propagation velocity of Ca2+ waves. To examine whether suppressive effects of high Mg2+ concentration on Ca2+ waves were related to an increase in intracellular Mg2+ concentration ([Mg2+]i), the effect of high-Mg2+ solution on [Mg2+]i was examined in myocytes loaded with mag-fura 2. An increase in extracellular Mg2+ concentration from 1 to 12 mM increased [Mg2+]i from 1.06 +/- 0.16 to 1.87 +/- 0.22 mM (P < 0.01) in 30 min. To examine the effect of high Mg2+ concentration on amount of releasable Ca2+ in the sarcoplasmic reticulum, the effect of high Mg2+ concentration on the Ca2+ transient induced by a rapid application of caffeine was examined. High-Mg2+ solution increased the peak of the caffeine-induced Ca2+ transient. These results suggest that the inhibitory effect of Mg2+ on Ca2+ waves was not due
Ca2+-regulated structural changes in troponin
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Vinogradova, Maia V.; Stone, Deborah B.; Malanina, Galina G.; Karatzaferi, Christina; Cooke, Roger; Mendelson, Robert A.; Fletterick, Robert J.
Troponin senses Ca2+ to regulate contraction in striated muscle. Structures of skeletal muscle troponin composed of TnC (the sensor), TnI (the regulator), and TnT (the link to the muscle thin filament) have been determined. The structure of troponin in the Ca2+-activated state features a nearly twofold symmetrical assembly of TnI and TnT subunits penetrated asymmetrically by the dumbbell-shaped TnC subunit. Ca ions are thought to regulate contraction by controlling the presentation to and withdrawal of the TnI inhibitory segment from the thin filament. Here, we show that the rigid central helix of the sensor binds the inhibitory segment of TnI in the Ca2+-activated state. Comparison of crystal structures of troponin in the Ca2+-activated state at 3.0 Å resolution and in the Ca2+-free state at 7.0 Å resolution shows that the long framework helices of TnI and TnT, presumed to be a Ca2+-independent structural domain of troponin are unchanged. Loss of Ca ions causes the rigid central helix of the sensor to collapse and to release the inhibitory segment of TnI. The inhibitory segment of TnI changes conformation from an extended loop in the presence of Ca2+ to a short -helix in its absence. We also show that Anapoe, a detergent molecule, increases the contractile force of muscle fibers and binds specifically, together with the TnI switch helix, in a hydrophobic pocket of TnC upon activation by Ca ions. Ca | muscle | regulation | structure
Basal Ca2+ and the oscillation of Ca2+ in caffeine-treated bullfrog sympathetic neurones.
Nohmi, M; Hua, S Y; Kuba, K
1. Effects of caffeine on the intracellular free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) in single bullfrog sympathetic neurones in excised tissue were studied by recording Fura-2 fluorescence excited at 340, 361 or 380 nm and taking their ratios (R340/380 or R361/380). 2. Caffeine (3-10 mM) produced oscillation of [Ca2+]i and an 'apparent' decrease in the basal level of [Ca2+]i during a period between phasic rises. The mechanism of the latter effect was analysed in relation to the mechanism of the former. 3. Caffeine (3-10 mM) increased Fura-2 fluorescence in a range of excitation wavelength from 330 to 390 nm. The ratios of fluorescences, R340/380 and R361/380, however, were not significantly affected by caffeine. These results suggest that the 'apparent' reduction in the basal [Ca2+]i seen as a decrease in R340/380 or R361/380 results from a true decrease in [Ca2+]i. 4. Caffeine-induced decrease in [Ca2+]i persisted for every period between phasic rises of [Ca2+]i during [Ca2+]i oscillation, and after the blockade of [Ca2+]i oscillation by ryanodine. The decrease in the latter condition lasted for more than 20 min. 5. The decrease in the basal [Ca2+]i depended on the external Ca2+ concentration and was not mimicked by the action of cyclic nucleotides. 6. Possible mechanisms underlying the decrease in the basal [Ca2+]i produced by caffeine (effects on Ca2+ transport at the cell or Ca(2+)-storing organelle membrane) and their significance in relation to the [Ca2+]i oscillation were discussed. PMID:1432716
Coupled Ca2+/H+ transport by cytoplasmic buffers regulates local Ca2+ and H+ ion signaling.
Swietach, Pawel; Youm, Jae-Boum; Saegusa, Noriko; Leem, Chae-Hun; Spitzer, Kenneth W; Vaughan-Jones, Richard D
Ca(2+) signaling regulates cell function. This is subject to modulation by H(+) ions that are universal end-products of metabolism. Due to slow diffusion and common buffers, changes in cytoplasmic [Ca(2+)] ([Ca(2+)]i) or [H(+)] ([H(+)]i) can become compartmentalized, leading potentially to complex spatial Ca(2+)/H(+) coupling. This was studied by fluorescence imaging of cardiac myocytes. An increase in [H(+)]i, produced by superfusion of acetate (salt of membrane-permeant weak acid), evoked a [Ca(2+)]i rise, independent of sarcolemmal Ca(2+) influx or release from mitochondria, sarcoplasmic reticulum, or acidic stores. Photolytic H(+) uncaging from 2-nitrobenzaldehyde also raised [Ca(2+)]i, and the yield was reduced following inhibition of glycolysis or mitochondrial respiration. H(+) uncaging into buffer mixtures in vitro demonstrated that Ca(2+) unloading from proteins, histidyl dipeptides (HDPs; e.g., carnosine), and ATP can underlie the H(+)-evoked [Ca(2+)]i rise. Raising [H(+)]i tonically at one end of a myocyte evoked a local [Ca(2+)]i rise in the acidic microdomain, which did not dissipate. The result is consistent with uphill Ca(2+) transport into the acidic zone via Ca(2+)/H(+) exchange on diffusible HDPs and ATP molecules, energized by the [H(+)]i gradient. Ca(2+) recruitment to a localized acid microdomain was greatly reduced during intracellular Mg(2+) overload or by ATP depletion, maneuvers that reduce the Ca(2+)-carrying capacity of HDPs. Cytoplasmic HDPs and ATP underlie spatial Ca(2+)/H(+) coupling in the cardiac myocyte by providing ion exchange and transport on common buffer sites. Given the abundance of cellular HDPs and ATP, spatial Ca(2+)/H(+) coupling is likely to be of general importance in cell signaling. PMID:23676270
By Regulating Mitochondrial Ca2+-Uptake UCP2 Modulates Intracellular Ca2+
Gebing, Tina; Reda, Sara; Schwaiger, Astrid; Leitner, Johannes; Wolny, Martin; Eckardt, Lars; Hoppe, Uta C.
Introduction The possible role of UCP2 in modulating mitochondrial Ca2+-uptake (mCa2+-uptake) via the mitochondrial calcium uniporter (MCU) is highly controversial. Methods Thus, we analyzed mCa2+-uptake in isolated cardiac mitochondria, MCU single-channel activity in cardiac mitoplasts, dual Ca2+-transients from mitochondrial ((Ca2+)m) and intracellular compartment ((Ca2+)c) in the whole-cell configuration in cardiomyocytes of wild-type (WT) and UCP2-/- mice. Results Isolated mitochondria showed a Ru360 sensitive mCa2+-uptake, which was significantly decreased in UCP2-/- (229.4±30.8 FU vs. 146.3±23.4 FU, P<0.05). Single-channel registrations confirmed a Ru360 sensitive voltage-gated Ca2+-channel in mitoplasts, i.e. mCa1, showing a reduced single-channel activity in UCP2-/- (Po,total: 0.34±0.05% vs. 0.07±0.01%, P<0.05). In UCP2-/- cardiomyocytes (Ca2+)m was decreased (0.050±0.009 FU vs. 0.021±0.005 FU, P<0.05) while (Ca2+)c was unchanged (0.032±0.002 FU vs. 0.028±0.004 FU, P>0.05) and transsarcolemmal Ca2+-influx was inhibited suggesting a possible compensatory mechanism. Additionally, we observed an inhibitory effect of ATP on mCa2+-uptake in WT mitoplasts and (Ca2+)m of cardiomyocytes leading to an increase of (Ca2+)c while no ATP dependent effect was observed in UCP2-/-. Conclusion Our results indicate regulatory effects of UCP2 on mCa2+-uptake. Furthermore, we propose, that previously described inhibitory effects on MCU by ATP may be mediated via UCP2 resulting in changes of excitation contraction coupling. PMID:26849136
CA-MRSA. The new sports pathogen.
Kurkowski, Christina
Skin infections in athletes caused by community-associated Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) have been observed within many cities throughout the United States and within many countries throughout the world (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2003). As the incidence rises in the athletic population, clinicians must learn to identify risk factors for CA-MRSA, diagnosis and treat infections with judicious use of antimicrobial agents and facilitate strategies to limit transmission. Recently, a new consensus guideline for handling CA-MRSA outbreaks in sports has been released by the CDC (Gorwitz et al., 2006). This article includes a review of the evolution of MRSA; distinguishes between healthcare associated Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (HA-MRSA) and CA-MRSA; and reviews the diagnosis, management, and prevention strategies to limit transmission of CA-MRSA. PMID:17921891
Ca-Dependent Folding of Human Calumenin
Mazzorana, Marco; Hussain, Rohanah; Sorensen, Thomas
Human calumenin (hCALU) is a six EF-hand protein belonging to the CREC family. As other members of the family, it is localized in the secretory pathway and regulates the activity of SERCA2a and of the ryanodine receptor in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). We have studied the effects of Ca2+ binding to the protein and found it to attain a more compact structure upon ion binding. Circular Dichroism (CD) measurements suggest a major rearrangement of the protein secondary structure, which reversibly switches from disordered at low Ca2+ concentrations to predominantly alpha-helical when Ca2+ is added. SAXS experiments confirm the transition from an unfolded to a compact structure, which matches the structural prediction of a trilobal fold. Overall our experiments suggest that calumenin is a Ca2+ sensor, which folds into a compact structure, capable of interacting with its molecular partners, when Ca2+ concentration within the ER reaches the millimolar range. PMID:26991433
Ppp2ca knockout in mice spermatogenesis.
Pan, Xiaoyun; Chen, Xia; Tong, Xin; Tang, Chao; Li, Jianmin
Protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) is a ubiquitous serine/threonine phosphatase involved in meiosis, mitosis, sperm capacitation, and apoptosis. Abberant activity of PP2A has been associated with a number of diseases. The homolog PPP2CA and PPP2CB can each function as the phosphatase catalytic subunit generally referred to as PP2AC. We generated a Ppp2ca conditional knockout (CKO) in C57BL/6J mice. Exon 2 of Ppp2ca was knocked out in a spatial or temporal-specific manner in primordial germ cells at E12.5. This Ppp2ca-null mutation caused infertility in male C57BL/6J mice. These CKO mice provide a powerful tool to study the mechanisms of Ppp2ca in development and disease. PMID:25628439
The role of luminal Ca2+ in the generation of Ca2+ waves in rat ventricular myocytes
Lukyanenko, Valeriy; Subramanian, Saisunder; Györke, Inna; Wiesner, Theodore F; Györke, Sandor
We used confocal Ca2+ imaging and fluo-3 to investigate the transition of localized Ca2+ releases induced by focal caffeine stimulation into propagating Ca2+ waves in isolated rat ventricular myocytes. Self-sustaining Ca2+ waves could be initiated when the cellular Ca2+ load was increased by elevating the extracellular [Ca2+] ([Ca2+]o) and they could also be initiated at normal Ca2+ loads when the sensitivity of the release sites to cytosolic Ca2+ was enhanced by low doses of caffeine. When we prevented the accumulation of extra Ca2+ in the luminal compartment of the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) with thapsigargin, focal caffeine pulses failed to trigger self-sustaining Ca2+ waves on elevation of [Ca2+]o. Inhibition of SR Ca2+ uptake by thapsigargin in cells already preloaded with Ca2+ above normal levels did not prevent local Ca2+ elevations from triggering propagating waves. Moreover, wave velocity increased by 20 %. Tetracaine (0·75 mM) caused transient complete inhibition of both local and propagating Ca2+ signals, followed by full recovery of the responses due to increased SR Ca2+ accumulation. Computer simulations using a numerical model with spatially distinct Ca2+ release sites suggested that increased amounts of releasable Ca2+ might not be sufficient to generate self-sustaining Ca2+ waves under conditions of Ca2+ overload unless the threshold of release site Ca2+ activation was set at relatively low levels (< 1·5 μM). We conclude that the potentiation of SR Ca2+ release channels by luminal Ca2+ is an important factor in Ca2+ wave generation. Wave propagation does not require the translocation of Ca2+ from the spreading wave front into the SR. Instead, it relies on luminal Ca2+ sensitizing Ca2+ release channels to cytosolic Ca2+. PMID:10373699
Main determinants of presynaptic Ca2+ dynamics at individual mossy fiber - CA3 pyramidal cell synapses
Scott, Ricardo; Rusakov, Dmitri A.
Synaptic transmission between hippocampal mossy fibers (MFs) and CA3 pyramidal cells exhibits remarkable use-dependent plasticity. The underlying presynaptic mechanisms, however, remain poorly understood. Here we have used fluorescent Ca2+ indicators Fluo-4, Fluo-5F and Oregon Green BAPTA-1 to investigate Ca2+ dynamics in individual giant MF boutons (MFBs) in area CA3 traced from the somata of granule cells held in whole-cell mode. In an individual MFB, a single action potential induces a brief peak of free Ca2+ (estimated in the range of 8-9 μM) followed by an elevation to ~320 nM which slowly decays to its resting level of ~110 nM. Changes in the somatic membrane potential influence presynaptic Ca2+ entry at proximal MFBs in the hilus. This influence decays with distance along the axon, with a length constant of approximately 200 μm. In giant MFBs in CA3, progressive saturation of endogenous Ca2+ buffers during repetitive spiking amplifies rapid Ca2+ peaks and the residual Ca2+ several-fold, suggesting a causal link to synaptic facilitation. We find that internal Ca2+ stores contribute to maintaining the low resting Ca2+ providing ~22% of the buffering/extrusion capacity of giant MFBs. Rapid Ca2+ release from stores represents up to 20% of the presynaptic Ca2+ transient evoked by a brief train of action potentials. The results identify the main components of presynaptic Ca2+ dynamics at this important cortical synapse. PMID:16807336
Isospin effects in 40,48Ca+40,48Ca collisions
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Henzl, V.; Henzlova, D.; Kilburn, M.; Verde, G.; Brown, D.; Chbihi, A.; Coupland, D.; Elson, J.; Famiano, M.; Herlitzius, C.; Hudan, S.; Lee, J.; Lukyanov, S.; Lynch, W.; Rogers, A.; Sanetullaev, A.; Sobotka, L.; de Souza, R. T.; Sun, Z. Y.; Tsang, B.; Wallace, M.; Xu, K.; Youngs, M.
The isospin dependence of two proton correlations is studied in 40Ca+40Ca and 48Ca+48Ca collisions at E/A=80MeV. Measurements were performed with the HiRA detector array complemented by the 4π Ball at NSCL. We observe a strong isospin dependence of the pp-correlation functions; however the emitting source radius extracted using the imaging technique yields no sensitivity to the isospin of the reaction system. We interpret this result as a consequence of smaller fraction of fast proton emission in the neutron rich 48Ca system.
Fusion hindrance for Ca+Ca systems: Influence of neutron excess
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Jiang, C. L.; Stefanini, A. M.; Esbensen, H.; Rehm, K. E.; Corradi, L.; Fioretto, E.; Mason, P.; Montagnoli, G.; Scarlassara, F.; Silvestri, R.; Singh, P. P.; Szilner, S.; Tang, X. D.; Ur, C. A.
The measurement of the excitation function for fusion evaporation reactions in the system Ca40+Ca48 (Q= 4.56 MeV) has been extended downward by two orders of magnitude with respect to previous cross section data. A first indication of an S-factor maximum in a system with a positive Q value has been observed. In addition a correlation between fusion hindrance and neutron excess N-Z has been found for the Ca + Ca, Ni + Ni, and Ca + Zr systems.
Na+/Ca2+ exchangers: three mammalian gene families control Ca2+ transport.
Lytton, Jonathan
Mammalian Na+/Ca2+ exchangers are members of three branches of a much larger family of transport proteins [the CaCA (Ca2+/cation antiporter) superfamily] whose main role is to provide control of Ca2+ flux across the plasma membranes or intracellular compartments. Since cytosolic levels of Ca2+ are much lower than those found extracellularly or in sequestered stores, the major function of Na+/Ca2+ exchangers is to extrude Ca2+ from the cytoplasm. The exchangers are, however, fully reversible and thus, under special conditions of subcellular localization and compartmentalized ion gradients, Na+/Ca2+ exchangers may allow Ca2+ entry and may play more specialized roles in Ca2+ movement between compartments. The NCX (Na+/Ca2+ exchanger) [SLC (solute carrier) 8] branch of Na+/Ca2+ exchangers comprises three members: NCX1 has been most extensively studied, and is broadly expressed with particular abundance in heart, brain and kidney, NCX2 is expressed in brain, and NCX3 is expressed in brain and skeletal muscle. The NCX proteins subserve a variety of roles, depending upon the site of expression. These include cardiac excitation-contraction coupling, neuronal signalling and Ca2+ reabsorption in the kidney. The NCKX (Na2+/Ca2+-K+ exchanger) (SLC24) branch of Na+/Ca2+ exchangers transport K+ and Ca2+ in exchange for Na+, and comprises five members: NCKX1 is expressed in retinal rod photoreceptors, NCKX2 is expressed in cone photoreceptors and in neurons throughout the brain, NCKX3 and NCKX4 are abundant in brain, but have a broader tissue distribution, and NCKX5 is expressed in skin, retinal epithelium and brain. The NCKX proteins probably play a particularly prominent role in regulating Ca2+ flux in environments which experience wide and frequent fluctuations in Na+ concentration. Until recently, the range of functions that NCKX proteins play was generally underappreciated. This situation is now changing rapidly as evidence emerges for roles including photoreceptor
Ca2+ microdomains near plasma membrane Ca2+ channels: impact on cell function.
Parekh, Anant B
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. PMID:18467365
Ca Cycle Constraints from the Ca Isotope Composition of Precambrian Sedimentary Carbonates
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Blättler, C. L.; Higgins, J. A.
The geochemical cycle of Ca in seawater is relatively straightforward - Ca is ultimately sourced from the weathering of silicates and largely removed as carbonates. Most of these carbonates are then recycled through subsequent uplift and weathering, but some are metamorphosed or returned to the mantle via subduction. Ca isotopes in sedimentary marine carbonates can provide new insights into the global Ca (and by corollary, C) cycle by constraining the flux and isotopic composition of the recycled and subducted Ca sinks on billion-year timescales. Precambrian applications of Ca isotopes have so far been limited to relatively small datasets which cover unusual, dynamic intervals of the Proterozoic. In order to address questions about long-timescale Ca cycling, Ca isotopes were measured on an extensive suite of Precambrian carbonates (n > 300) which represent environments, textures, and morphologies that are typical for their age, and whose carbon isotope values have been interpreted as reflecting precipitation from seawater. Because marine carbonates constitute the dominant geological sink for Ca, this representative sample set places specific limits on the evolution of the sedimentary and crustal Ca reservoirs and suggests further applications for Ca isotopes in Precambrian time.
(47)Ca production for (47)Ca/(47)Sc generator system using electron linacs.
Rane, Shraddha; Harris, Jason T; Starovoitova, Valeriia N
In this work we have studied the feasibility of photonuclear production of (47)Ca from (48)Ca for (47)Ca/(47)Sc generators. Photon flux distribution for electron beams of different energies incident on a tungsten converter was calculated using the MCNPX radiation transport code. The (47)Ca production rate dependence on electron beam energy was found and (47)Ca/(47)Sc yields were estimated for a 40MeV electron beam. It was shown that irradiating enriched targets with a 40MeV, 1mA beam will result in tens of MBq g(-1) (few mCi g(-1)) activity of (47)Sc. The results of the simulations were benchmarked by irradiating 22.5g of CaCl2 powder with a 39MeV electron beam incident on a tungsten converter. Measured (47)Ca/(47)Sc activities were found to be in very good agreement with the predictions. PMID:25600103
Tripathi, Shivendra; Rana, Rakesh; Kumar, Sanjay; Pandey, Parul; Singh, R. S.; Rana, D. S.
The non-magnetic and non-Fermi-liquid CaRuO3 is the iso-structural analog of the ferromagnetic (FM) and Fermi-liquid SrRuO3. We show that an FM order in the orthorhombic CaRuO3 can be established by the means of tensile epitaxial strain. The structural and magnetic property correlations in the CaRuO3 films formed on SrTiO3 (100) substrate establish a scaling relation between the FM moment and the tensile strain. The strain dependent crossover from non-magnetic to FM CaRuO3 was observed to be associated with switching of non-Fermi liquid to Fermi-liquid behavior. The intrinsic nature of this strain-induced FM order manifests in the Hall resistivity too; the anomalous Hall component realizes in FM tensile-strained CaRuO3 films on SrTiO3 (100) whereas the non-magnetic compressive-strained films on LaAlO3 (100) exhibit only the ordinary Hall effect. These observations of an elusive FM order are consistent with the theoretical predictions of scaling of the tensile epitaxial strain and the magnetic order in tensile CaRuO3. We further establish that the tensile strain is more efficient than the chemical route to induce FM order in CaRuO3. PMID:24464302
Predicting Ca(2+)-binding sites in proteins.
Nayal, M; Di Cera, E
The coordination shell of Ca2+ ions in proteins contains almost exclusively oxygen atoms supported by an outer shell of carbon atoms. The bond-strength contribution of each ligating oxygen in the inner shell can be evaluated by using an empirical expression successfully applied in the analysis of crystals of metal oxides. The sum of such contributions closely approximates the valence of the bound cation. When a protein is embedded in a very fine grid of points and an algorithm is used to calculate the valence of each point representing a potential Ca(2+)-binding site, a typical distribution of valence values peaked around 0.4 is obtained. In 32 documented Ca(2+)-binding proteins, containing a total of 62 Ca(2+)-binding sites, a very small fraction of points in the distribution has a valence close to that of Ca2+. Only 0.06% of the points have a valence > or = 1.4. These points share the remarkable tendency to cluster around documented Ca2+ ions. A high enough value of the valence is both necessary (58 out of 62 Ca(2+)-binding sites have a valence > or = 1.4) and sufficient (87% of the grid points with a valence > or = 1.4 are within 1.0 A from a documented Ca2+ ion) to predict the location of bound Ca2+ ions. The algorithm can also be used for the analysis of other cations and predicts the location of Mg(2+)- and Na(+)-binding sites in a number of proteins. The valence is, therefore, a tool of pinpoint accuracy for locating cation-binding sites, which can also be exploited in engineering high-affinity binding sites and characterizing the linkage between structural components and functional energetics for molecular recognition of metal ions by proteins. Images Fig. 4 PMID:8290605
Involvement of the Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II pathway in the Ca2+-mediated regulation of the capacitative Ca2+ entry in Xenopus oocytes.
Matifat, F; Fournier, F; Lorca, T; Capony, J P; Brûlé, G; Collin, T
Activation of the phosphoinositide transduction pathway induces capacitative Ca2+ entry in Xenopus oocytes. This can also be evoked by intracellular injection of Ins(1,4.5)P3, external application of thapsigargin and/or incubation in a Ca2+-free medium. Readmission of Ca2+ to voltage-clamped, thapsigargin-treated Xenopus oocytes triggers Ca2+-dependent Cl- current variations that reflect capacitative Ca2+ entry. Inhibition of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) by specific peptides markedly increased the amplitude of the transients, suggesting an involvement of the CaMKII pathway in the regulation of capacitative Ca2+ entry. Biochemical studies provide evidence for the activation of CaMKII in response to the development of capacitative Ca2+ entry. In effect, a CaMKII assay in vivo allows us to postulate that readmission of Ca2+ to thapsigargin-treated oocytes can induce a burst of CaMKII activity. Finally, analysis of the Cl- transient kinetics at high resolution of time suggests that CaMKII inhibition blocks the onset of the inactivation process without affecting the activation rate. We therefore postulate that CaMKII might participate in a negative feedback regulation of store-depletion-evoked Ca2+ entry in Xenopus oocytes. PMID:9078272
Yeast as a tool for plant Ca(2+) transporter research
Technology Transfer Automated Retrieval System (TEKTRAN)
To maintain optimal cytosolic Ca(2+) concentrations, cells employ three distinct strategies: 1) tightly regulated influx of Ca(2+); 2) efficient efflux of Ca(2+) from the cell; and 3) sequestration of Ca(2+) in organelles. Ca(2+)efflux and influx are mediated by diverse transporter systems, such as ...
Reduced endogenous Ca2+ buffering speeds active zone Ca2+ signaling.
Delvendahl, Igor; Jablonski, Lukasz; Baade, Carolin; Matveev, Victor; Neher, Erwin; Hallermann, Stefan
Fast synchronous neurotransmitter release at the presynaptic active zone is triggered by local Ca(2+) signals, which are confined in their spatiotemporal extent by endogenous Ca(2+) buffers. However, it remains elusive how rapid and reliable Ca(2+) signaling can be sustained during repetitive release. Here, we established quantitative two-photon Ca(2+) imaging in cerebellar mossy fiber boutons, which fire at exceptionally high rates. We show that endogenous fixed buffers have a surprisingly low Ca(2+)-binding ratio (∼ 15) and low affinity, whereas mobile buffers have high affinity. Experimentally constrained modeling revealed that the low endogenous buffering promotes fast clearance of Ca(2+) from the active zone during repetitive firing. Measuring Ca(2+) signals at different distances from active zones with ultra-high-resolution confirmed our model predictions. Our results lead to the concept that reduced Ca(2+) buffering enables fast active zone Ca(2+) signaling, suggesting that the strength of endogenous Ca(2+) buffering limits the rate of synchronous synaptic transmission. PMID:26015575
Isoflurane inhibits synaptic vesicle exocytosis through reduced Ca2+ influx, not Ca2+-exocytosis coupling
Baumgart, Joel P.; Zhou, Zhen-Yu; Hara, Masato; Cook, Daniel C.; Hoppa, Michael B.; Ryan, Timothy A.; Hemmings, Hugh C.
Identifying presynaptic mechanisms of general anesthetics is critical to understanding their effects on synaptic transmission. We show that the volatile anesthetic isoflurane inhibits synaptic vesicle (SV) exocytosis at nerve terminals in dissociated rat hippocampal neurons through inhibition of presynaptic Ca2+ influx without significantly altering the Ca2+ sensitivity of SV exocytosis. A clinically relevant concentration of isoflurane (0.7 mM) inhibited changes in [Ca2+]i driven by single action potentials (APs) by 25 ± 3%, which in turn led to 62 ± 3% inhibition of single AP-triggered exocytosis at 4 mM extracellular Ca2+ ([Ca2+]e). Lowering external Ca2+ to match the isoflurane-induced reduction in Ca2+ entry led to an equivalent reduction in exocytosis. These data thus indicate that anesthetic inhibition of neurotransmitter release from small SVs occurs primarily through reduced axon terminal Ca2+ entry without significant direct effects on Ca2+-exocytosis coupling or on the SV fusion machinery. Isoflurane inhibition of exocytosis and Ca2+ influx was greater in glutamatergic compared with GABAergic nerve terminals, consistent with selective inhibition of excitatory synaptic transmission. Such alteration in the balance of excitatory to inhibitory transmission could mediate reduced neuronal interactions and network-selective effects observed in the anesthetized central nervous system. PMID:26351670
Isoflurane inhibits synaptic vesicle exocytosis through reduced Ca2+ influx, not Ca2+-exocytosis coupling.
Baumgart, Joel P; Zhou, Zhen-Yu; Hara, Masato; Cook, Daniel C; Hoppa, Michael B; Ryan, Timothy A; Hemmings, Hugh C
Identifying presynaptic mechanisms of general anesthetics is critical to understanding their effects on synaptic transmission. We show that the volatile anesthetic isoflurane inhibits synaptic vesicle (SV) exocytosis at nerve terminals in dissociated rat hippocampal neurons through inhibition of presynaptic Ca(2+) influx without significantly altering the Ca(2+) sensitivity of SV exocytosis. A clinically relevant concentration of isoflurane (0.7 mM) inhibited changes in [Ca(2+)]i driven by single action potentials (APs) by 25 ± 3%, which in turn led to 62 ± 3% inhibition of single AP-triggered exocytosis at 4 mM extracellular Ca(2+) ([Ca(2+)]e). Lowering external Ca(2+) to match the isoflurane-induced reduction in Ca(2+) entry led to an equivalent reduction in exocytosis. These data thus indicate that anesthetic inhibition of neurotransmitter release from small SVs occurs primarily through reduced axon terminal Ca(2+) entry without significant direct effects on Ca(2+)-exocytosis coupling or on the SV fusion machinery. Isoflurane inhibition of exocytosis and Ca(2+) influx was greater in glutamatergic compared with GABAergic nerve terminals, consistent with selective inhibition of excitatory synaptic transmission. Such alteration in the balance of excitatory to inhibitory transmission could mediate reduced neuronal interactions and network-selective effects observed in the anesthetized central nervous system. PMID:26351670
Tetraspanin-13 modulates voltage-gated CaV2.2 Ca2+ channels
Mallmann, Robert T.; Wilmes, Thomas; Lichvarova, Lucia; Bührer, Anja; Lohmüller, Barbara; Castonguay, Jan; Lacinova, Lubica; Klugbauer, Norbert
Integration of voltage-gated Ca2+ channels in a network of protein-interactions is a crucial requirement for proper regulation of channel activity. In this study, we took advantage of the specific properties of the yeast split-ubiquitin system to search for and characterize so far unknown interaction partners of CaV2 Ca2+ channels. We identified tetraspanin-13 (TSPAN-13) as an interaction partner of the α1 subunit of N-type CaV2.2, but not of P/Q-type CaV2.1 or L- and T-type Ca2+ channels. Interaction could be located between domain IV of CaV2.2 and transmembrane segments S1 and S2 of TSPAN-13. Electrophysiological analysis revealed that TSPAN-13 specifically modulates the efficiency of coupling between voltage sensor activation and pore opening of the channel and accelerates the voltage-dependent activation and inactivation of the Ba2+ current through CaV2.2. These data indicate that TSPAN-13 might regulate CaV2.2 Ca2+ channel activity in defined synaptic membrane compartments and thereby influences transmitter release. PMID:23648579
Aging and CaMKII alter intracellular Ca2+ transients and heart rhythm in Drosophila melanogaster.
Santalla, Manuela; Valverde, Carlos A; Harnichar, Ezequiel; Lacunza, Ezequiel; Aguilar-Fuentes, Javier; Mattiazzi, Alicia; Ferrero, Paola
Aging is associated to disrupted contractility and rhythmicity, among other cardiovascular alterations. Drosophila melanogaster shows a pattern of aging similar to human beings and recapitulates the arrhythmogenic conditions found in the human heart. Moreover, the kinase CaMKII has been characterized as an important regulator of heart function and an arrhythmogenic molecule that participate in Ca2+ handling. Using a genetically engineered expressed Ca2+ indicator, we report changes in cardiac Ca2+ handling at two different ages. Aging prolonged relaxation, reduced spontaneous heart rate (HR) and increased the occurrence of arrhythmias, ectopic beats and asystoles. Alignment between Drosophila melanogaster and human CaMKII showed a high degree of conservation and indicates that relevant phosphorylation sites in humans are also present in the fruit fly. Inhibition of CaMKII by KN-93 (CaMKII-specific inhibitor), reduced HR without significant changes in other parameters. By contrast, overexpression of CaMKII increased HR and reduced arrhythmias. Moreover, it increased fluorescence amplitude, maximal rate of rise of fluorescence and reduced time to peak fluorescence. These results suggest that CaMKII in Drosophila melanogaster acts directly on heart function and that increasing CaMKII expression levels could be beneficial to improve contractility. PMID:25003749
Aging and CaMKII Alter Intracellular Ca2+ Transients and Heart Rhythm in Drosophila melanogaster
Santalla, Manuela; Valverde, Carlos A.; Harnichar, Ezequiel; Lacunza, Ezequiel; Aguilar-Fuentes, Javier; Mattiazzi, Alicia; Ferrero, Paola
Aging is associated to disrupted contractility and rhythmicity, among other cardiovascular alterations. Drosophila melanogaster shows a pattern of aging similar to human beings and recapitulates the arrhythmogenic conditions found in the human heart. Moreover, the kinase CaMKII has been characterized as an important regulator of heart function and an arrhythmogenic molecule that participate in Ca2+ handling. Using a genetically engineered expressed Ca2+ indicator, we report changes in cardiac Ca2+ handling at two different ages. Aging prolonged relaxation, reduced spontaneous heart rate (HR) and increased the occurrence of arrhythmias, ectopic beats and asystoles. Alignment between Drosophila melanogaster and human CaMKII showed a high degree of conservation and indicates that relevant phosphorylation sites in humans are also present in the fruit fly. Inhibition of CaMKII by KN-93 (CaMKII-specific inhibitor), reduced HR without significant changes in other parameters. By contrast, overexpression of CaMKII increased HR and reduced arrhythmias. Moreover, it increased fluorescence amplitude, maximal rate of rise of fluorescence and reduced time to peak fluorescence. These results suggest that CaMKII in Drosophila melanogaster acts directly on heart function and that increasing CaMKII expression levels could be beneficial to improve contractility. PMID:25003749
Regulated release of Ca2+ from respiring mitochondria by Ca2+/2H+ antiport.
Fiskum, G; Lehninger, A L
Simultaneous measurements of oxygen consumption and transmembrane transport of Ca2+, H+, and phosphate show that the efflux of Ca2+ from respiring tightly coupled rat liver mitochondria takes place by an electroneutral Ca2+/2H+ antiport process that is ruthenium red-insensitive and that is regulated by the oxidation-reduction state of the mitochondrial pyridine nucleotides. When mitochondrial pyridine nucleotides are kept in a reduced steady state, the efflux of Ca2+ is inhibited; when they are in an oxidized state, Ca2+ efflux is activated. These processes were demonstrated by allowing phosphate-depleted mitochondria respiring on succinate in the presence of rotenone to take up Ca2+ from the medium. Upon subsequent addition of ruthenium red to block Ca2+ transport via the electrophoretic influx pathway, and acetoacetate, to bring mitochondrial pyridine nucleotides into the oxidized state, Ca2+ efflux and H+ influx ensued. The observed H+ influx/Ca2+ efflux ratio was close to the value 2.0 predicted for the operation of an electrically neutral Ca2+/2H+ antiport process. PMID:36390
Reduced endogenous Ca2+ buffering speeds active zone Ca2+ signaling
Delvendahl, Igor; Jablonski, Lukasz; Baade, Carolin; Matveev, Victor; Neher, Erwin; Hallermann, Stefan
Fast synchronous neurotransmitter release at the presynaptic active zone is triggered by local Ca2+ signals, which are confined in their spatiotemporal extent by endogenous Ca2+ buffers. However, it remains elusive how rapid and reliable Ca2+ signaling can be sustained during repetitive release. Here, we established quantitative two-photon Ca2+ imaging in cerebellar mossy fiber boutons, which fire at exceptionally high rates. We show that endogenous fixed buffers have a surprisingly low Ca2+-binding ratio (∼15) and low affinity, whereas mobile buffers have high affinity. Experimentally constrained modeling revealed that the low endogenous buffering promotes fast clearance of Ca2+ from the active zone during repetitive firing. Measuring Ca2+ signals at different distances from active zones with ultra-high-resolution confirmed our model predictions. Our results lead to the concept that reduced Ca2+ buffering enables fast active zone Ca2+ signaling, suggesting that the strength of endogenous Ca2+ buffering limits the rate of synchronous synaptic transmission. PMID:26015575
Genetical and comparative genomics of Brassica under altered Ca supply identifies Arabidopsis Ca-transporter orthologs.
Graham, Neil S; Hammond, John P; Lysenko, Artem; Mayes, Sean; O Lochlainn, Seosamh; Blasco, Bego; Bowen, Helen C; Rawlings, Chris J; Rios, Juan J; Welham, Susan; Carion, Pierre W C; Dupuy, Lionel X; King, Graham J; White, Philip J; Broadley, Martin R
Although Ca transport in plants is highly complex, the overexpression of vacuolar Ca(2+) transporters in crops is a promising new technology to improve dietary Ca supplies through biofortification. Here, we sought to identify novel targets for increasing plant Ca accumulation using genetical and comparative genomics. Expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) mapping to 1895 cis- and 8015 trans-loci were identified in shoots of an inbred mapping population of Brassica rapa (IMB211 × R500); 23 cis- and 948 trans-eQTLs responded specifically to altered Ca supply. eQTLs were screened for functional significance using a large database of shoot Ca concentration phenotypes of Arabidopsis thaliana. From 31 Arabidopsis gene identifiers tagged to robust shoot Ca concentration phenotypes, 21 mapped to 27 B. rapa eQTLs, including orthologs of the Ca(2+) transporters At-CAX1 and At-ACA8. Two of three independent missense mutants of BraA.cax1a, isolated previously by targeting induced local lesions in genomes, have allele-specific shoot Ca concentration phenotypes compared with their segregating wild types. BraA.CAX1a is a promising target for altering the Ca composition of Brassica, consistent with prior knowledge from Arabidopsis. We conclude that multiple-environment eQTL analysis of complex crop genomes combined with comparative genomics is a powerful technique for novel gene identification/prioritization. PMID:25082855
Calcium transport in bovine rumen epithelium as affected by luminal Ca concentrations and Ca sources
Schröder, Bernd; Wilkens, Mirja R; Ricken, Gundula E; Leonhard-Marek, Sabine; Fraser, David R; Breves, Gerhard
The quantitative role of different segments of the gastrointestinal tract for Ca absorption, the respective mechanisms, and their regulation are not fully identified for ruminants, that is, cattle. In different in vitro experiments the forestomach wall has been demonstrated to be a major site for active Ca absorption in sheep and goats. In order to further clarify the role of the bovine rumen for Ca transport with special attention to luminal Ca concentrations, its ionic form, and pH, electrophysiological and unidirectional flux rate measurements were performed with isolated bovine rumen epithelial tissues. For Ca flux studies (Jms, Jsm) in vitro Ussing chamber technique was applied. Standard RT-PCR method was used to characterize TRPV6 and PMCA1 as potential contributors to transepithelial active Ca transport. At Ca concentrations of 1.2 mmol L−1 on both sides of the tissues, Jms were higher than Jsm resulting under some conditions in significant Ca net flux rates (Jnet), indicating the presence of active Ca transport. In the absence of an electrical gradient, Jnet could significantly be stimulated in the presence of luminal short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). Increasing the luminal Ca concentrations up to 11.2 mmol L−1 resulted in significant increases in Jms without influencing Jsm. Providing Ca in its form as respective chloride, formate, or propionate salts there was no significant effect on Jms. No transcripts specific for Ca channel TRPV6 could be demonstrated. Our results indicate different mechanisms for Ca absorption in bovine rumen as compared with those usually described for the small intestines. PMID:26564067
Calcium transport in bovine rumen epithelium as affected by luminal Ca concentrations and Ca sources.
Schröder, Bernd; Wilkens, Mirja R; Ricken, Gundula E; Leonhard-Marek, Sabine; Fraser, David R; Breves, Gerhard
The quantitative role of different segments of the gastrointestinal tract for Ca absorption, the respective mechanisms, and their regulation are not fully identified for ruminants, that is, cattle. In different in vitro experiments the forestomach wall has been demonstrated to be a major site for active Ca absorption in sheep and goats. In order to further clarify the role of the bovine rumen for Ca transport with special attention to luminal Ca concentrations, its ionic form, and pH, electrophysiological and unidirectional flux rate measurements were performed with isolated bovine rumen epithelial tissues. For Ca flux studies (Jms, Jsm) in vitro Ussing chamber technique was applied. Standard RT-PCR method was used to characterize TRPV6 and PMCA1 as potential contributors to transepithelial active Ca transport. At Ca concentrations of 1.2 mmol L(-1) on both sides of the tissues, Jms were higher than Jsm resulting under some conditions in significant Ca net flux rates (Jnet), indicating the presence of active Ca transport. In the absence of an electrical gradient, Jnet could significantly be stimulated in the presence of luminal short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). Increasing the luminal Ca concentrations up to 11.2 mmol L(-1) resulted in significant increases in Jms without influencing Jsm. Providing Ca in its form as respective chloride, formate, or propionate salts there was no significant effect on Jms. No transcripts specific for Ca channel TRPV6 could be demonstrated. Our results indicate different mechanisms for Ca absorption in bovine rumen as compared with those usually described for the small intestines. PMID:26564067
Selective Na+/Ca2+ exchanger inhibition prevents Ca2+ overload-induced triggered arrhythmias
Nagy, Norbert; Kormos, Anita; Kohajda, Zsófia; Szebeni, Áron; Szepesi, Judit; Pollesello, Piero; Levijoki, Jouko; Acsai, Károly; Virág, László; Nánási, Péter P; Papp, Julius Gy; Varró, András; Tóth, András
Background and Purpose Augmented Na+/Ca2+ exchanger (NCX) activity may play a crucial role in cardiac arrhythmogenesis; however, data regarding the anti-arrhythmic efficacy of NCX inhibition are debatable. Feasible explanations could be the unsatisfactory selectivity of NCX inhibitors and/or the dependence of the experimental model on the degree of Ca2+i overload. Hence, we used NCX inhibitors SEA0400 and the more selective ORM10103 to evaluate the efficacy of NCX inhibition against arrhythmogenic Ca2+i rise in conditions when [Ca2+]i was augmented via activation of the late sodium current (INaL) or inhibition of the Na+/K+ pump. Experimental Approach Action potentials (APs) were recorded from canine papillary muscles and Purkinje fibres by microelectrodes. NCX current (INCX) was determined in ventricular cardiomyocytes utilizing the whole-cell patch clamp technique. Ca2+i transients (CaTs) were monitored with a Ca2+-sensitive fluorescent dye, Fluo-4. Key Results Enhanced INaL increased the Ca2+ load and AP duration (APD). SEA0400 and ORM10103 suppressed INCX and prevented/reversed the anemone toxin II (ATX-II)-induced [Ca2+]i rise without influencing APD, CaT or cell shortening, or affecting the ATX-II-induced increased APD. ORM10103 significantly decreased the number of strophanthidin-induced spontaneous diastolic Ca2+ release events; however, SEA0400 failed to restrict the veratridine-induced augmentation in Purkinje-ventricle APD dispersion. Conclusions and Implications Selective NCX inhibition – presumably by blocking revINCX (reverse mode NCX current) – is effective against arrhythmogenesis caused by [Na+]i-induced [Ca2+]i elevation, without influencing the AP waveform. Therefore, selective INCX inhibition, by significantly reducing the arrhythmogenic trigger activity caused by the perturbed Ca2+i handling, should be considered as a promising anti-arrhythmic therapeutic strategy. PMID:25073832
The caBIG terminology review process.
Cimino, James J; Hayamizu, Terry F; Bodenreider, Olivier; Davis, Brian; Stafford, Grace A; Ringwald, Martin
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) is developing an integrated biomedical informatics infrastructure, the cancer Biomedical Informatics Grid (caBIG), to support collaboration within the cancer research community. A key part of the caBIG architecture is the establishment of terminology standards for representing data. In order to evaluate the suitability of existing controlled terminologies, the caBIG Vocabulary and Data Elements Workspace (VCDE WS) working group has developed a set of criteria that serve to assess a terminology's structure, content, documentation, and editorial process. This paper describes the evolution of these criteria and the results of their use in evaluating four standard terminologies: the Gene Ontology (GO), the NCI Thesaurus (NCIt), the Common Terminology for Adverse Events (known as CTCAE), and the laboratory portion of the Logical Objects, Identifiers, Names and Codes (LOINC). The resulting caBIG criteria are presented as a matrix that may be applicable to any terminology standardization effort. PMID:19154797
Role of Ca++ in Shoot Gravitropism. [avena
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Rayle, D. L.
A cornerstone in the argument that Ca(2+) levels may regulate growth is the finding the EGTA promotes straight growth. The usual explanation for these results is that Ca(2+) chelation from cell walls results in wall loosening and thus accelerated straight growth. The ability of frozen-thawed Avena coleoptile tissue (subjected to 15g tension) to extend in response to EGTA and Quin II was examined. The EGTA when applied in weakly buffered (i.e., 0.1mM) neutral solutions initiates rapid extension. When the buffer strength is increased, similar concentrations of EGTA produce no growth response. This implies when EGTA liberated protons are released upon Ca(2+) chelation they can either initiate acid growth (low buffer conditions) or if consumed (high buffer conditions) have no effect. Thus Ca(2+) chelation in itself apparently does not result in straight growth.
The caBIG Terminology Review Process
Cimino, James J.; Hayamizu, Terry F.; Bodenreider, Olivier; Davis, Brian; Stafford, Grace A.; Ringwald, Martin
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) is developing an integrated biomedical informatics infrastructure, the cancer Biomedical Informatics Grid (caBIG®), to support collaboration within the cancer research community. A key part of the caBIG architecture is the establishment of terminology standards for representing data. In order to evaluate the suitability of existing controlled terminologies, the caBIG Vocabulary and Data Elements Workspace (VCDE WS) working group has developed a set of criteria that serve to assess a terminology's structure, content, documentation, and editorial process. This paper describes the evolution of these criteria and the results of their use in evaluating four standard terminologies: the Gene Ontology (GO), the NCI Thesaurus (NCIt), the Common Terminology for Adverse Events (known as CTCAE), and the laboratory portion of the Logical Objects, Identifiers, Names and Codes (LOINC). The resulting caBIG criteria are presented as a matrix that may be applicable to any terminology standardization effort. PMID:19154797
Motion of the Ca2+-pump captured.
Yokokawa, Masatoshi; Takeyasu, Kunio
Studies of ion pumps, such as ATP synthetase and Ca(2+)-ATPase, have a long history. The crystal structures of several kinds of ion pump have been resolved, and provide static pictures of mechanisms of ion transport. In this study, using fast-scanning atomic force microscopy, we have visualized conformational changes in the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase (SERCA) in real time at the single-molecule level. The analyses of individual SERCA molecules in the presence of both ATP and free Ca(2+) revealed up-down structural changes corresponding to the Albers-Post scheme. This fluctuation was strongly affected by the ATP and Ca(2+) concentrations, and was prevented by an inhibitor, thapsigargin. Interestingly, at a physiological ATP concentrations, the up-down motion disappeared completely. These results indicate that SERCA does not transit through the shortest structure, and has a catalytic pathway different from the ordinary Albers-Post scheme under physiological conditions. PMID:21707923
Ca channel gating during cardiac action potentials.
Mazzanti, M; DeFelice, L J
How do Ca channels conduct Ca ions during the cardiac action potential? We attempt to answer this question by applying a two-microelectrode technique, previously used for Na and K currents, in which we record the patch current and the action potential at the same time (Mazzanti, M., and L. J. DeFelice. 1987. Biophys. J. 12:95-100, and 1988. Biophys. J. 54:1139-1148; Wellis, D., L. J. DeFelice, and M. Mazzanti. 1990. Biophys. J. 57:41-48). In this paper, we also compare the action currents obtained by the technique with the step-protocol currents obtained during standard voltage-clamp experiments. Individual Ca channels were measured in 10 mM Ca/1 Ba and 10 mM Ba. To describe part of our results, we use the nomenclature introduced by Hess, P., J. B. Lansman, and R. W. Tsien (1984. Nature (Lond.). 311:538-544). With Ba as the charge carrier, Ca channel kinetics convert rapidly from long to short open times as the patch voltage changes from 20 to -20 mV. This voltage-dependent conversion occurs during action potentials and in step-protocol experiments. With Ca as the charge carrier, the currents are brief at all voltages, and it is difficult to define either the number of channels in the patch or the conductance of the individual channels. Occasionally, however, Ca-conducting channels spontaneously convert to long-open-time kinetics (in Hess et al., 1984, notation, mode 2). When this happens, which is about once in every 100beats, there usually appears to be only one channel in the patch. In this rare configuration, the channel is open long enough to measure its conductance in 10 Ca/ 1 Ba. The value is 8-10 pS, which is about half the conductance in Ba. Because the long openings occur so infrequently with Ca as the charge carrier, they contribute negligibly to the average Ca current at any particular time during an action potential. However, the total number of Ca ions entering during these long openings may be significant when compared to the number entering by the
Cathomas, Gieri
PIK3CA, the catalytic subunit of PI3K, is mutated in many different tumors, including colorectal cancer (CRC). Mutations of PIK3CA have been reported in 10–20% of CRC, about 80% of mutations found in two hot spots in exon 9 and exon 20. In RAS wild-type CRC, PIK3CA mutations have been associated with a worse clinical outcome and with a negative prediction of a response to targeted therapy by anti-EGFR monoclonal antibodies. However, these findings have not been confirmed in all studies and subsequent more detailed analysis has revealed that these effects may be restricted to mutations in Exon 20. Finally, mutations in PIK3CA may be the long sought biomarker for successful adjuvant therapy with aspirin in patients with CRC. Therefore, PIK3CA mutations appear to be a promising predictive biomarker; however, further data are needed to conclusively define the impact of somatic mutations in the PIK3CA gene for the management of patients with CRC. PMID:24624362
Oudahmane, Abdelghani; El-Ghozzi, Malika; Avignant, Daniel
Single crystals of Ca(5)Zr(3)F(22), penta-calcium trizirconium docosafluoride, were obtained unexpectedly by solid-state reaction between CaF(2) and ZrF(4) in the presence of AgF. The structure of the title compound is isotypic with that of Sr(5)Zr(3)F(22) and can be described as being composed of layers with composition [Zr(3)F(20)](8-) made up from two different [ZrF(8)](4-) square anti-prisms (one with site symmetry 2) by corner-sharing. The layers extending parallel to the (001) plane are further linked by Ca(2+) cations, forming a three-dimensional network. Amongst the four crystallographically different Ca(2+) ions, three are located on twofold rotation axes. The Ca(2+) ions exhibit coordination numbers ranging from 8 to 12, depending on the cut off, with very distorted fluorine environments. Two of the Ca(2+) ions occupy inter-stices between the layers whereas the other two are located in void spaces of the [Zr(3)F(20)](8-) layer and alternate with the two Zr atoms along [010]. The crystal under investigation was an inversion twin. PMID:22589749
Effect of morphine on synaptosomal Ca++ uptake.
Guerrero-Munoz, F; Cerreta, K V; Guerrero, M L; Way, E L
The effect of morphine on the uptake of 45Ca++ was studied in synaptosomes from mouse brain using two procedures, centrifugation and filtration. The addition of morphine (1.7 x 10(-7) or 3.4 x 10(-7) M) reduced 45CA++ uptake by either technique, although the basal 45Ca++ uptake by the filtration method was approximately 7-fold higher than that by the centrifugation procedure. Similar effects were obtained after acute morphine treatment with 10 mg/kg s.c. Previous naloxone in vitro treatment (1.9 x 10(-8) M) or in vivo administration (2 mg/kg s.c.) reversed the morphine inhibition of the 45Ca++ uptake. On the other hand, after the animal was rendered tolerant and dependent by morphine pellet implantation, an enhancement of the synaptosomal 45Ca++ uptake was observed. It is concluded that changes in Ca++ fluxes in synaptosomes observed after acute and chronic morphine treatment may be involved with morphine pharmacological action related with analgesia, tolerance and physical dependence. PMID:571016
Efficient 41Ca measurements for biomedical applications
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Vockenhuber, C.; Schulze-König, T.; Synal, H.-A.; Aeberli, I.; Zimmermann, M. B.
We present the performance of 41Ca measurements using low-energy Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) at the 500 kV facility TANDY at ETH Zurich. We optimized the measurement procedure for biomedical applications where reliability and high sample throughput is required. The main challenge for AMS measurements of 41Ca is the interfering stable isobar 41K. We use a simplified sample preparation procedure to produce calcium fluoride (CaF2) and extract calcium tri-fluoride ions (CaF3-) ions to suppress the stable isobar 41K. Although 41K is not completely suppressed we reach 41Ca/40Ca background level in the 10-12 range which is adequate for biomedical studies. With helium as a stripper gas we can use charge state 2+ at high transmission (∼50%). The new measurement procedure with the approximately 10 × improved efficiency and the higher accuracy due to 41K correction allowed us to measure more than 600 samples for a large biomedical study within only a few weeks of measurement time.
Regulation of RYR1 activity by Ca(2+) and calmodulin
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Rodney, G. G.; Williams, B. Y.; Strasburg, G. M.; Beckingham, K.; Hamilton, S. L.
The skeletal muscle calcium release channel (RYR1) is a Ca(2+)-binding protein that is regulated by another Ca(2+)-binding protein, calmodulin. The functional consequences of calmodulin's interaction with RYR1 are dependent on Ca(2+) concentration. At nanomolar Ca(2+) concentrations, calmodulin is an activator, but at micromolar Ca(2+) concentrations, calmodulin is an inhibitor of RYR1. This raises the question of whether the Ca(2+)-dependent effects of calmodulin on RYR1 function are due to Ca(2+) binding to calmodulin, RYR1, or both. To distinguish the effects of Ca(2+) binding to calmodulin from those of Ca(2+) binding to RYR1, a mutant calmodulin that cannot bind Ca(2+) was used to evaluate the effects of Ca(2+)-free calmodulin on Ca(2+)-bound RYR1. We demonstrate that Ca(2+)-free calmodulin enhances the affinity of RYR1 for Ca(2+) while Ca(2+) binding to calmodulin converts calmodulin from an activator to an inhibitor. Furthermore, Ca(2+) binding to RYR1 enhances its affinity for both Ca(2+)-free and Ca(2+)-bound calmodulin.
Pumping Ca2+ up H+ gradients: a Ca2(+)-H+ exchanger without a membrane.
Swietach, Pawel; Leem, Chae-Hun; Spitzer, Kenneth W; Vaughan-Jones, Richard D
Cellular processes are exquisitely sensitive to H+ and Ca2+ ions because of powerful ionic interactions with proteins. By regulating the spatial and temporal distribution of intracellular [Ca2+] and [H+], cells such as cardiac myocytes can exercise control over their biological function. A well-established paradigm in cellular physiology is that ion concentrations are regulated by specialized, membrane-embedded transporter proteins. Many of these couple the movement of two or more ionic species per transport cycle, thereby linking ion concentrations among neighbouring compartments. Here, we compare and contrast canonical membrane transport with a novel type of Ca(2+)-H+ coupling within cytoplasm, which produces uphill Ca2+ transport energized by spatial H+ ion gradients, and can result in the cytoplasmic compartmentalization of Ca2+ without requiring a partitioning membrane. The mechanism, demonstrated in mammalian myocytes, relies on diffusible cytoplasmic buffers, such as carnosine, homocarnosine and ATP, to which Ca2+ and H+ ions bind in an apparently competitive manner. These buffer molecules can actively recruit Ca2+ to acidic microdomains, in exchange for the movement of H+ ions. The resulting Ca2+ microdomains thus have the potential to regulate function locally. Spatial cytoplasmic Ca(2+)-H+ exchange (cCHX) acts like a 'pump' without a membrane and may be operational in many cell types. PMID:24514908
Ca2+ homeostasis and regulation of ER Ca2+ in mammalian oocytes/eggs
Wakai, Takuya; Fissore, Rafael A.
The activation of the developmental program in mammalian eggs relies on the initiation at the time of fertilization of repeated rises in the intracellular concentration of free calcium ([Ca2+]i), also known as [Ca2+]i oscillations. The ability to mount the full complement of oscillations is only achieved at the end of oocyte maturation, at the metaphase stage of meiosis II (MII). Over the last decades research has focused on addressing the mechanisms by which the sperm initiates the oscillations and identification of the channels that mediate intracellular Ca2+ release. This review will describe the up-to-date knowledge of other aspects of Ca2+ homeostasis in mouse such as the mechanisms that transport Ca2+ out of the cytosol into the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), the Ca2+ store of the oocyte/egg, into other organelles and also those extrude Ca2+. Evidence pointing to channels in the plasma membrane that mediate Ca2+ entry from the extracellular milieu, which is required for the persistence of the oscillations, is also discussed, along with the modifications that these mechanisms undergo during maturation. Lastly, we highlight areas where additional research is needed to obtain a better understating of the molecules and mechanisms that regulate homeostasis in this unique Ca2+ signaling system. PMID:23260016
Negative feedback from CaSR signaling to aquaporin-2 sensitizes vasopressin to extracellular Ca2.
Ranieri, Marianna; Tamma, Grazia; Di Mise, Annarita; Russo, Annamaria; Centrone, Mariangela; Svelto, Maria; Calamita, Giuseppe; Valenti, Giovanna
We previously described that high luminal Ca(2+) in the renal collecting duct attenuates short-term vasopressin-induced aquaporin-2 (AQP2) trafficking through activation of the Ca(2+)-sensing receptor (CaSR). Here, we evaluated AQP2 phosphorylation and permeability, in both renal HEK-293 cells and in the dissected inner medullary collecting duct, in response to specific activation of CaSR with NPS-R568. In CaSR-transfected cells, CaSR activation drastically reduced the basal levels of AQP2 phosphorylation at S256 (AQP2-pS256), thus having an opposite effect to vasopressin action. When forskolin stimulation was performed in the presence of NPS-R568, the increase in AQP2-pS256 and in the osmotic water permeability were prevented. In the freshly isolated inner mouse medullar collecting duct, stimulation with forskolin in the presence of NPS-R568 prevented the increase in AQP2-pS256 and osmotic water permeability. Our data demonstrate that the activation of CaSR in the collecting duct prevents the cAMP-dependent increase in AQP2-pS256 and water permeability, counteracting the short-term vasopressin response. By extension, our results suggest the attractive concept that CaSR expressed in distinct nephron segments exerts a negative feedback on hormones acting through cAMP, conferring high sensitivity of hormone to extracellular Ca(2+). PMID:25977473
Sr / Ca and Mg / Ca ratios in polygenetic carbonate allochems from a Michigan marl lake
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Treese, Thomas N.; Owen, Robert M.; Wilkinson, Bruce H.
Rapid accumulation of CaCO 3 is occurring in Littlefield Lake, a marl lake located in central Michigan. The sediment, which is 95% CaCO 3, primarily consists of eight different genetic groups of carbonate allochems. These include calcite muds, sands, algal oncoids and Chara encrustations, as well as the dominant aragonitic gastropods Valvota tricarinota. Gyraulus deflectus and Amnicola integra. and the dominant aragonitic pelecypod Sphaerium partumeium. Samples of each of these groups were analyzed for Ca, Sr and Mg. Molar Mg/Ca ratios are primarily controlled by allochem mineralogy, with calcitic forms having Mg/Ca ratios 5-10 times larger than aragonitic (shelled) forms. The Sr/Ca ratios are primarily controlled by biochemical fractionation, and are significantly lower than Sr/Ca ratios of inorganically precipitated aragonite from other settings. Partition coefficients were determined for both Sr and Mg for each carbonate allochem group and, based on comparisons with results reported by other workers, the partition coefficients determined here are generally considered 'typical' or representative values for biogeneous freshwater carbonates. An analysis of variance of the data indicates that most genera and species of carbonate-secreting organisms in marl lakes have highly characteristic Sr/Ca and Mg/Ca ratios. These ratios can potentially serve as geochemical tracers in future investigations of lacustrine carbonate diagenesis. Both Sr and Mg are influenced by grain size and/or surface area, probably due to the presence of these elements in non-lattice-held (exchangeable) positions.
L-type and Ca2+ release channel-dependent hierarchical Ca2+ signalling in rat portal vein myocytes.
Arnaudeau, S; Boittin, F X; Macrez, N; Lavie, J L; Mironneau, C; Mironneau, J
Ca2+ signalling events and whole-cell Ca2+ currents were analyzed in single myocytes from rat portal vein by using a laser scanning confocal microscope combined with the patch-clamp technique. In myocytes in which the intracellular Ca2+ store was depleted or Ca2+ release channels were blocked by 10 microM ryanodine, inward Ca2+ currents induced slow and sustained elevations of [Ca2+]i. These Ca2+ responses were suppressed by 1 microM oxodipine and by depolarizations to +120 mV, a potential close to the reversal potential for Ca2+ ions, suggesting that they reflected Ca2+ influx through L-type Ca2+ channels. With functioning intracellular Ca2+ stores, flash photolysis of caged Ca2+ gave rise to a small increase in [Ca2+]i with superimposed Ca2+ sparks, reflecting the opening of clustered Ca2+ release channels. Brief Ca2+ currents in the voltage range from -30 to +10 mV triggered Ca2+ sparks or macrosparks that did not propagate in the entire line-scan image. Increasing the duration of Ca2+ current for 100 ms or more allowed the trigger of propagating Ca2+ waves which originated from the same initiation sites as the caffeine-activated response. Both Ca2+ sparks and initiation sites of Ca2+ waves activated by Ca2+ currents were observed in the vicinity of areas that excluded the Ca2+ probes, reflecting infoldings of the plasma membrane close to the sarcoplasmic reticulum, as revealed by fluorescent markers. The hierarchy of Ca2+ signalling events, from submicroscopic fundamental events to elementary events (sparks) and propagated waves, provides an integrated mechanism to regulate vascular tone. PMID:9448946
A caffeine- and ryanodine-sensitive Ca2+ store in bullfrog sympathetic neurones modulates effects of Ca2+ entry on [Ca2+]i.
Friel, D D; Tsien, R W
1. We studied how in changes in cytosolic free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) produced by voltage-dependent Ca2+ entry are influenced by a caffeine-sensitive Ca2+ store in bullfrog sympathetic neurones. Ca2+ influx was elicited by K+ depolarization and the store was manipulated with either caffeine or ryanodine. 2. For a time after discharging the store with caffeine and switching to a caffeine-free medium: (a) [Ca2+]i was depressed by up to 40-50 nM below the resting level, (b) caffeine responsiveness was diminished, and (c) brief K+ applications elicited [Ca2+]i responses with slower onset and faster recovery than controls. These effects were more pronounced as the conditioning caffeine concentration was increased over the range 1-30 mM. 3. [Ca2+]i, caffeine and K+ responsiveness recovered in parallel with a half-time of approximately 2 min. Recovery required external Ca2+ and was speeded by increasing the availability of cytosolic Ca2+, suggesting that it reflected replenishment of the store at the expense of cytosolic Ca2+. 4. During recovery, Ca2+ entry stimulated by depolarization had the least effect on [Ca2+]i when the store was filling most rapidly. This suggests that the effect of Ca2+ entry on [Ca2+]i is modified, at least in part, because some of the Ca2+ which enters the cytosol during stimulation is taken up by the store as it refills. 5. Further experiments were carried out to investigate whether the store can also release Ca2+ in response to stimulated Ca2+ entry. In the continued presence of caffeine at a low concentration (1 mM), high K+ elicited a faster and larger [Ca2+]i response compared to controls; at higher concentrations of caffeine (10 and 30 mM) responses were depressed. 6. Ryanodine (1 microM) reduced the rate at which [Ca2+]i increased with Ca2+ entry, but not to the degree observed after discharging the store. At this concentration, ryanodine completely blocked responses to caffeine but had no detectable effect on Ca2+ channel current
CaMKII regulation in information processing and storage
Coultrap, Steven J.; Bayer, K. Ulrich
The Ca2+/Calmodulin(CaM)-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) is activated by Ca2+/CaM, but becomes partially autonomous (Ca2+-independent) upon autophosphorylation at T286. This hallmark feature of CaMKII regulation provides a form of molecular memory and is indeed important in long-term potentiation (LTP) of excitatory synapse strength and memory formation. However, emerging evidence supports a direct role in information processing, while storage of synaptic information may instead be mediated by regulated interaction of CaMKII with the NMDA receptor (NMDAR) complex. These and other CaMKII regulation mechanisms are discussed here in the context of the kinase structure and their impact on post-synaptic functions. Recent findings also implicate CaMKII in long-term depression (LTD), as well as functional roles at inhibitory synapses, lending renewed emphasis on better understanding the spatio-temporal control of CaMKII regulation. PMID:22717267
Ultrastructural and immunohistochemical localization of plasma membrane Ca2+-ATPase 4 in Ca2+-transporting epithelia.
Alexander, R Todd; Beggs, Megan R; Zamani, Reza; Marcussen, Niels; Frische, Sebastian; Dimke, Henrik
Plasma membrane Ca(2+)-ATPases (PMCAs) participate in epithelial Ca(2+) transport and intracellular Ca(2+) signaling. The Pmca4 isoform is enriched in distal nephron isolates and decreased in mice lacking the epithelial transient receptor potential vanilloid 5 Ca(2+) channel. We therefore hypothesized that Pmca4 plays a significant role in transcellular Ca(2+) flux and investigated the localization and regulation of Pmca4 in Ca(2+)-transporting epithelia. Using antibodies directed specifically against Pmca4, we found it expressed only in the smooth muscle layer of mouse and human intestines, whereas pan-specific Pmca antibodies detected Pmca1 in lateral membranes of enterocytes. In the kidney, Pmca4 showed broad localization to the distal nephron. In the mouse, expression was most abundant in segments coexpressing the epithelial ransient receptor potential vanilloid 5 Ca(2+) channel. Significant, albeit lower, expression was also evident in the region encompassing the cortical thick ascending limbs, macula densa, and early distal tubules as well as smooth muscle layers surrounding renal vessels. In the human kidney, a similar pattern of distribution was observed, with the highest PMCA4 expression in Na(+)-Cl(-) cotransporter-positive tubules. Electron microscopy demonstrated Pmca4 localization in distal nephron cells at both the basolateral membrane and intracellular perinuclear compartments but not submembranous vesicles, suggesting rapid trafficking to the plasma membrane is unlikely to occur in vivo. Pmca4 expression was not altered by perturbations in Ca(2+) balance, pointing to a housekeeping function of the pump in Ca(2+)-transporting epithelia. In conclusion, Pmca4 shows a divergent expression pattern in Ca(2+)-transporting epithelia, inferring diverse roles for this isoform not limited to transepithelial Ca(2+) transport. PMID:26180241
Swelling-Activated Ca2+ Channels Trigger Ca2+ Signals in Merkel Cells
Haeberle, Henry; Bryan, Leigh A.; Vadakkan, Tegy J.; Dickinson, Mary E.; Lumpkin, Ellen A.
Merkel cell-neurite complexes are highly sensitive touch receptors comprising epidermal Merkel cells and sensory afferents. Based on morphological and molecular studies, Merkel cells are proposed to be mechanosensory cells that signal afferents via neurotransmission; however, functional studies testing this hypothesis in intact skin have produced conflicting results. To test this model in a simplified system, we asked whether purified Merkel cells are directly activated by mechanical stimulation. Cell shape was manipulated with anisotonic solution changes and responses were monitored by Ca2+ imaging with fura-2. We found that hypotonic-induced cell swelling, but not hypertonic solutions, triggered cytoplasmic Ca2+ transients. Several lines of evidence indicate that these signals arise from swelling-activated Ca2+-permeable ion channels. First, transients were reversibly abolished by chelating extracellular Ca2+, demonstrating a requirement for Ca2+ influx across the plasma membrane. Second, Ca2+ transients were initially observed near the plasma membrane in cytoplasmic processes. Third, voltage-activated Ca2+ channel (VACC) antagonists reduced transients by half, suggesting that swelling-activated channels depolarize plasma membranes to activate VACCs. Finally, emptying internal Ca2+ stores attenuated transients by 80%, suggesting Ca2+ release from stores augments swelling-activated Ca2+ signals. To identify candidate mechanotransduction channels, we used RT-PCR to amplify ion-channel transcripts whose pharmacological profiles matched those of hypotonic-evoked Ca2+ signals in Merkel cells. We found 11 amplicons, including PKD1, PKD2, and TRPC1, channels previously implicated in mechanotransduction in other cells. Collectively, these results directly demonstrate that Merkel cells are activated by hypotonic-evoked swelling, identify cellular signaling mechanisms that mediate these responses, and support the hypothesis that Merkel cells contribute to touch reception
Acidic Ca(2+) stores come to the fore.
Patel, Sandip; Muallem, Shmuel
Changes in the concentration of cytosolic Ca(2+) form the basis of a ubiquitous signal transduction pathway. Accumulating evidence implicates acidic organelles in the control of Ca(2+) dynamics in organisms across phyla. In this special issue, we discuss Ca(2+) signalling by these "acidic Ca(2+) stores" which include acidocalcisomes, vacuoles, the endo-lysosomal system, lysosome-related organelles, secretory vesicles and the Golgi complex. Ca(2+) release from these morphologically very different organelles is mediated by members of the TRP channel superfamily and two-pore channels. Inositol trisphosphate and ryanodine receptors which are traditionally viewed as endoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+) release channels can also mobilize acidic Ca(2+) stores. Ca(2+) uptake into acidic Ca(2+) stores is driven by Ca(2+) ATPases and Ca(2+)/H(+) exchangers. In animal cells, the Ca(2+)-mobilizing messenger NAADP plays a central role in mediating Ca(2+) signals from acidic Ca(2+) stores through activation of two-pore channels. These signals are important for several physiological processes including muscle contraction and differentiation. Dysfunctional acidic Ca(2+) stores have been implicated in diseases such as acute pancreatitis and lysosomal storage disorders. Acidic Ca(2+) stores are therefore emerging as essential components of the Ca(2+) signalling network and merit extensive further study. PMID:21497395
Control of ciliary motility by Ca sup 2+ : Integration of Ca sup 2+ -dependent functions and targets for Ca sup 2+ action
Evans, T.C.
To identify functions that regulate Ca{sup 2+}-induced ciliary reversal in Paramecium, mutants defective in terminating depolarization-induced backward swimming were selected. Six independent recessive mutations (k-shy) comprising two complementation groups, k-shyA and k-shyB, were identified. All mutants exhibited prolonged backward swimming in depolarizing solutions. Voltage clamp studies revealed that mutant Ca{sup 2+} current amplitudes were reduced, but could be restored to wild type levels by EGTA injection. The recovery of the mutant Ca{sup 2+} current from Ca{sup 2+}-dependent inactivation, and the decay of the Ca{sup 2+}-dependent K{sup +} and Ca{sup 2+}-dependent Na{sup +} currents after depolarization were slow in k-shy compared to wild type. To identify protein targets of Ca{sup 2+} action, ciliary proteins that interact with calmodulin (CaM) were characterized. With a {sup 125}I-CaM blot assay, several CaM-binding proteins were identified including axonemal, soluble, and membrane-bound polypeptides. Competitive displacement studies with unlabeled Paramecium CaM, bovine CaM, and troponinC suggested that both protein types bind CaM with high affinity and specificity. To examine the presence of CaM-binding sites in intact axonemes, a filtration binding assay was developed.
Diffusion of Ca and Mg in Calcite
Cygan, R.T.; Fisler, D.K.
The self-diffusion of Ca and the tracer diffusion of Mg in calcite have been experimentally measured using isotopic tracers of {sup 25}Mg and {sup 44}Ca. Natural single crystals of calcite were coated with a thermally-sputtered oxide thin film and then annealed in a CO{sub 2} gas at one atmosphere total pressure and temperatures from 550 to 800 C. Diffusion coefficient values were derived from the depth profiles obtained by ion microprobe analysis. The resultant activation energies for Mg tracer diffusion and Ca self-diffusion are respectively: E{sub a}(Mg) = 284 {+-} 74 kJ/mol and E{sub a}(Ca) = 271 {+-} 80 kJ/mol. For the temperature ranges in these experiments, the diffusion of Mg is faster than Ca. The results are generally consistent in magnitude with divalent cation diffusion rates obtained in previous studies and provide a means of interpreting the thermal histories of carbonate minerals, the mechanism of dolomitization, and other diffusion-controlled processes. The results indicate that cation diffusion in calcite is relatively slow and cations are the rate-limiting diffusing species for the deformation of calcite and carbonate rocks. Application of the calcite-dolomite geothermometer to metamorphic assemblages will be constrained by cation diffusion and cooling rates. The direct measurement of Mg tracer diffusion in calcite indicates that dolomitization is unlikely to be accomplished by Mg diffusion in the solid state but by a recrystallization process.
Ca2+ signaling during vertebrate somitogenesis.
Webb, Sarah E; Miller, Andrew L
A variety of Ca2+ signals, in the form of intercellular pulses and waves, have been reported to be associated with the various sequential stages of somitogenesis: from convergent extension and the formation of the paraxial mesoderm; during the patterning of the paraxial mesoderm to establish segmental units; throughout the formation of the morphological boundaries that delineate the segmental units, and finally from within the maturing somites as they undergo subsequent development and differentiation. Due to both the technical challenges presented in imaging intact, developing embryos, and the subtle nature of the Ca2+ transients generated, they have proved to be difficult to visualize. However, a combination of cultured cell preparations and improvements in explant and whole embryo imaging techniques has begun to reveal a new and exciting class of developmental Ca2+ signals. In this chapter, we review the small, but expanding, number of reports in the literature and attempt to identify common characteristics of the somitogenic Ca2+ transients, such as their mode of generation, as well as their spatial and temporal features. This may help to elucidate the significance and function of these intriguing Ca2+ transients and thus integrate them into the complex signaling networks that orchestrate early developmental events. PMID:16787560
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Akchurin, M. Sh.; Basiev, T. T.; Demidenko, A. A.; Doroshenko, M. E.; Fedorov, P. P.; Garibin, E. A.; Gusev, P. E.; Kuznetsov, S. V.; Krutov, M. A.; Mironov, I. A.; Osiko, V. V.; Popov, P. A.
CaF2:Yb fluoride laser ceramics, prepared by hot-forming, exhibit the same optical properties as starting single crystals. Slope efficiency of the Сa0.95Yb0.05F2.05 is equal to 35% in the pulsed mode of laser operation. Decrease of ytterbium concentration in CaF2:Yb samples down to 3 mol.% resulted in the essential improvement of Сa0.97Yb0.03F2.03 thermal conductivity from 3.5 to 4.5 W/m K, but slightly decreased (down to 30%) slope efficiency of the samples under both pulsed and CW mode of operation. Alternative hot-pressing synthesis of CaF2:Yb fluoride laser ceramics provided materials with superior mechanical properties (microhardness Н = 3.2 GPa and fracture toughness К1С = 0.65 МPа m1/2) in comparison with hot-formed and/or single crystal CaF2:Yb specimens. For the first time, lasing has been observed for the novel aforementioned hot-pressed CaF2:Yb ceramics.
Serum CA 242 in pancreatic cancer. Comparison with CA 19-9 and CEA.
Pezzilli, R; Billi, P; Plate, L; Laudadio, M A; Sprovieri, G
Serum CA 242, CA 19-9 and CEA concentrations were determined in 94 subjects divided into 5 groups: Group 1 consisted of 22 healthy subjects; Group 2 consisted of 40 patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma; according to Cubilla and Fitzgerald's classification, 11 tumours were Stage I, 4 were Stage II, and 25 were Stage III. Group 3 consisted of 10 chronic pancreatitis patients, group 4 of 10 acute pancreatitis patients, group 5 of 12 patients with nonpancreatic digestive carcinomas. Ten of these 12 patients had distant metastases. The sensitivity of CA 19-9 in the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer was higher than that of CEA and CA 242 (p < 0.05 and p < 0.005, respectively). In Stage I cancer patients the sensitivity of the markers studied was less than 50% (45% for CA 19-9, 18% for CEA, and 9% for CA 242) whereas most of the 25 patients with metastatic tumours of the pancreas had elevated serum levels of all 3 markers. The various combinations of the three markers did not significantly improve the sensitivity in diagnosing pancreatic cancer. No relationship was found between the localization of the tumour and the serum levels of the 3 markers studied. Similarly, no differences were found between patients with cholestasis and those without. The specificity of the 3 markers, evaluated in patients with benign pancreatic diseases, was 100% for CA 242, 90% for CA 199 and 70% for CEA.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS) PMID:8562994
Multifaceted plasma membrane Ca(2+) pumps: From structure to intracellular Ca(2+) handling and cancer.
Padányi, Rita; Pászty, Katalin; Hegedűs, Luca; Varga, Karolina; Papp, Béla; Penniston, John T; Enyedi, Ágnes
Plasma membrane Ca(2+) ATPases (PMCAs) are intimately involved in the control of intracellular Ca(2+) concentration. They reduce Ca(2+) in the cytosol not only by direct ejection, but also by controlling the formation of inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate and decreasing Ca(2+) release from the endoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+) pool. In mammals four genes (PMCA1-4) are expressed, and alternative RNA splicing generates more than twenty variants. The variants differ in their regulatory characteristics. They localize into highly specialized membrane compartments and respond to the incoming Ca(2+) with distinct temporal resolution. The expression pattern of variants depends on cell type; a change in this pattern can result in perturbed Ca(2+) homeostasis and thus altered cell function. Indeed, PMCAs undergo remarkable changes in their expression pattern during tumorigenesis that might significantly contribute to the unbalanced Ca(2+) homeostasis of cancer cells. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Calcium and Cell Fate. Guest Editors: Jacques Haiech, Claus Heizmann, Joachim Krebs, Thierry Capiod and Olivier Mignen. PMID:26707182
Characterizing CA{sub 2} and CA{sub 6} using ELNES
Altay, A.; Carter, C.B.; Rulis, P.; Ching, W.-Y.; Arslan, I.; Guelguen, M.A.
Calcium aluminates, compounds in the CaO-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} phase system, are used in high-temperature cements and refractory oxides and have wide range of potential technological applications due to their interesting optical, electrical, thermal, and mechanical properties. They are used in both crystalline and glassy form; the glass is an isotropic material while the crystalline materials may be highly anisotropic. This paper will consider two particular crystalline materials, CA{sub 2} and CA{sub 6}, but the results should be applicable to all calcium aluminates. Although CA{sub 2} and CA{sub 6} crystals contain the same chemical species, Ca, Al, and O, the coordination and local environments of these species are different in the two structures and hence they show very different energy-loss near-edge structures (ELNES) when examined by electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) in the TEM. The data obtained using ELNES can effectively provide a fingerprint for each compound and a map for their electronic structure. Once such fingerprints are obtained, they can be used to identify nano-sized particles/grains or material at interfaces and grain boundaries. In the present study, the local symmetry fingerprints for CA{sub 2} and CA{sub 6} structures are reported combining experimental spectra with electronic-structure calculations that allow the different features in the spectra to be interpreted. Al-L{sub 2,3} and O-K edge core-loss spectra from CA{sub 2} and CA{sub 6} were measured experimentally using electron energy-loss spectroscopy in a monochromated scanning transmission electron microscope. The near-edge structures were calculated for the different phases using the orthogonalized linear combination of atomic-orbitals method, and took account of core-hole interactions. It is shown that CA{sub 2} and CA{sub 6} structures exhibit distinctive experimental ELNES fingerprints so that these two phases can be separately identified even when present in small volumes
Comparison of Through-Focus Image Quality Across Five Presbyopia-Correcting Intraocular Lenses (An American Ophthalmological Society Thesis)
Pepose, Jay S.; Wang, Daozhi; Altmann, Griffith E.
Purpose To assess through-focus polychromatic image sharpness of five US Food and Drug Administration–approved presbyopia-correcting intraocular lenses (IOLs) through a range of object vergences and pupil diameters utilizing an image sharpness algorithm. Methods A 1951 US Air Force resolution target was imaged through a Crystalens AO (AO) (Bausch & Lomb Surgical, Aliso Viejo, California), Crystalens HD (HD) (Bausch & Lomb Surgical, Aliso Viejo, California), aspheric ReSTOR +4.0 (R4) (Alcon Laboratories, Fort Worth, Texas), aspheric ReSTOR +3.0 (R3) (Alcon Laboratories, Fort Worth, Texas), and Tecnis Multifocal Acrylic (TMF) (Abbott Medical Optics, Irvine, California) IOL in an anatomically and optically accurate model eye and captured digitally for each combination of pupil diameter and object vergence. The sharpness of each digital image was objectively scored using a two-dimensional gradient function. Results The AO lens had the best distance image sharpness for all pupil diameters, followed by the HD. With a 5-mm pupil, the R4 lens achieved distance image quality similar to the HD, but inferior to the AO. The R3 successfully moved the near focal point farther from the patient compared to the R4, but did not improve image sharpness at intermediate distances and showed worse distance and near image sharpness. Consistent with apodization, the ReSTOR IOLs displayed better distance and poorer near image sharpness as pupil diameter increased. The TMF lens showed consistent distance and near image sharpness across pupil diameters and exhibited the best near image sharpness for all pupil diameters. Conclusions Differing IOL design strategies to increase depth of field are associated with quantifiable differences in image sharpness at varying vergences and pupil sizes. An objective comparison of the imaging properties of specific presbyopia-correcting IOLs, in conjunction with patients' pupil sizes, can be useful in selecting the most appropriate IOL for each patient
Hg2+ signaling in trout hepatoma (RTH-149) cells: involvement of Ca2+-induced Ca2+ release.
Burlando, Bruno; Bonomo, Marco; Fabbri, Elena; Dondero, Francesco; Viarengo, Aldo
Mercury is a non-essential heavy metal affecting intracellular Ca2+ dynamics. We studied the effects of Hg2+ on [Ca2+]i in trout hepatoma cells (RTH-149). Confocal imaging of fluo-3-loaded cells showed that Hg2+ induced dose-dependent, sustained [Ca2+]i transient, triggered intracellular Ca2+ waves, stimulated Ca2+-ATPase activity, and promoted InsP3 production. The effect of Hg2+ was reduced by the Ca2+ channel blocker verapamil and totally abolished by extracellular GSH, but was almost unaffected by cell loading with the heavy metal chelator TPEN or esterified GSH. In a Ca2+-free medium, Hg2+ induced a smaller [Ca2+]i transient, that was unaffected by TPEN, but was abolished by U73122, a PLC inhibitor, and by cell loading with GDP-betaS, a G protein inhibitor, or heparin, a blocker of intracellular Ca2+ release. Data indicate that Hg2+ induces Ca2+ entry through verapamil-sensitive channels, and intracellular Ca2+ release via a G protein-PLC-InsP3 mechanism. However, in cells loaded with heparin and exposed to Hg2+ in the presence of external Ca2+, the [Ca2+]i rise was maximally reduced, indicating that the global effect of Hg2+ is not a mere sum of Ca2+ entry plus Ca2+ release, but involves an amplification of Ca2+ release operated by Ca2+ entry through a CICR mechanism. PMID:12887976
Mitochondrial Ca(2+) uptake in skeletal muscle health and disease.
Zhou, Jingsong; Dhakal, Kamal; Yi, Jianxun
Muscle uses Ca(2+) as a messenger to control contraction and relies on ATP to maintain the intracellular Ca(2+) homeostasis. Mitochondria are the major sub-cellular organelle of ATP production. With a negative inner membrane potential, mitochondria take up Ca(2+) from their surroundings, a process called mitochondrial Ca(2+) uptake. Under physiological conditions, Ca(2+) uptake into mitochondria promotes ATP production. Excessive uptake causes mitochondrial Ca(2+) overload, which activates downstream adverse responses leading to cell dysfunction. Moreover, mitochondrial Ca(2+) uptake could shape spatio-temporal patterns of intracellular Ca(2+) signaling. Malfunction of mitochondrial Ca(2+) uptake is implicated in muscle degeneration. Unlike non-excitable cells, mitochondria in muscle cells experience dramatic changes of intracellular Ca(2+) levels. Besides the sudden elevation of Ca(2+) level induced by action potentials, Ca(2+) transients in muscle cells can be as short as a few milliseconds during a single twitch or as long as minutes during tetanic contraction, which raises the question whether mitochondrial Ca(2+) uptake is fast and big enough to shape intracellular Ca(2+) signaling during excitation-contraction coupling and creates technical challenges for quantification of the dynamic changes of Ca(2+) inside mitochondria. This review focuses on characterization of mitochondrial Ca(2+) uptake in skeletal muscle and its role in muscle physiology and diseases. PMID:27430885
Growth rate effects on Mg/Ca and Sr/Ca ratios constrained by belemnite calcite
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Vinzenz Ullmann, Clemens
Multiple temperature proxies from single species are important to achieve robust palaeotemperature estimates. Besides the commonly employed oxygen isotope thermometer, also Mg/Ca and Sr/Ca ratios perform well as proxies for calcification temperature in the shells of some species. While salinity changes affect the ratios of earth alkaline elements much less than the δ18O thermometer, metabolic effects may exert a strong control on the expression of element ratios. Such effects are hard to study because biomineralization experiments have to overcome large intraspecific variability and can hardly ever isolate the controls of a single parameter on shell geochemistry. The unique geometry of the belemnite rostrum constitutes an exception to this rule. Its shape, large size, and the visibility of growth increments as bands enable the analysis of multiple, correlatable, high resolution geochemical profiles in a single fossil. The effects of the growth rate variability amongst these profiles on Mg/Ca and Sr/Ca ratios has been tested here. Within a specimen of Passaloteuthis bisulcata (Early Toarcian, Cleveland Basin, UK), Mg/Ca and Sr/Ca data were obtained from four profiles. With respect to growth rate in the first profile, which was taken as a reference, the relative growth rates in the remaining three profiles varied by a factor of 0.9 to 2.7. Results suggest that relative growth rate is linearly correlated with Mg/Ca and Sr/Ca, with a decrease of Mg/Ca by 8 % and increase of Sr/Ca by 6 % per 100 % increase in relative growth rate. The observed trends are consistent with abiogenic precipitation experiments and suggest that crystal precipitation rate exerts a significant, predictable control on the element distribution in biogenic calcite.
Materials compatibility during the chlorination of molten CaCl/sub 2/. CaO salts. [CaCl/sub 2/. CaO salt
Rense, C.E.C.; Fife, K.W.; Bowersox, D.F.; Ferran, M.D.
As part of our effort to develop a semicontinuous PuO/sub 2/ reduction process, we are investigating promising materials for containing a 900/sup 0/C molten CaCl/sub 2/ . CaO chlorination reaction. We want the material to contain this reaction and to be reusable. We tested candidate materials in a simulated salt (no plutonium) using anhydrous HCl as the chlorinating agent. Data are presented on the performance of 36 metals and alloys, 9 ceramics, and 3 coatings.
Gonadotropin-releasing hormone-induced Ca2+ transients in single identified gonadotropes require both intracellular Ca2+ mobilization and Ca2+ influx.
Shangold, G A; Murphy, S N; Miller, R J
We examined the effects of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) on the intracellular free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) in single rat anterior pituitary gonadotropes identified by a reverse hemolytic plaque assay. Concentrations of GnRH greater than 10 pM elicited increases in [Ca2+]i in identified cells but not in others. In contrast, depolarization induced by 50 mM K+ increased [Ca2+]i in all cells. Ca2+ transients induced by GnRH exhibited a complex time course. After an initial rapid rise, the [Ca2+]i fell to near basal levels only to be followed by a secondary extended rise and fall. Analysis of the Ca2+ transients on a rapid time base revealed that responses frequently consisted of several rapid oscillations in [Ca2+]i. Removal of extracellular Ca2+ or addition of the dihydropyridine Ca2+-channel blocker nitrendipine completely blocked the secondary rise in [Ca2+]i but had no effect whatsoever on the initial spike. Nitrendipine also blocked 50 mM K+-induced increases in [Ca2+]i in identified gonadotropes. The secondary rise induced by GnRH could be enhanced by a phorbol ester in a nitrendipine-sensitive fashion. Multiple spike responses to GnRH stimulation of the same cell could only be obtained if subsequent Ca2+ influx was permitted either by allowing a secondary rise to occur or by producing a Ca2+ transient by depolarizing the cells with 50 mM K+. It therefore appears that the response to GnRH consists of an initial phase of Ca2+ mobilization, probably mediated by inositol trisphosphate, and a subsequent phase of Ca2+ influx through nitrendipine-sensitive Ca2+ channels that may be activated by protein kinase C. The relative roles of these phases in the control of gonadotropin secretion are discussed. Images PMID:3045819
Inhibitors of the Ca{sup 2+}/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase phosphatase family (CaMKP and CaMKP-N)
Sueyoshi, Noriyuki; Takao, Toshihiko; Nimura, Takaki; Sugiyama, Yasunori; Numano, Takamasa; Shigeri, Yasushi; Taniguchi, Takanobu; Kameshita, Isamu Ishida, Atsuhiko
Ca{sup 2+}/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase phosphatase (CaMKP) and its nuclear isoform CaMKP-N are unique Ser/Thr protein phosphatases that negatively regulate the Ca{sup 2+}/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase (CaMK) cascade by dephosphorylating multifunctional CaMKI, II, and IV. However, the lack of specific inhibitors of these phosphatases has hampered studies on these enzymes in vivo. In an attempt to obtain specific inhibitors, we searched inhibitory compounds and found that Evans Blue and Chicago Sky Blue 6B served as effective inhibitors for CaMKP. These compounds also inhibited CaMKP-N, but inhibited neither protein phosphatase 2C, another member of PPM family phosphatase, nor calcineurin, a typical PPP family phosphatase. The minimum structure required for the inhibition was 1-amino-8-naphthol-4-sulfonic acid. When Neuro2a cells cotransfected with CaMKIV and CaMKP-N were treated with these compounds, the dephosphorylation of CaMKIV was strongly suppressed, suggesting that these compounds could be used as potent inhibitors of CaMKP and CaMKP-N in vivo as well as in vitro.
Mitochondrial Ryanodine Receptors and Other Mitochondrial Ca2+ Permeable Channels
Ryu, Shin-Young; Beutner, Gisela; Dirksen, Robert T.; Kinnally, Kathleen W.; Sheu, Shey-Shing
Ca2+ channels that underlie mitochondrial Ca2+ transport first reported decades ago have now just recently been precisely characterized electrophysiologically. Numerous data indicate that mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake via these channels regulates multiple intracellular processes by shaping cytosolic and mitochondrial Ca2+ transients, as well as altering the cellular metabolic and redox state. On the other hand, mitochondrial Ca2+ overload also initiates a cascade of events that leads to cell death. Thus, characterization of mitochondrial Ca2+ channels is central to a comprehensive understanding of cell signaling. Here, we discuss recent progresses in the biophysical and electrophysiological characterization of several distinct mitochondrial Ca2+ channels. PMID:20096690
Regulation and roles of Ca2+ stores in human sperm
Correia, Joao; Michelangeli, Francesco; Publicover, Stephen
[Ca2 +]i signalling is a key regulatory mechanism in sperm function. In mammalian sperm the Ca2 +-permeable plasma membrane ion channel CatSper is central to [Ca2 +]i signalling, but there is good evidence that Ca2 + stored in intracellular organelles is also functionally important. Here we briefly review the current understanding of the diversity of Ca2 + stores and the mechanisms for the regulation of their activity. We then consider the evidence for the involvement of these stores in [Ca2 +]i signalling in mammalian (primarily human) sperm, the agonists that may activate these stores and their role in control of sperm function. Finally we consider the evidence that membrane Ca2 + channels and stored Ca2 + may play discrete roles in the regulation of sperm activities and propose a mechanism by which these different components of the sperm Ca2 +-signalling apparatus may interact to generate complex and spatially diverse [Ca2 +]i signals. PMID:25964382
Initial Clinical Experience With the Strut-Adjusted Volume Implant (SAVI) Breast Brachytherapy Device for Accelerated Partial-Breast Irradiation (APBI): First 100 Patients With More Than 1 Year of Follow-Up
Yashar, Catheryn M.; Scanderbeg, Daniel; Kuske, Robert; Wallace, Anne; Zannis, Victor; Blair, Sarah; Grade, Emily; Swenson, Virginia H.; Quiet, Coral
Purpose: The Strut-Adjusted Volume Implant (SAVI; Cianna Medical, Aliso Viejo, CA) is a multichannel single-entry brachytherapy device designed to allow dose modulation to minimize normal tissue dose while simultaneously maximizing target coverage. This is the first report on the initial 102 patients with nearly 2 years of median follow-up. Methods and Materials: One hundred two patients were treated at two institutions. Data were collected on eligibility and dosimetry and followed for toxicity and recurrence. Results: The median follow-up is 21 months. Overall dosimetry is outstanding (median percent of target volume receiving 90% of the prescription dose was 95.9%, volume of target receiving 150% of the prescription dose was 27.8 mL, and volume of target receiving 200% of the prescription dose was 14.0 cm{sup 3}). No devices were pulled prior to treatment completion. For patients with a skin bridge of less than 7 mm, the maximum median skin dose was 280 cGy (median percent of target volume receiving 90% of the prescription dose was 95.2%, volume of target receiving 150% of the prescription dose was 25.8 cm{sup 3} and volume of target receiving 200% of the prescription dose was 12.7 mL). For patients with both chest wall and skin of less than 7 mm, the maximum median lung dose was 205 cGy with simultaneous skin dose of 272 cGy. The rate of telangiectasia was 1.9%. Grade 1 hyperpigmentation developed in 10 patients (9.8%) and Grade 2 fibrosis in 2 patients (1.9%). There were 2 symptomatic seromas and 2 cases of asymptomatic fat necrosis (1.9%). Of the patients, 27% were not eligible for MammoSite balloon brachytherapy (Hologic, Inc., Marlborough, MA) and 5% were not eligible for any balloon brachytherapy. The recurrence rate was 1%. Conclusions: The SAVI appears to safely allow an increase in eligibility for APBI over balloon brachytherapy or three-dimensional conformal radiation, highlighting the outstanding device flexibility to maximize the target dose and
Solution NMR Structure of the Ca2+-bound N-terminal Domain of CaBP7
McCue, Hannah V.; Patel, Pryank; Herbert, Andrew P.; Lian, Lu-Yun; Burgoyne, Robert D.; Haynes, Lee P.
Calcium-binding protein 7 (CaBP7) is a member of the calmodulin (CaM) superfamily that harbors two high affinity EF-hand motifs and a C-terminal transmembrane domain. CaBP7 has been previously shown to interact with and modulate phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase III-β (PI4KIIIβ) activity in in vitro assays and affects vesicle transport in neurons when overexpressed. Here we show that the N-terminal domain (NTD) of CaBP7 is sufficient to mediate the interaction of CaBP7 with PI4KIIIβ. CaBP7 NTD encompasses the two high affinity Ca2+ binding sites, and structural characterization through multiangle light scattering, circular dichroism, and NMR reveals unique properties for this domain. CaBP7 NTD binds specifically to Ca2+ but not Mg2+ and undergoes significant conformational changes in both secondary and tertiary structure upon Ca2+ binding. The Ca2+-bound form of CaBP7 NTD is monomeric and exhibits an open conformation similar to that of CaM. Ca2+-bound CaBP7 NTD has a solvent-exposed hydrophobic surface that is more expansive than observed in CaM or CaBP1. Within this hydrophobic pocket, there is a significant reduction in the number of methionine residues that are conserved in CaM and CaBP1 and shown to be important for target recognition. In CaBP7 NTD, these residues are replaced with isoleucine and leucine residues with branched side chains that are intrinsically more rigid than the flexible methionine side chain. We propose that these differences in surface hydrophobicity, charge, and methionine content may be important in determining highly specific interactions of CaBP7 with target proteins, such as PI4KIIIβ. PMID:22989873
CaV1.2 beta-subunit coordinates CaMKII-triggered cardiomyocyte death and afterdepolarizations.
Koval, Olha M; Guan, Xiaoquan; Wu, Yuejin; Joiner, Mei-Ling; Gao, Zhan; Chen, Biyi; Grumbach, Isabella M; Luczak, Elizabeth D; Colbran, Roger J; Song, Long-Sheng; Hund, Thomas J; Mohler, Peter J; Anderson, Mark E
Excessive activation of calmodulin kinase II (CaMKII) causes arrhythmias and heart failure, but the cellular mechanisms for CaMKII-targeted proteins causing disordered cell membrane excitability and myocardial dysfunction remain uncertain. Failing human cardiomyocytes exhibit increased CaMKII and voltage-gated Ca(2+) channel (Ca(V)1.2) activity, and enhanced expression of a specific Ca(V)1.2 beta-subunit protein isoform (beta(2a)). We recently identified Ca(V)1.2 beta(2a) residues critical for CaMKII phosphorylation (Thr 498) and binding (Leu 493), suggesting the hypothesis that these amino acids are crucial for cardiomyopathic consequences of CaMKII signaling. Here we show WT beta(2a) expression causes cellular Ca(2+) overload, arrhythmia-triggering cell membrane potential oscillations called early afterdepolarizations (EADs), and premature death in paced adult rabbit ventricular myocytes. Prevention of intracellular Ca(2+) release by ryanodine or global cellular CaMKII inhibition reduced EADs and improved cell survival to control levels in WT beta(2a)-expressing ventricular myocytes. In contrast, expression of beta(2a) T498A or L493A mutants mimicked the protective effects of ryanodine or global cellular CaMKII inhibition by reducing Ca(2+) entry through Ca(V)1.2 and inhibiting EADs. Furthermore, Ca(V)1.2 currents recorded from cells overexpressing CaMKII phosphorylation- or binding-incompetent beta(2a) subunits were incapable of entering a CaMKII-dependent high-activity gating mode (mode 2), indicating that beta(2a) Thr 498 and Leu 493 are required for Ca(V)1.2 activation by CaMKII in native cells. These data show that CaMKII binding and phosphorylation sites on beta(2a) are concise but pivotal components of a molecular and biophysical and mechanism for EADs and impaired survival in adult cardiomyocytes. PMID:20194790
The CAR that drives Ca2+ to Orai1.
Jha, Archana; Muallem, Shmuel
How Ca(2+) permeates the Orai1 channel and the mechanism by which the channel achieves high Ca(2+) selectivity remain critical questions in understanding store-operated Ca(2+) influx. In research published in Science Signaling, Frischauf et al. identified a Ca(2+)-accumulating region (CAR) in the extracellular opening of Orai1, which explains how concentrating Ca(2+) at the mouth of Orai1 facilitates channel permeation and contributes to selectivity. PMID:26956483
Fine-tuning synaptic plasticity by modulation of Ca(V)2.1 channels with Ca2+ sensor proteins.
Leal, Karina; Mochida, Sumiko; Scheuer, Todd; Catterall, William A
Modulation of P/Q-type Ca(2+) currents through presynaptic voltage-gated calcium channels (Ca(V)2.1) by binding of Ca(2+)/calmodulin contributes to short-term synaptic plasticity. Ca(2+)-binding protein-1 (CaBP1) and Visinin-like protein-2 (VILIP-2) are neurospecific calmodulin-like Ca(2+) sensor proteins that differentially modulate Ca(V)2.1 channels, but how they contribute to short-term synaptic plasticity is unknown. Here, we show that activity-dependent modulation of presynaptic Ca(V)2.1 channels by CaBP1 and VILIP-2 has opposing effects on short-term synaptic plasticity in superior cervical ganglion neurons. Expression of CaBP1, which blocks Ca(2+)-dependent facilitation of P/Q-type Ca(2+) current, markedly reduced facilitation of synaptic transmission. VILIP-2, which blocks Ca(2+)-dependent inactivation of P/Q-type Ca(2+) current, reduced synaptic depression and increased facilitation under conditions of high release probability. These results demonstrate that activity-dependent regulation of presynaptic Ca(V)2.1 channels by differentially expressed Ca(2+) sensor proteins can fine-tune synaptic responses to trains of action potentials and thereby contribute to the diversity of short-term synaptic plasticity. PMID:23027954
Detection of Ca(2+)-binding proteins by electrophoretic migration in the presence of Ca2+ combined with 45Ca2+ overlay of protein blots
Garrigos, M.; Deschamps, S.; Viel, A.; Lund, S.; Champeil, P.; Moller, J.V.; le Maire, M. , Gif-sur-Yvette )
When high affinity Ca(2+)-binding proteins like calmodulin, or proteins with a high Ca(2+)-binding capacity like calsequestrin, underwent sodium dodecyl sulfate-gel electrophoresis in Laemmli systems, their electrophoretic migration rates were much higher in gels containing 1 mM Ca2+ than in gels containing ethylene glycol bis(beta-aminoethyl ether) N,N{prime}-tetraacetic acid (EGTA). Replacement of EGTA by Ca2+ in the gel, combined with the blotting of electrophoretically separated proteins on polyvinylidene difluoride membranes and subsequent 45Ca2+ overlay, proved a very effective means of detecting Ca(2+)-binding proteins. This combined approach is important since artifacts occur in both techniques when used separately. We found that the usual procedure of adding Ca2+ to the sample before electrophoresis without including it in the gel itself permitted the detection of only very high affinity Ca(2+)-binding proteins.
Developmental changes in Ca(2+)-uptake, Na+,Ca(2+)-exchange and Ca(2+)-ATPase in freshly isolated embryonic, newborn and adult chicken heart.
Prakash, P; Meera, P; Tripathi, O
Developmental changes in cellular Ca(2+)-transport mechanisms were studied in chick heart by determining cellular Ca(2+)-uptake and Na+,Ca(2+)-exchange activity in freshly isolated ventricular tissues of embryonic (5-18 days old), newborn (1-2 days old) and young adult (90-100 days old) heart by monitoring 45Ca influx. Ca(2+)-ATPase activity was determined in microsomal fractions at different stages of development. The Ca(2+)-uptake (per g wet tissue weight) increased with the development of embryonic as well as post-hatch chick heart, reaching a maximum in the young adult chicken. The overall increase in Ca(2+)-uptake, from embryonic day 5 to young-adult stage, was more than 3 fold. The Na+,Ca(2+)-exchange activity, determined as Na(+)-gradient-induced Ca(2+)-uptake in presence of either ouabain or zero [Na+]0, showed a 6-fold increase during development of heart from the embryonic day 5 to the young adult stage. Amiloride, an inhibitor of Na+,Ca(2+)-exchange, caused a dose-dependent reduction in a ouabain-induced rise in 45Ca influx at different stages of development. The inhibitory effect of amiloride was, however, greater during later stages of development. A progressive increase in Ca(2+)-ATPase activity was also seen during development. Ca(2+)-ATPase exhibited about a 4-fold increase in activity from embryonic day 7 to the young adult. The concomitant increase in Ca(2+)-uptake, Na+,Ca(2+)-exchange and Ca(2+)-ATPase activities suggests age-dependent changes in Ca(2+)-transport and storage systems of developing heart during embryogenesis and post-embryonic life. During embryogenesis the developmental increase in Na+,Ca(2+)-exchange activity was greater than that during post-hatch development of heart. However, the increase in Ca(2+)-ATPase activity was greater during post-hatch development than during embryogenesis. It is suggested that Na+,Ca(2+)-exchange and Ca(2+)-ATPase play a prominent role in maintaining cellular Ca2+ homeostasis during embryogenesis and
Mitochondrial and sarcolemmal Ca2+ transport reduce [Ca2+]i during caffeine contractures in rabbit cardiac myocytes.
Bassani, R A; Bassani, J W; Bers, D M
1. Contraction and intracellular Ca2+ (Ca2+i) transients were measured in isolated rabbit ventricular myocytes during twitches and contractures induced by rapid application of 10 mM-caffeine. 2. The amplitude of caffeine-induced contractures and the accompanying Ca2+i transients were larger than during normal twitches and also declined more slowly. This may be because only a fraction of sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca2+ is released during a normal twitch, or because of a temporal overlap of SR Ca2+ release and uptake during the twitch. 3. When a caffeine contracture was initiated in Na(+)-free, Ca(2+)-free medium (to prevent sarcolemmal Na(+)-Ca2+ exchange) the contracture and Ca2+i transient were larger and decreased much more slowly. Thus, Ca2+ extrusion via Na(+)-Ca2+ exchange may limit the amplitude of caffeine-induced contractures. 4. Relaxation half-time (t1/2) for the twitch (0.17 +/- 0.03 s) was increased to 0.54 +/- 0.07 s for caffeine contractures in control solution and 8.8 +/- 1 s for caffeine-induced contractures in Na(+)-free, Ca(2+)-free solution. These results confirm that the SR Ca2+ pump and Na(+)-Ca2+ exchange are the predominant mechanisms for cytoplasmic Ca2+ removal during relaxation. However slower mechanisms can still reduce intracellular [Ca2+]. 5. Relaxation of caffeine contractures in Na(+)-free solution was further slowed when (a) mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake was inhibited with the oxidative phosphorylation uncoupler, FCCP (t1/2 = 19.7 +/- 3.2 s), or (b) the sarcolemmal Ca(2+)-ATPase pumping ability was depressed by a large transmembrane [Ca2+] gradient (t1/2 = 27.5 +/- 6.9 s). 6. When the four Ca2+ transport systems were simultaneously inhibited (i.e. SR Ca2+ pump, Na(+)-Ca2+ exchange, mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake and sarcolemmal Ca2+ pump), relaxation was practically abolished, but the cell could recover quickly when Na+ was reintroduced and caffeine removed. 7. We conclude that, under our experimental conditions, the sarcolemmal Ca2+ pump
Ca2+ signaling in the myocardium by (redox) regulation of PKA/CaMKII
Johnston, Alex S.; Lehnart, Stephan E.; Burgoyne, Joseph R.
Homeostatic cardiac function is maintained by a complex network of interdependent signaling pathways which become compromised during disease progression. Excitation-contraction-coupling, the translation of an electrical signal to a contractile response is critically dependent on a tightly controlled sequence of events culminating in a rise in intracellular Ca2+ and subsequent contraction of the myocardium. Dysregulation of this Ca2+ handling system as well as increases in the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) are two major contributing factors to myocardial disease progression. ROS, generated by cellular oxidases and by-products of cellular metabolism, are highly reactive oxygen derivatives that function as key secondary messengers within the heart and contribute to normal homeostatic function. However, excessive production of ROS, as in disease, can directly interact with kinases critical for Ca2+ regulation. This post-translational oxidative modification therefore links changes in the redox status of the myocardium to phospho-regulated pathways essential for its function. This review aims to describe the oxidative regulation of the Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent kinase II (CaMKII) and cAMP-dependent protein kinase A (PKA), and the subsequent impact this has on Ca2+ handling within the myocardium. Elucidating the impact of alterations in intracellular ROS production on Ca2+ dynamics through oxidative modification of key ROS sensing kinases, may provide novel therapeutic targets for preventing myocardial disease progression. PMID:26321952
Measuring spatial and temporal Ca2+ signals in Arabidopsis plants.
Zhu, Xiaohong; Taylor, Aaron; Zhang, Shenyu; Zhang, Dayong; Feng, Ying; Liang, Gaimei; Zhu, Jian-Kang
Developmental and environmental cues induce Ca(2+) fluctuations in plant cells. Stimulus-specific spatial-temporal Ca(2+) patterns are sensed by cellular Ca(2+) binding proteins that initiate Ca(2+) signaling cascades. However, we still know little about how stimulus specific Ca(2+) signals are generated. The specificity of a Ca(2+) signal may be attributed to the sophisticated regulation of the activities of Ca(2+) channels and/or transporters in response to a given stimulus. To identify these cellular components and understand their functions, it is crucial to use systems that allow a sensitive and robust recording of Ca(2+) signals at both the tissue and cellular levels. Genetically encoded Ca(2+) indicators that are targeted to different cellular compartments have provided a platform for live cell confocal imaging of cellular Ca(2+) signals. Here we describe instructions for the use of two Ca(2+) detection systems: aequorin based FAS (film adhesive seedlings) luminescence Ca(2+) imaging and case12 based live cell confocal fluorescence Ca(2+) imaging. Luminescence imaging using the FAS system provides a simple, robust and sensitive detection of spatial and temporal Ca(2+) signals at the tissue level, while live cell confocal imaging using Case12 provides simultaneous detection of cytosolic and nuclear Ca(2+) signals at a high resolution. PMID:25226381
Apocalmodulin Itself Promotes Ion Channel Opening and Ca2+ Regulation
Adams, Paul J.; Ben-Johny, Manu; Dick, Ivy E.; Inoue, Takanari; Yue, David T.
SUMMARY The Ca2+-free form of calmodulin (apoCaM) often appears inert, modulating target molecules only upon conversion to its Ca2+-bound form. This schema has appeared to govern voltage-gated Ca2+ channels, where apoCaM has been considered a dormant Ca2+ sensor, associated with channels, but awaiting the binding of Ca2+ ions before inhibiting channel opening to provide vital feedback inhibition. Using single-molecule measurements of channels and chemical dimerization to elevate apoCaM, we find that apoCaM binding on its own markedly upregulates opening, rivaling the strongest forms of modulation. Upon Ca2+ binding to this CaM, inhibition may simply reverse the initial upregulation. As RNA edited and spliced channel variants show different affinities for apoCaM, the apoCaM-dependent control mechanisms may underlie the functional diversity of these variants and explain an elongation of neuronal action potentials by apoCaM. More broadly, voltage-gated Na channels adopt this same modulatory principle. ApoCaM thus imparts potent and pervasive ion-channel regulation. PMID:25417111
77 FR 58901 - California Disaster #CA-00190
Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
... From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION California Disaster CA-00190 AGENCY: U.S. Small Business Administration. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY... Application Deadline Date: 06/14/2013. ADDRESSES: Submit completed loan applications to: U.S. Small...
literacy.ca EXPRESS. December 2010
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Canadian Literacy and Learning Network, 2010
This issue of "literacy.ca EXPRESS" features new and exciting developments, updates and exciting new resources. Articles included in this issue are: (1) Introducing CLLN (Canadian Literacy and Learning Network)!; (2) Supporting Learner Leadership; (3) Involving Learners by Patricia Ashie; (4) Catching Confidence; (5) CALL (Committee of Adult…
Hippocampal CA1 Ripples as Inhibitory Transients.
Malerba, Paola; Krishnan, Giri P; Fellous, Jean-Marc; Bazhenov, Maxim
Memories are stored and consolidated as a result of a dialogue between the hippocampus and cortex during sleep. Neurons active during behavior reactivate in both structures during sleep, in conjunction with characteristic brain oscillations that may form the neural substrate of memory consolidation. In the hippocampus, replay occurs within sharp wave-ripples: short bouts of high-frequency activity in area CA1 caused by excitatory activation from area CA3. In this work, we develop a computational model of ripple generation, motivated by in vivo rat data showing that ripples have a broad frequency distribution, exponential inter-arrival times and yet highly non-variable durations. Our study predicts that ripples are not persistent oscillations but result from a transient network behavior, induced by input from CA3, in which the high frequency synchronous firing of perisomatic interneurons does not depend on the time scale of synaptic inhibition. We found that noise-induced loss of synchrony among CA1 interneurons dynamically constrains individual ripple duration. Our study proposes a novel mechanism of hippocampal ripple generation consistent with a broad range of experimental data, and highlights the role of noise in regulating the duration of input-driven oscillatory spiking in an inhibitory network. PMID:27093059
Exchange stiffness of Ca-doped YIG
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Avgin, I.; Huber, D. L.
An effective medium theory for the zero-temperature exchange stiffness of uncompensated Ca-doped YIG is presented. The theory is based on the assumption that the effect of the Ca impurities is to produce strong, random ferromagnetic interactions between spins on the a and d sublattices. In the simplest version of the theory, a fraction, x, of the ad exchange integrals are large and positive, x being related to the Ca concentration. The stiffness is calculated as function of x for arbitrary perturbed ad exchange integral, Jxad. For Jxad≳(1/5)‖8Jaa+3Jdd‖, with Jaa and Jdd denoting the aa and dd exchange integrals, respectively, there is a critical concentration, Xc, such that when x≳Xc, the stiffness is complex. It is suggested that Xc delineates the region where there are significant departures from colinearity in the ground state of the Fe spins. Extension of the theory to a model where the Ca doping is assumed to generate Fe4+ ions on the tetrahedral sites is discussed. Possible experimental tests of the theory are mentioned.
literacy.ca EXPRESS. October 2009
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Movement for Canadian Literacy, 2009
This issue of "literacy.ca EXPRESS" focuses on the topic of promising practice. Promising or good practice and lessons learned are used to describe useful practices, approaches or ideas. Articles included in this issue: (1) Practitioner Profile: Meet Connie Jones; (2) Highlights from the LAN (Learner Advisory Network); (3) In the Works... Projects…
Interlamellar CA1 network in the hippocampus
Yang, Sunggu; Yang, Sungchil; Moreira, Thais; Hoffman, Gloria; Carlson, Greg C.; Bender, Kevin J.; Alger, Bradley E.; Tang, Cha-Min
To understand the cellular basis of learning and memory, the neurophysiology of the hippocampus has been largely examined in thin transverse slice preparations. However, the synaptic architecture along the longitudinal septo-temporal axis perpendicular to the transverse projections in CA1 is largely unknown, despite its potential significance for understanding the information processing carried out by the hippocampus. Here, using a battery of powerful techniques, including 3D digital holography and focal glutamate uncaging, voltage-sensitive dye, two-photon imaging, electrophysiology, and immunohistochemistry, we show that CA1 pyramidal neurons are connected to one another in an associational and well-organized fashion along the longitudinal axis of the hippocampus. Such CA1 longitudinal connections mediate reliable signal transfer among the pyramidal cells and express significant synaptic plasticity. These results illustrate a need to reconceptualize hippocampal CA1 network function to include not only processing in the transverse plane, but also operations made possible by the longitudinal network. Our data will thus provide an essential basis for future computational modeling studies on information processing operations carried out in the full 3D hippocampal network that underlies its complex cognitive functions. PMID:25139992
literacy.ca EXPRESS. April 2010
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Movement for Canadian Literacy, 2010
This issue of "literacy.ca EXPRESS" focuses on poverty. The articles included in this issue are: (1) Poverty Overview; (2) Tony's Story; (3) LAN (Learner Advisory Network) Member's Story (Dianne Smith); (4) Linking Adult Literacy to Poverty Reduction; (5) MCL (Movement for Canadian Literacy) Update; (6) Highlights from the LAN; (7) Good to Know...…
SNL/CA Cultural Resources Management Plan.
Larsen, Barbara L.
The SNL/CA Cultural Resources Management Plan satisfies the site's Environmental Management System requirement to promote long-term stewardship of cultural resources. The plan summarizes the cultural and historical setting of the site, identifies existing procedures and processes that support protection and preservation of resources, and outlines actions that would be initiated if cultural resources were discovered onsite in the future.3
78 FR 39821 - California Disaster #CA-00202
Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
... From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION California Disaster CA-00202 AGENCY: U.S. Small Business Administration. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY... Deadline Date: 03/25/2014. ADDRESSES: Submit completed loan applications to: U.S. Small...
78 FR 60366 - California Disaster #CA-00212
Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
... From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION California Disaster CA-00212 AGENCY: U.S. Small Business Administration. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY...: 06/24/2014. ADDRESSES: Submit completed loan applications to: U.S. Small Business...
Inositol Trisphosphate Receptor Ca2+ Release Channels
The inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (InsP3) receptors (InsP3Rs) are a family of Ca2+ release channels localized predominately in the endoplasmic reticulum of all cell types. They function to release Ca2+ into the cytoplasm in response to InsP3 produced by diverse stimuli, generating complex local and global Ca2+ signals that regulate numerous cell physiological processes ranging from gene transcription to secretion to learning and memory. The InsP3R is a calcium-selective cation channel whose gating is regulated not only by InsP3, but by other ligands as well, in particular cytoplasmic Ca2+. Over the last decade, detailed quantitative studies of InsP3R channel function and its regulation by ligands and interacting proteins have provided new insights into a remarkable richness of channel regulation and of the structural aspects that underlie signal transduction and permeation. Here, we focus on these developments and review and synthesize the literature regarding the structure and single-channel properties of the InsP3R. PMID:17429043
Hippocampal CA1 Ripples as Inhibitory Transients
Krishnan, Giri P; Fellous, Jean-Marc; Bazhenov, Maxim
Memories are stored and consolidated as a result of a dialogue between the hippocampus and cortex during sleep. Neurons active during behavior reactivate in both structures during sleep, in conjunction with characteristic brain oscillations that may form the neural substrate of memory consolidation. In the hippocampus, replay occurs within sharp wave-ripples: short bouts of high-frequency activity in area CA1 caused by excitatory activation from area CA3. In this work, we develop a computational model of ripple generation, motivated by in vivo rat data showing that ripples have a broad frequency distribution, exponential inter-arrival times and yet highly non-variable durations. Our study predicts that ripples are not persistent oscillations but result from a transient network behavior, induced by input from CA3, in which the high frequency synchronous firing of perisomatic interneurons does not depend on the time scale of synaptic inhibition. We found that noise-induced loss of synchrony among CA1 interneurons dynamically constrains individual ripple duration. Our study proposes a novel mechanism of hippocampal ripple generation consistent with a broad range of experimental data, and highlights the role of noise in regulating the duration of input-driven oscillatory spiking in an inhibitory network. PMID:27093059
Interlamellar CA1 network in the hippocampus.
Yang, Sunggu; Yang, Sungchil; Moreira, Thais; Hoffman, Gloria; Carlson, Greg C; Bender, Kevin J; Alger, Bradley E; Tang, Cha-Min
To understand the cellular basis of learning and memory, the neurophysiology of the hippocampus has been largely examined in thin transverse slice preparations. However, the synaptic architecture along the longitudinal septo-temporal axis perpendicular to the transverse projections in CA1 is largely unknown, despite its potential significance for understanding the information processing carried out by the hippocampus. Here, using a battery of powerful techniques, including 3D digital holography and focal glutamate uncaging, voltage-sensitive dye, two-photon imaging, electrophysiology, and immunohistochemistry, we show that CA1 pyramidal neurons are connected to one another in an associational and well-organized fashion along the longitudinal axis of the hippocampus. Such CA1 longitudinal connections mediate reliable signal transfer among the pyramidal cells and express significant synaptic plasticity. These results illustrate a need to reconceptualize hippocampal CA1 network function to include not only processing in the transverse plane, but also operations made possible by the longitudinal network. Our data will thus provide an essential basis for future computational modeling studies on information processing operations carried out in the full 3D hippocampal network that underlies its complex cognitive functions. PMID:25139992
Ca2+-Dependent Regulation of Ca2+ Currents in Rat Primary Afferent Neurons: Role of CaMKII and the Effect of Injury
Tang, Qingbo; Bangaru, Madhavi Latha Yadav; Kostic, Sandra; Pan, Bin; Wu, Hsiang-En; Koopmeiners, Andrew S.; Yu, Hongwei; Fischer, Gregory J.; McCallum, J. Bruce; Kwok, Wai-Meng; Hudmon, Andy
Currents through voltage-gated Ca2+ channels (ICa) may be regulated by cytoplasmic Ca2+ levels ([Ca2+]c), producing Ca2+-dependent inactivation (CDI) or facilitation (CDF). Since ICa regulates sensory neuron excitability, altered CDI or CDF could contribute to pain generation after peripheral nerve injury. We explored this by manipulating [Ca2+]c while recording ICa in rat sensory neurons. In uninjured neurons, elevating [Ca2+]c with a conditioning prepulse (−15 mV, 2 s) inactivated ICa measured during subsequent test pulses (−15 mV, 5 ms). This inactivation was Ca2+-dependent (CDI), since it was decreased with elimination of Ca2+ influx by depolarization to above the ICa reversal potential, with high intracellular Ca2+ buffering (EGTA 10 mm or BAPTA 20 mm), and with substitution of Ba2+ for extracellular Ca2+, revealing a residual voltage-dependent inactivation. At longer latencies after conditioning (>6 s), ICa recovered beyond baseline. This facilitation also proved to be Ca2+-dependent (CDF) using the protocols limiting cytoplasmic Ca2+ elevation. Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) blockers applied by bath (KN-93, myristoyl-AIP) or expressed selectively in the sensory neurons (AIP) reduced CDF, unlike their inactive analogues. Protein kinase C inhibition (chelerythrine) had no effect. Selective blockade of N-type Ca2+ channels eliminated CDF, whereas L-type channel blockade had no effect. Following nerve injury, CDI was unaffected, but CDF was eliminated in axotomized neurons. Excitability of sensory neurons in intact ganglia from control animals was diminished after a similar conditioning pulse, but this regulation was eliminated by injury. These findings indicate that ICa in sensory neurons is subject to both CDI and CDF, and that hyperexcitability following injury-induced loss of CDF may result from diminished CaMKII activity. PMID:22915116
ASteCA: Automated Stellar Cluster Analysis
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Perren, G. I.; Vázquez, R. A.; Piatti, A. E.
We present the Automated Stellar Cluster Analysis package (ASteCA), a suit of tools designed to fully automate the standard tests applied on stellar clusters to determine their basic parameters. The set of functions included in the code make use of positional and photometric data to obtain precise and objective values for a given cluster's center coordinates, radius, luminosity function and integrated color magnitude, as well as characterizing through a statistical estimator its probability of being a true physical cluster rather than a random overdensity of field stars. ASteCA incorporates a Bayesian field star decontamination algorithm capable of assigning membership probabilities using photometric data alone. An isochrone fitting process based on the generation of synthetic clusters from theoretical isochrones and selection of the best fit through a genetic algorithm is also present, which allows ASteCA to provide accurate estimates for a cluster's metallicity, age, extinction and distance values along with its uncertainties. To validate the code we applied it on a large set of over 400 synthetic MASSCLEAN clusters with varying degrees of field star contamination as well as a smaller set of 20 observed Milky Way open clusters (Berkeley 7, Bochum 11, Czernik 26, Czernik 30, Haffner 11, Haffner 19, NGC 133, NGC 2236, NGC 2264, NGC 2324, NGC 2421, NGC 2627, NGC 6231, NGC 6383, NGC 6705, Ruprecht 1, Tombaugh 1, Trumpler 1, Trumpler 5 and Trumpler 14) studied in the literature. The results show that ASteCA is able to recover cluster parameters with an acceptable precision even for those clusters affected by substantial field star contamination. ASteCA is written in Python and is made available as an open source code which can be downloaded ready to be used from its official site.
The Electronic Spectra of CaN2(+) and Ca(N2)2(+)
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Rodriguez-Santiago, Luis; Bauschlicher, Charles W., Jr.; Arnold, James (Technical Monitor)
The ground and low-lying electronic states of CaN2(+) are studied at several levels of theory. The results for the X(sup 2)Sigma(+) state and the excited (2)(sup 2)Pi state, arising from occupying the Ca 4p orbital, are in good agreement with experiment. The analogous states of Ca(N2)2(+) are studied using the same theoretical approaches, and predictions are made as to the changes caused by the addition of the second N2 ligand.
A study of the low-lying states of CaAr + and CaKr +
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Heinemann, Christoph; Koch, Wolfram; Partridge, Harry
The spectroscopic constants of the ground 2Σ + states of CaAr + and CaKr + are determined using high quality ab initio methods. The computed binding energies are 789 and 1252 cm -1, respectively, in good agreement with the experimental determination of Pullins, Scurlock, Reddic and Duncan (J. Chem. Phys. 104 (1996) 7518). The much smaller CaKr + binding energy determined by Buthelezi, Bellert, Lewis and Brucat (Chem. Phys. Lett. 246 (1995) 145) is shown to be due to deficiencies in the method used to approximate the binding energy of the excited state.
Exercise training reverses myocardial dysfunction induced by CaMKIIδC overexpression by restoring Ca2+ homeostasis.
Høydal, Morten A; Stølen, Tomas O; Kettlewell, Sarah; Maier, Lars S; Brown, Joan Heller; Sowa, Tomas; Catalucci, Daniele; Condorelli, Gianluigi; Kemi, Ole J; Smith, Godfrey L; Wisløff, Ulrik
Several conditions of heart disease, including heart failure and diabetic cardiomyopathy, are associated with upregulation of cytosolic Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKIIδC) activity. In the heart, CaMKIIδC isoform targets several proteins involved in intracellular Ca(2+) homeostasis. We hypothesized that high-intensity endurance training activates mechanisms that enable a rescue of dysfunctional cardiomyocyte Ca(2+) handling and thereby ameliorate cardiac dysfunction despite continuous and chronic elevated levels of CaMKIIδC CaMKIIδC transgenic (TG) and wild-type (WT) mice performed aerobic interval exercise training over 6 wk. Cardiac function was measured by echocardiography in vivo, and cardiomyocyte shortening and intracellular Ca(2+) handling were measured in vitro. TG mice had reduced global cardiac function, cardiomyocyte shortening (47% reduced compared with WT, P < 0.01), and impaired Ca(2+) homeostasis. Despite no change in the chronic elevated levels of CaMKIIδC, exercise improved global cardiac function, restored cardiomyocyte shortening, and reestablished Ca(2+) homeostasis to values not different from WT. The key features to explain restored Ca(2+) homeostasis after exercise training were increased L-type Ca(2+) current density and flux by 79 and 85%, respectively (P < 0.01), increased sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca(2+)-ATPase (SERCA2a) function by 50% (P < 0.01), and reduced diastolic SR Ca(2+) leak by 73% (P < 0.01), compared with sedentary TG mice. In conclusion, exercise training improves global cardiac function as well as cardiomyocyte function in the presence of a maintained high CaMKII activity. The main mechanisms of exercise-induced improvements in TG CaMKIIδC mice are mediated via increased L-type Ca(2+) channel currents and improved SR Ca(2+) handling by restoration of SERCA2a function in addition to reduced diastolic SR Ca(2+) leak. PMID:27231311
Regulation of endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ oscillations in mammalian eggs
Wakai, Takuya; Zhang, Nan; Vangheluwe, Peter; Fissore, Rafael A.
Summary Changes in the intracellular concentration of free calcium ([Ca2+]i) regulate diverse cellular processes including fertilization. In mammalian eggs, the [Ca2+]i changes induced by the sperm unfold in a pattern of periodical rises, also known as [Ca2+]i oscillations. The source of Ca2+ during oscillations is the endoplasmic reticulum ([Ca2+]ER), but it is presently unknown how [Ca2+]ER is regulated. Here, we show using mouse eggs that [Ca2+]i oscillations induced by a variety of agonists, including PLCζ, SrCl2 and thimerosal, provoke simultaneous but opposite changes in [Ca2+]ER and cause differential effects on the refilling and overall load of [Ca2+]ER. We also found that Ca2+ influx is required to refill [Ca2+]ER, because the loss of [Ca2+]ER was accelerated in medium devoid of Ca2+. Pharmacological inactivation of the function of the mitochondria and of the Ca2+-ATPase pumps PMCA and SERCA altered the pattern of oscillations and abruptly reduced [Ca2+]ER, especially after inactivation of mitochondria and SERCA functions. We also examined the expression of SERCA2b protein and found that it was expressed throughout oocyte maturation and attained a conspicuous cortical cluster organization in mature eggs. We show that its overexpression reduces the duration of inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate-induced [Ca2+]i rises, promotes initiation of oscillations and enhances refilling of [Ca2+]ER. Collectively, our results provide novel insights on the regulation of [Ca2+]ER oscillations, which underlie the unique Ca2+-signalling system that activates the developmental program in mammalian eggs. PMID:24101727
Ca2+ signals regulate mitochondrial metabolism by stimulating CREB-mediated expression of the mitochondrial Ca2+ uniporter gene mcu
Shanmughapriya, Santhanam; Rajan, Sudarsan; Hoffman, Nicholas E.; Zhang, Xueqian; Guo, Shuchi; Kolesar, Jill E.; Hines, Kevin J.; Ragheb, Jonathan; Jog, Neelakshi R.; Caricchio, Roberto; Baba, Yoshihiro; Zhou, Yandong; Kaufman, Brett; Cheung, Joseph Y.; Kurosaki, Tomohiro; Gill, Donald L.; Madesh, Muniswamy
Cytosolic Ca2+ signals, generated through the coordinated translocation of Ca2+ across the plasma membrane (PM) and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane, mediate diverse cellular responses. Mitochondrial Ca2+ is important for mitochondrial function and, when cytosolic Ca2+ concentrations become too high, mitochondria function as cellular Ca2+ sinks. By measuring mitochondrial Ca2+ currents, we found that mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake was reduced in chicken DT40 B lymphocytes lacking either the ER-localized inositol trisphosphate receptor (IP3R), which releases Ca2+ from the ER, or Orai1 or STIM1, components of the PM-localized Ca2+-permeable channel complex that mediates store-operated calcium entry (SOCE) in response to depletion of ER Ca2+ stores. The abundance of MCU, the pore-forming subunit of the mitochondrial Ca2+ uniporter, was reduced in cells deficient in IP3R, STIM1, or Orai1. Chromatin immunoprecipitation and promoter reporter analyses revealed that the Ca2+-regulated transcription factor CREB directly bound the mcu promoter and stimulated expression. Lymphocytes deficient in IP3R, STIM1, or Orai1 exhibited altered mitochondrial metabolism, indicating that Ca2+ released from the ER and SOCE-mediated signals modulate mitochondrial function. Thus, our results showed that a transcriptional regulatory circuit involving Ca2+-dependent activation of CREB controls the Ca2+-uptake capability of mitochondria and hence regulates mitochondrial metabolism. PMID:25737585
Activation of the Ca2+-sensing receptor increases renal claudin-14 expression and urinary Ca2+ excretion
Dimke, Henrik; Desai, Prajakta; Borovac, Jelena; Lau, Alyssa; Pan, Wanling; Alexander, R. Todd
Kidney stones are a prevalent clinical condition imposing a large economic burden on the health-care system. Hypercalciuria remains the major risk factor for development of a Ca2+-containing stone. The kidney's ability to alter Ca2+ excretion in response to changes in serum Ca2+ is in part mediated by the Ca2+-sensing receptor (CaSR). Recent studies revealed renal claudin-14 (Cldn14) expression localized to the thick ascending limb (TAL) and its expression to be regulated via the CaSR. We find that Cldn14 expression is increased by high dietary Ca2+ intake and by elevated serum Ca2+ levels induced by prolonged 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 administration. Consistent with this, activation of the CaSR in vivo via administration of the calcimimetic cinacalcet hydrochloride led to a 40-fold increase in Cldn14 mRNA. Moreover, overexpression of Cldn14 in two separate cell culture models decreased paracellular Ca2+ flux by preferentially decreasing cation permeability, thereby increasing transepithelial resistance. These data support the existence of a mechanism whereby activation of the CaSR in the TAL increases Cldn14 expression, which in turn blocks the paracellular reabsorption of Ca2+. This molecular mechanism likely facilitates renal Ca2+ losses in response to elevated serum Ca2+. Moreover, dys-regulation of the newly described CaSR-Cldn14 axis likely contributes to the development of hypercalciuria and kidney stones. PMID:23283989
Ca2+ signals regulate mitochondrial metabolism by stimulating CREB-mediated expression of the mitochondrial Ca2+ uniporter gene MCU.
Shanmughapriya, Santhanam; Rajan, Sudarsan; Hoffman, Nicholas E; Zhang, Xueqian; Guo, Shuchi; Kolesar, Jill E; Hines, Kevin J; Ragheb, Jonathan; Jog, Neelakshi R; Caricchio, Roberto; Baba, Yoshihiro; Zhou, Yandong; Kaufman, Brett A; Cheung, Joseph Y; Kurosaki, Tomohiro; Gill, Donald L; Madesh, Muniswamy
Cytosolic Ca2+ signals, generated through the coordinated translocation of Ca2+ across the plasma membrane (PM) and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane, mediate diverse cellular responses. Mitochondrial Ca2+ is important for mitochondrial function, and when cytosolic Ca2+ concentration becomes too high, mitochondria function as cellular Ca2+ sinks. By measuring mitochondrial Ca2+ currents, we found that mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake was reduced in chicken DT40 B lymphocytes lacking either the ER-localized inositol trisphosphate receptor (IP3R), which releases Ca2+ from the ER, or Orai1 or STIM1, components of the PM-localized Ca2+ -permeable channel complex that mediates store-operated calcium entry (SOCE) in response to depletion of ER Ca2+ stores. The abundance of MCU, the pore-forming subunit of the mitochondrial Ca2+ uniporter, was reduced in cells deficient in IP3R, STIM1, or Orai1. Chromatin immunoprecipitation and promoter reporter analyses revealed that the Ca2+ -regulated transcription factor CREB (cyclic adenosine monophosphate response element-binding protein) directly bound the MCU promoter and stimulated expression. Lymphocytes deficient in IP3R, STIM1, or Orai1 exhibited altered mitochondrial metabolism, indicating that Ca2+ released from the ER and SOCE-mediated signals modulates mitochondrial function. Thus, our results showed that a transcriptional regulatory circuit involving Ca2+ -dependent activation of CREB controls the Ca2+ uptake capability of mitochondria and hence regulates mitochondrial metabolism. PMID:25737585
Imaging intraorganellar Ca2+ at subcellular resolution using CEPIA
Suzuki, Junji; Kanemaru, Kazunori; Ishii, Kuniaki; Ohkura, Masamichi; Okubo, Yohei; Iino, Masamitsu
The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and mitochondria accumulate Ca2+ within their lumens to regulate numerous cell functions. However, determining the dynamics of intraorganellar Ca2+ has proven to be difficult. Here we describe a family of genetically encoded Ca2+ indicators, named calcium-measuring organelle-entrapped protein indicators (CEPIA), which can be utilized for intraorganellar Ca2+ imaging. CEPIA, which emit green, red or blue/green fluorescence, are engineered to bind Ca2+ at intraorganellar Ca2+ concentrations. They can be targeted to different organelles and may be used alongside other fluorescent molecular markers, expanding the range of cell functions that can be simultaneously analysed. The spatiotemporal resolution of CEPIA makes it possible to resolve Ca2+ import into individual mitochondria while simultaneously measuring ER and cytosolic Ca2+. We have used these imaging capabilities to reveal differential Ca2+ handling in individual mitochondria. CEPIA imaging is a useful new tool to further the understanding of organellar functions. PMID:24923787
Phosphorylation and activation of nuclear Ca{sup 2+}/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase phosphatase (CaMKP-N/PPM1E) by Ca{sup 2+}/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase I (CaMKI)
Onouchi, Takashi; Sueyoshi, Noriyuki; Ishida, Atsuhiko; Kameshita, Isamu
Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer CaMKP-N/PPM1E underwent proteolytic processing and translocated to cytosol. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The proteolysis was effectively inhibited by the proteasome inhibitors. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Ser-480 of zebrafish CaMKP-N was phosphorylated by cytosolic CaMKI. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Phosphorylation-mimic mutants of CaMKP-N showed enhanced activity. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer These results suggest that CaMKP-N is regulated by CaMKI. -- Abstract: Nuclear Ca{sup 2+}/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase phosphatase (CaMKP-N/PPM1E) is an enzyme that dephosphorylates and downregulates multifunctional Ca{sup 2+}/calmodulin-dependent protein kinases (CaMKs) as well as AMP-dependent protein kinase. In our previous study, we found that zebrafish CaMKP-N (zCaMKP-N) underwent proteolytic processing and translocated to cytosol in a proteasome inhibitor-sensitive manner. In the present study, we found that zCaMKP-N is regulated by phosphorylation at Ser-480. When zCaMKP-N was incubated with the activated CaMKI, time-dependent phosphorylation of the enzyme was observed. This phosphorylation was significantly reduced when Ser-480 was replaced by Ala, suggesting that CaMKI phosphorylates Ser-480 of zCaMKP-N. Phosphorylation-mimic mutants, S480D and S480E, showed higher phosphatase activities than those of wild type and S480A mutant in solution-based phosphatase assay using various substrates. Furthermore, autophosphorylation of CaMKII after ionomycin treatment was more severely attenuated in Neuro2a cells when CaMKII was cotransfected with the phosphorylation-mimic mutant of zCaMKP-N than with the wild-type or non-phosphorylatable zCaMKP-N. These results strongly suggest that phosphorylation of zCaMKP-N at Ser-480 by CaMKI activates CaMKP-N catalytic activity and thereby downregulates multifunctional CaMKs in the cytosol.
Acidic intracellular Ca(2+) stores and caveolae in Ca(2+) signaling and diabetes.
Guerrero-Hernandez, Agustin; Gallegos-Gomez, Martin Leonardo; Sanchez-Vazquez, Victor Hugo; Lopez-Mendez, Maria Cristina
Acidic Ca(2+) stores, particularly lysosomes, are newly discovered players in the well-orchestrated arena of Ca(2+) signaling and we are at the verge of understanding how lysosomes accumulate Ca(2+) and how they release it in response to different chemical, such as NAADP, and physical signals. Additionally, it is now clear that lysosomes play a key role in autophagy, a process that allows cells to recycle components or to eliminate damaged structures to ensure cellular well-being. Moreover, lysosomes are being unraveled as hubs that coordinate both anabolism via insulin signaling and catabolism via AMPK. These acidic vesicles have close contact with the ER and there is a bidirectional movement of information between these two organelles that exquisitely regulates cell survival. Lysosomes also connect with plasma membrane where caveolae are located as specialized regions involved in Ca(2+) and insulin signaling. Alterations of all these signaling pathways are at the core of insulin resistance and diabetes. PMID:25182518
Fabrication aspects of PLA-CaP/PLGA-CaP composites for orthopedic applications: a review.
Zhou, Huan; Lawrence, Joseph G; Bhaduri, Sarit B
For several decades, composites made of polylactic acid-calcium phosphates (PLA-CaP) and polylactic acid-co-glycolic acid-calcium phosphates (PLGA-CaP) have seen widespread uses in orthopedic applications. This paper reviews the fabrication aspects of these composites, following the ubiquitous materials science approach by studying "processing-structure-property" correlations. Various fabrication processes such as microencapsulation, phase separation, electrospinning, supercritical gas foaming, etc., are reviewed, with specific examples of their applications in fabricating these composites. The effect of the incorporation of CaP materials on the mechanical and biological performance of PLA/PLGA is addressed. In addition, this paper describes the state of the art on challenges and innovations concerning CaP dispersion, incorporation of biomolecules/stem cells and long-term degradation of the composites. PMID:22342596
Sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ content, L-type Ca2+ current and the Ca2+ transient in rat myocytes during beta-adrenergic stimulation.
Hussain, M; Orchard, C H
1. The effect of beta-adrenergic stimulation on the relationship between the intracellular Ca2+ transient and the amplitude of the L-type Ca2+ current (ICa) has been investigated in ventricular myocytes isolated from rat hearts. Intracellular [Ca2+] was monitored using fura-2 during field stimulation and while membrane potential was controlled using voltage clamp techniques. 2. The increase in the amplitude, and the rate of decline, of the Ca2+ transient produced by isoprenaline (1.0 mumol l-1) was not significantly different in myocytes generating action potentials and in those voltage clamped with pulses of constant duration and amplitude. 3. Under control conditions, the current-voltage (I-V) relationship for ICa was bell shaped. The amplitude of the Ca2+ transient also showed a bell-shaped voltage dependence. In the presence of isoprenaline, the amplitude of both ICa and the Ca2+ transient was greater at all test potentials and the I-V relationship maintained its bell-shaped voltage dependence. However, the size of the Ca2+ transient was no longer graded with changes in the amplitude of ICa: a small ICa could now elicit a maximal Ca2+ transient. 4. Rapid application of caffeine (10 mmol l-1) was used to elicit Ca2+ release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR). Isoprenaline increased the integral of the subsequent rise in cytoplasmic [Ca2+] to 175 +/- 13% of control. 5. Abbreviation of conditioning pulse duration in the presence of isoprenaline was used to reduce the amplitude of the Ca2+ transient to control levels. Under these conditions, the amplitude of the Ca2+ transient was again graded with the amplitude of ICa in the same way as under control conditions. 6. Nifedipine (2 mumol l-1) was also used to decrease Ca2+ transient amplitude in the presence of isoprenaline. In the presence of isoprenaline and nifedipine, the amplitude of the Ca2+ transient again showed a bell-shaped voltage dependence. 7. The SR Ca(2+)-ATPase inhibitor thapsigargin (2.5 mumol l-1
Role of Ca2+ entry and Ca2+ stores in atypical smooth muscle cell autorhythmicity in the mouse renal pelvis
Lang, R J; Hashitani, H; Tonta, M A; Suzuki, H; Parkington, H C
Background and purpose: Electrically active atypical smooth muscle cells (ASMCs) within the renal pelvis have long been considered to act as pacemaker cells driving pelviureteric peristalsis. We have investigated the role of Ca2+ entry and uptake into and release from internal stores in the generation of Ca2+ transients and spontaneous transient depolarizations (STDs) in ASMCs. Experimental approach: The electrical activity and separately visualized changes in intracellular Ca2+ concentration in typical smooth muscle cells (TSMCs), ASMCs and interstitial cells of Cajal-like cells (ICC-LCs) were recorded using intracellular microelectrodes and a fluorescent Ca2+ indicator, fluo-4. Results: In 1 μM nifedipine, high frequency (10–30 min−1) Ca2+ transients and STDs were recorded in ASMCs, while ICC-LCs displayed low frequency (1–3 min−1) Ca2+ transients. All spontaneous electrical activity and Ca2+ transients were blocked upon removal of Ca2+ from the bathing solution, blockade of Ca2+ store uptake with cyclopiazonic acid (CPA) and with 2-aminoethoxy-diphenylborate (2-APB). STD amplitudes were reduced upon removal of the extracellular Na+ or blockade of IP3 dependent Ca2+ store release with neomycin or U73122. Blockade of ryanodine-sensitive Ca2+ release blocked ICC-LC Ca2+ transients but only reduced Ca2+ transient discharge in ASMCs. STDs in ASMCS were also little affected by DIDS, La3+, Gd3+ or by the replacement of extracellular Cl- with isethionate. Conclusions: ASMCs generated Ca2+ transients and cation-selective STDs via mechanisms involving Ca2+ release from IP3-dependent Ca2+ stores, STD stimulation of TSMCs was supported by Ca2+ entry through L type Ca2+ channels and Ca2+ release from ryanodine-sensitive stores. PMID:17965738
Dual Effect of Phosphate Transport on Mitochondrial Ca2+ Dynamics*
Wei, An-Chi; Liu, Ting; O'Rourke, Brian
The large inner membrane electrochemical driving force and restricted volume of the matrix confer unique constraints on mitochondrial ion transport. Cation uptake along with anion and water movement induces swelling if not compensated by other processes. For mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake, these include activation of countertransporters (Na+/Ca2+ exchanger and Na+/H+ exchanger) coupled to the proton gradient, ultimately maintained by the proton pumps of the respiratory chain, and Ca2+ binding to matrix buffers. Inorganic phosphate (Pi) is known to affect both the Ca2+ uptake rate and the buffering reaction, but the role of anion transport in determining mitochondrial Ca2+ dynamics is poorly understood. Here we simultaneously monitor extra- and intra-mitochondrial Ca2+ and mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) to examine the effects of anion transport on mitochondrial Ca2+ flux and buffering in Pi-depleted guinea pig cardiac mitochondria. Mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake proceeded slowly in the absence of Pi but matrix free Ca2+ ([Ca2+]mito) still rose to ∼50 μm. Pi (0.001–1 mm) accelerated Ca2+ uptake but decreased [Ca2+]mito by almost 50% while restoring ΔΨm. Pi-dependent effects on Ca2+ were blocked by inhibiting the phosphate carrier. Mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake rate was also increased by vanadate (Vi), acetate, ATP, or a non-hydrolyzable ATP analog (AMP-PNP), with differential effects on matrix Ca2+ buffering and ΔΨm recovery. Interestingly, ATP or AMP-PNP prevented the effects of Pi on Ca2+ uptake. The results show that anion transport imposes an upper limit on mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake and modifies the [Ca2+]mito response in a complex manner. PMID:25963147
Epithelial Ca2+ entry channels: transcellular Ca2+ transport and beyond
Peng, Ji-Bin; Brown, Edward M; Hediger, Matthias A
The recently discovered apical calcium channels CaT1 (TRPV6) and ECaC (TRPV5) belong to a family of six members called the 'TRPV family'. Unlike the other four members which are nonselective cation channels functioning as heat or osmolarity sensors in the body, CaT1 and ECaC are remarkably calcium-selective channels which serve as apical calcium entry mechanisms in absorptive and secretory tissues. CaT1 is highly expressed in the proximal intestine, placenta and exocrine tissues, whereas ECaC expression is most prominent in the distal convoluted and connecting tubules of the kidney. CaT1 in the intestine is highly responsive to 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 and shows both fast and slow calcium-dependent feedback inhibition to prevent calcium overload. In contrast, ECaC only shows slow inactivation kinetics and appears to be mostly regulated by the calcium load in the kidney. Outside the calcium-transporting epithelia, CaT1 is highly expressed in exocrine tissues such as pancreas, prostate and salivary gland. In these tissues it probably mediates re-uptake of calcium following its release by secretory vesicles. CaT1 also contributes to store-operated calcium entry in Jurkat T-lymphocytes and prostate cancer LNCaP cells, possibly in conjunction with other cellular components which link CaT1 activity to the filling state of the calcium stores. Finally, CaT1 expression is upregulated in prostate cancer and other cancers of epithelial origin, highlighting its potential as a target for cancer therapy. PMID:12869611
Ca-α1T, a fly T-type Ca2+ channel, negatively modulates sleep
Jeong, Kyunghwa; Lee, Soyoung; Seo, Haengsoo; Oh, Yangkyun; Jang, Donghoon; Choe, Joonho; Kim, Daesoo; Lee, Jung-Ha; Jones, Walton D.
Mammalian T-type Ca2+ channels are encoded by three separate genes (Cav3.1, 3.2, 3.3). These channels are reported to be sleep stabilizers important in the generation of the delta rhythms of deep sleep, but controversy remains. The identification of precise physiological functions for the T-type channels has been hindered, at least in part, by the potential for compensation between the products of these three genes and a lack of specific pharmacological inhibitors. Invertebrates have only one T-type channel gene, but its functions are even less well-studied. We cloned Ca-α1T, the only Cav3 channel gene in Drosophila melanogaster, expressed it in Xenopus oocytes and HEK-293 cells, and confirmed it passes typical T-type currents. Voltage-clamp analysis revealed the biophysical properties of Ca-α1T show mixed similarity, sometimes falling closer to Cav3.1, sometimes to Cav3.2, and sometimes to Cav3.3. We found Ca-α1T is broadly expressed across the adult fly brain in a pattern vaguely reminiscent of mammalian T-type channels. In addition, flies lacking Ca-α1T show an abnormal increase in sleep duration most pronounced during subjective day under continuous dark conditions despite normal oscillations of the circadian clock. Thus, our study suggests invertebrate T-type Ca2+ channels promote wakefulness rather than stabilizing sleep. PMID:26647714
Isotope ratios measured in symmetric and asymmetric ^40,48Ca+^40,48Ca collisions
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Henzlova, D.; Brown, D.; Charity, B.; Chbihi, A.; Coupland, D.; de Souza, R.; Elson, J.; Famiano, M.; Henzl, V.; Hudan, S.; Kilburn, M.; Lee, J.; Lukyanov, S.; Lynch, B.; Rogers, A.; Sanetullaev, A.; Sobotka, L.; Sun, Z.; Tsang, B.; Verde, G.; Wallace, M.; Youngs, M.; Westfall, G.; Vander Molen, A.
In a recent experiment performed at NSCL MSU three reaction systems with very different isospin contents were investigated at incident energy of 80A MeV -- ^40Ca+^40Ca, ^48Ca+^40Ca and ^48Ca+^48Ca. The reactions were studied in a 4pi geometry using an MSU 4pi detector (array of 224 phoswitch scintillators) in combination with HiRA (High Resolution Array, a high granularity Si strip/CsI detector array). The former was used to determine the centrality of the collision, while the latter gave precise energy and angular information of the emitted light fragments. The measured reactions span a wide range of system isospin (N/Z=1 to 1.4) and thus serve as an important source of information on the influence of isospin of the reaction system on some of the basic properties of the dense and highly excited system formed in these collisions. Preliminary results on isotope ratios and isoscaling will be presented. This work is supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant Nos. PHY-0606007 and PHY-9977707.
Ca-α1T, a fly T-type Ca2+ channel, negatively modulates sleep.
Jeong, Kyunghwa; Lee, Soyoung; Seo, Haengsoo; Oh, Yangkyun; Jang, Donghoon; Choe, Joonho; Kim, Daesoo; Lee, Jung-Ha; Jones, Walton D
Mammalian T-type Ca(2+) channels are encoded by three separate genes (Cav3.1, 3.2, 3.3). These channels are reported to be sleep stabilizers important in the generation of the delta rhythms of deep sleep, but controversy remains. The identification of precise physiological functions for the T-type channels has been hindered, at least in part, by the potential for compensation between the products of these three genes and a lack of specific pharmacological inhibitors. Invertebrates have only one T-type channel gene, but its functions are even less well-studied. We cloned Ca-α1T, the only Cav3 channel gene in Drosophila melanogaster, expressed it in Xenopus oocytes and HEK-293 cells, and confirmed it passes typical T-type currents. Voltage-clamp analysis revealed the biophysical properties of Ca-α1T show mixed similarity, sometimes falling closer to Cav3.1, sometimes to Cav3.2, and sometimes to Cav3.3. We found Ca-α1T is broadly expressed across the adult fly brain in a pattern vaguely reminiscent of mammalian T-type channels. In addition, flies lacking Ca-α1T show an abnormal increase in sleep duration most pronounced during subjective day under continuous dark conditions despite normal oscillations of the circadian clock. Thus, our study suggests invertebrate T-type Ca(2+) channels promote wakefulness rather than stabilizing sleep. PMID:26647714
Effect of sophoridine on Ca(2+) induced Ca(2+) release during heart failure.
Hu, S-T; Shen, Y-F; Gong, J-M; Yang, Y-J
Sophoridine is a type of alkaloid extract derived from the Chinese herb Sophora flavescens Ait (kushen) and possess a variety of pharmacological effects including anti-inflammation, anti-anaphylaxis, anti-cancer, anti-arrhythmic and so on. However, the effect of sophoridine on heart failure has not been known yet. In this study, the effect of sophoridine on heart failure was investigated using Sprague-Dawley (SD) rat model of chronic heart failure. Morphological results showed that in medium and high dose group, myofilaments were arranged orderly and closely, intermyofibrillar lysis disappeared and mitochondria contained tightly packed cristae compared with heart failure group. We investigated the Ca(2+) induced Ca(2+) transients and assessed the expression of ryanodine receptor (RyR2) and L-type Ca(2+) channel (dihydropyridine receptor, DHPR). We found that the cytosolic Ca(2+) transients were markedly increased in amplitude in medium (deltaF/F(0)=43.33+/-1.92) and high dose groups (deltaF/F(0)=47.21+/-1.25) compared with heart failure group (deltaF/F(0)=16.7+/-1.29, P<0.01), Moreover, we demonstrated that the expression of cardiac DHPR was significantly increased in medium- and high dose-group compared with heart failure rats. Our results suggest that sophoridine could improve heart failure by ameliorating cardiac Ca(2+) induced Ca(2+) transients, and that this amelioration is associated with upregulation of DHPR. PMID:26596316
Rediscovering area CA2: unique properties and functions
Dudek, Serena M.; Alexander, Georgia M.; Farris, Shannon
Hippocampal area CA2 has several features that distinguish it from CA1 and CA3, including a unique gene expression profile, failure to display long-term potentiation and relative resistance to cell death. A recent increase in interest in the CA2 region, combined with the development of new methods to define and manipulate its neurons, has led to some exciting new discoveries on the properties of CA2 neurons and their role in behaviour. Here, we review these findings and call attention to the idea that the definition of area CA2 ought to be revised in light of gene expression data. PMID:26806628
41Ca in Circumstellar Graphite from Supernovae
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Amari, S.; Zinner, E.; Lewis, R. S.
We have measured isotopic ratios of C, N, O, Si, K, Ca, and Ti in 13 carbon grains from the low density graphite fraction KE3 (1.65-1.72g/cm3). These grains show the same isotopic signatures as KE3 grains previously measured [1]. Many of them have isotopically heavy C (up to x13 solar) and heavy N (up to x9.7 solar); nine have ^18O excesses (up to x183 solar); 26Al/27Al ratios range up to 0.07. Type II supernovae have previously been proposed as stellar sources of low density graphite grains [1,2,3]. Grain KE3c-551 (14 micrometers in size) has the most extreme C-, N-, and O-isotopic ratios ever measured in a graphite grain (^12C/^13C=7223+/-111, 14N/15N=28+/-2, 16O/18O=2.72+/-0.08). Interestingly, the isotopic ratios of these elements changed during analysis, becoming more anomalous with time. This suggests that isotopically "normal" components had been absorbed onto the grain surface or that partial exchange of the indigenous component had occurred. The above ratios are therefore lower (for C) and upper (for N and O) limits. High ^12C/^13C and ^16O/^17O (4595+/-858) and low ^16O/^18O ratios as well as the Ti isotopic ratios of the grain (delta 46Ti/48Ti=12+/-10 permil, delta ^47Ti/^48Ti=-62+/-9 permil, delta ^49Ti/^48Ti=901+/-16 permil, delta ^50Ti/^48Ti=200+/-12 permil) show the signature of the He/C zone in presupernova stars [4]. Eleven grains were measured for their K, Ca, and Ti isotopic ratios. Four of them, including KE3c-551, have ^41K excesses (218+/-50 permil to 10610+/-326 permil), apparently due to the decay of ^41Ca (T(sub)1/2=1.03 x 10^5a). Inferred ^41Ca/^40Ca ratios range from (1.94+/-0.43) x 10^-3 to (1.65+/-0.38) x 10^-2. In supernovae, ^41Ca is produced by neutron capture in the He/C, the O/C, and the O/Ne zones, as well as by explosive nucleosynthesis in the Si/S zone [4,5]. The expected ^41Ca/^40Ca ratios in the neutron capture zones are 1.6-1.8 x 10^-2 and in the Si/S zone 8 x 10^-4. Two of the 4 grains with ^41K excesses have Ca isotopic
Kinetics and stoichiometry of coupled Na efflux and Ca influx (Na/Ca exchange) in barnacle muscle cells.
Rasgado-Flores, H; Santiago, E M; Blaustein, M P
Coupled Na+ exit/Ca2+ entry (Na/Ca exchange operating in the Ca2+ influx mode) was studied in giant barnacle muscle cells by measuring 22Na+ efflux and 45Ca2+ influx in internally perfused, ATP-fueled cells in which the Na+ pump was poisoned by 0.1 mM ouabain. Internal free Ca2+, [Ca2+]i, was controlled with a Ca-EGTA buffering system containing 8 mM EGTA and varying amounts of Ca2+. Ca2+ sequestration in internal stores was inhibited with caffeine and a mitochondrial uncoupler (FCCP). To maximize conditions for Ca2+ influx mode Na/Ca exchange, and to eliminate tracer Na/Na exchange, all of the external Na+ in the standard Na+ sea water (NaSW) was replaced by Tris or Li+ (Tris-SW or LiSW, respectively). In both Na-free solutions an external Ca2+ (Cao)-dependent Na+ efflux was observed when [Ca2+]i was increased above 10(-8) M; this efflux was half-maximally activated by [Ca2+]i = 0.3 microM (LiSW) to 0.7 microM (Tris-SW). The Cao-dependent Na+ efflux was half-maximally activated by [Ca2+]o = 2.0 mM in LiSW and 7.2 mM in Tris-SW; at saturating [Ca2+]o, [Ca2+]i, and [Na+]i the maximal (calculated) Cao-dependent Na+ efflux was approximately 75 pmol#cm2.s. This efflux was inhibited by external Na+ and La3+ with IC50's of approximately 125 and 0.4 mM, respectively. A Nai-dependent Ca2+ influx was also observed in Tris-SW. This Ca2+ influx also required [Ca2+]i greater than 10(-8) M. Internal Ca2+ activated a Nai-independent Ca2+ influx from LiSW (tracer Ca/Ca exchange), but in Tris-SW virtually all of the Cai-activated Ca2+ influx was Nai-dependent (Na/Ca exchange). Half-maximal activation was observed with [Na+]i = 30 mM. The fact that internal Ca2+ activates both a Cao-dependent Na+ efflux and a Nai-dependent Ca2+ influx in Tris-SW implies that these two fluxes are coupled; the activating (intracellular) Ca2+ does not appear to be transported by the exchanger. The maximal (calculated) Nai-dependent Ca2+ influx was -25 pmol/cm2.s. At various [Na+]i between 6 and 106 m
Enhanced heavy metal immobilization in soil by grinding with addition of nanometallic Ca/CaO dispersion mixture.
Mallampati, Srinivasa Reddy; Mitoma, Yoshiharu; Okuda, Tetsuji; Sakita, Shogo; Kakeda, Mitsunori
This study investigated the use of a nanometallic Ca and CaO dispersion mixture for the immobilization of heavy metals (As, Cd, Cr and Pb) in contaminated soil. Simple grinding achieved 85-90% heavy metal immobilization, but it can be enhanced further to 98-100% by addition of a nanometallic Ca/CaO dispersion mixture produced by grinding. Observations using SEM-EDS elemental maps and semi-quantitative analysis showed that the amounts of As, Cd, Cr, and Pb measurable on the soil particle surface decrease after nanometallic Ca/CaO treatment. The leachable heavy metal concentrations were reduced after nanometallic Ca/CaO treatment to concentrations lower than the Japan soil elution standard regulatory threshold: <0.01 mg L(-1) for As, Cd, and Pb; and 0.05 mg L(-1) for Cr. Effects of soil moisture and pH on heavy metal immobilization were not strongly influenced. The most probable mechanisms for the enhancement of heavy metal immobilization capacity with nanometallic Ca/CaO treatment might be due to adsorption and entrapment of heavy metals into newly formed aggregates, thereby prompting aggregation of soil particles and enclosure/binding with Ca/CaO-associated immobile salts. Results suggest that the nanometallic Ca/CaO mixture is suitable for use in immobilization of heavy-metal-contaminated soil under normal moisture conditions. PMID:22818089
Luminal Ca2+ promoting spontaneous Ca2+ release from inositol trisphosphate-sensitive stores in rat hepatocytes.
Missiaen, L; Taylor, C W; Berridge, M J
1. Spontaneous Ca2+ release from the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (InsP3)-sensitive stores in permeabilized hepatocytes was monitored using Fluo-3 to measure the free [Ca2+] of the medium bathing the cells. 2. Permeabilized cells rapidly sequestered Ca2+, reducing the [Ca2+] to 103 +/- 5 nM. Under conditions that depended critically upon cell density and the amount of Ca2+ in the medium, this was followed by a slow increase in [Ca2+] culminating in a substantial Ca2+ spike representing synchronous discharge from the InsP3-sensitive stores. 3. During the latency preceding the Ca2+ spike, the stores increased their sensitivity to InsP3. This sensitization seemed to be an all-or-none phenomenon. 4. Oxidized glutathione and thimerosal promoted the spontaneous release by sensitizing the InsP3 receptor. 5. An increase in the [Ca2+] within the stores was required for both the increased sensitivity to InsP3 and the subsequent spike. 6. Caffeine (6 mM) antagonized the effect of very low InsP3 concentrations and abolished the Ca2+ spike, without itself releasing Ca2+. 7. Our results suggesting that luminal Ca2+ may sensitive InsP3-sensitive stores leading to spontaneous Ca2+ mobilization will be discussed in the light of a modified version of the two-pool model for explaining cytosolic Ca2+ oscillations. PMID:1484365
Activations of the Ca dependent K channel by Ca released from the sarcoplasmic reticulum of mammalian smooth muscles.
Kitamura, K; Sakai, T; Kajioka, S; Kuriyama, H
In mammalian smooth muscles, the outward K current recorded using the whole cell voltage clamp or patch clamp methods can be classified into the Ca-dependent and independent K currents. The former is sub-classified into the extra- and intra-cellular Ca dependent K current. The intra-cellular Ca dependent K current has a close relation to Ca released from the sarcoplasmic reticulum, i.e. Ca released by inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (InsP3), ryanodine or Ca ionophores (A23187 or ionomycin) modify the appearance of the K current. The transient (Ca dependent) outward current evoked by depolarization pulses, as measured using the whole cell voltage clamp method, is closely related with after-hyperpolarization of the action potential as recorded using the microelectrode method and is postulated to be due to activations of the Ca-induced Ca release mechanism in the sarcoplasmic reticulum. The oscillatory (Ca dependent) outward K current is closely related with the amount of Ca released from the sarcoplasmic reticulum during the long depolarization induced by electrical stimulation (command pulse) or applications of Ca releasers such as InsP3 or ryanodine. In this review, the Ca dependent K current recorded from smooth muscle cells is compared with the influx and release of Ca. PMID:2667516
The Structure of Ca2+ Sensor Case16 Reveals the Mechanism of Reaction to Low Ca2+ Concentrations
Leder, Lukas; Stark, Wilhelm; Freuler, Felix; Marsh, May; Meyerhofer, Marco; Stettler, Thomas; Mayr, Lorenz M.; Britanova, Olga V.; Strukova, Lydia A.; Chudakov, Dmitriy M.; Souslova, Ekaterina A.
Here we report the first crystal structure of a high-contrast genetically encoded circularly permuted green fluorescent protein (cpGFP)-based Ca2+ sensor, Case16, in the presence of a low Ca2+ concentration. The structure reveals the positioning of the chromophore within Case16 at the first stage of the Ca2+-dependent response when only two out of four Ca2+-binding pockets of calmodulin (CaM) are occupied with Ca2+ ions. In such a "half Ca2+-bound state", Case16 is characterized by an incomplete interaction between its CaM-/M13-domains. We also report the crystal structure of the related Ca2+ sensor Case12 at saturating Ca2+ concentration. Based on this structure, we postulate that cpGFP-based Ca2+ sensors can form non-functional homodimers where the CaM-domain of one sensor molecule binds symmetrically to the M13-peptide of the partner sensor molecule. Case12 and Case16 behavior upon addition of high concentrations of free CaM or M13-peptide reveals that the latter effectively blocks the fluorescent response of the sensor. We speculate that the demonstrated intermolecular interaction with endogenous substrates and homodimerization can impede proper functioning of this type of Ca2+ sensors in living cells. PMID:22163646
Comparison of Ca and Ar Diffusion in Phlogopite: Implications for K-Ca and K-Ar Geochronology
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Cruz, M. F.; Szilas, K.; Grove, M. J.
Coupled geochronology based upon branched decay of 40K-40Ar and 40K-40Ca decay is rarely exploited because 40Ca is the major common isotope of calcium and 40Ca and 40K are difficult to resolve isotopically without resorting to isotope dilution wet chemistry. Recently developed ion microprobe methods based upon measurement of doubly ionized species partially overcome the latter problem and have been applied to high K/Ca micas. The ability to interpret K-Ar and K-Ca results is limited due to uncertainty in the relative diffusion properties of Ca and Ar. To address this problem, we are performing Ar and Ca diffusion experiments and fluid-crystal Ar partitioning experiments with anhydrous F-phlogopite that is stable to 1390°C. As an additional check, we are comparing K-Ca and K-Ar ages from natural mantle phlogopites from a variety of settings to assess the relative retentivity of Ar and Ca. South African xenoliths tend to yield 40Ar/39Ar ages that are much older than K-Ca ages from the same phologopites. Possible excess 40Ar and high common Ca render the comparisons inconclusive, but this suggests that Ca diffuses more readily than Ar in phlogopite. Our most definitive K-Ca phlogopite results (i.e., least affected by common Ca) come from the Archean Seqi dunite of SW Greenland. The K-Ca ages of Seqi phlogopites is 927 ± 26 Ma (2s). Incremental heating 40Ar/39Ar results from the same sample yields a much older result with a terminal age of 3.5 Ga. However, the first 5-10% of 39Ar release are consistent with transient heating at ca. 900 Ma. Considered together, the K-Ca and 40Ar/39Ar results from the Seqi dunite locality strongly suggest that Ca diffusion is more rapid than Ar diffusion in phlogopite.
Oxidative Stress and Ca2+ Release Events in Mouse Cardiomyocytes
Shirokova, Natalia; Kang, Chifei; Fernandez-Tenorio, Miguel; Wang, Wei; Wang, Qiongling; Wehrens, Xander H.T.; Niggli, Ernst
Cellular oxidative stress, associated with a variety of common cardiac diseases, is well recognized to affect the function of several key proteins involved in Ca2+ signaling and excitation-contraction coupling, which are known to be exquisitely sensitive to reactive oxygen species. These include the Ca2+ release channels of the sarcoplasmic reticulum (ryanodine receptors or RyR2s) and the Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII). Oxidation of RyR2s was found to increase the open probability of the channel, whereas CaMKII can be activated independent of Ca2+ through oxidation. Here, we investigated how oxidative stress affects RyR2 function and SR Ca2+ signaling in situ, by analyzing Ca2+ sparks in permeabilized mouse cardiomyocytes under a broad range of oxidative conditions. The results show that with increasing oxidative stress Ca2+ spark duration is prolonged. In addition, long and very long-lasting (up to hundreds of milliseconds) localized Ca2+ release events started to appear, eventually leading to sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca2+ depletion. These changes of release duration could be prevented by the CaMKII inhibitor KN93 and did not occur in mice lacking the CaMKII-specific S2814 phosphorylation site on RyR2. The appearance of long-lasting Ca2+ release events was paralleled by an increase of RyR2 oxidation, but also by RyR-S2814 phosphorylation, and by CaMKII oxidation. Our results suggest that in a strongly oxidative environment oxidation-dependent activation of CaMKII leads to RyR2 phosphorylation and thereby contributes to the massive prolongation of SR Ca2+ release events. PMID:25517148
Conserved properties of individual Ca2+-binding sites in calmodulin
Halling, D. Brent; Liebeskind, Benjamin J.; Hall, Amelia W.; Aldrich, Richard W.
Calmodulin (CaM) is a Ca2+-sensing protein that is highly conserved and ubiquitous in eukaryotes. In humans it is a locus of life-threatening cardiomyopathies. The primary function of CaM is to transduce Ca2+ concentration into cellular signals by binding to a wide range of target proteins in a Ca2+-dependent manner. We do not fully understand how CaM performs its role as a high-fidelity signal transducer for more than 300 target proteins, but diversity among its four Ca2+-binding sites, called EF-hands, may contribute to CaM's functional versatility. We therefore looked at the conservation of CaM sequences over deep evolutionary time, focusing primarily on the four EF-hand motifs. Expanding on previous work, we found that CaM evolves slowly but that its evolutionary rate is substantially faster in fungi. We also found that the four EF-hands have distinguishing biophysical and structural properties that span eukaryotes. These results suggest that all eukaryotes require CaM to decode Ca2+ signals using four specialized EF-hands, each with specific, conserved traits. In addition, we provide an extensive map of sites associated with target proteins and with human disease and correlate these with evolutionary sequence diversity. Our comprehensive evolutionary analysis provides a basis for understanding the sequence space associated with CaM function and should help guide future work on the relationship between structure, function, and disease. PMID:26884197
Ca cycling and isotopic fluxes in forested ecosystems in Hawaii
Wiegand, B.A.; Chadwick, O.A.; Vitousek, P.M.; Wooden, J.L.
Biogeochemical processes fractionate Ca isotopes in plants and soils along a 4 million year developmental sequence in the Hawaiian Islands. We observed that plants preferentially take up 40Ca relative to 44Ca, and that biological fractionation and changes in the relative contributions from volcanic and marine sources produce a significant increase in 44Ca in soil exchangeable pools. Our results imply moderate fluxes enriched in 44Ca from strongly nutrient-depleted old soils, in contrast with high 40Ca fluxes in young and little weathered environments. In addition, biological fractionation controls divergent geochemical pathways of Ca and Sr in the plant-soil system. While Ca depletes progressively with increasing soil age, Sr/Ca ratios increase systematically. Sr isotope ratios provide a valuable tracer for provenance studies of alkaline earth elements in forested ecosystems, but its usefulness is limited when deciphering biogeochemical processes involved in the terrestrial Ca cycle. Ca isotopes in combination with Sr/ Ca ratios reveal more complex processes involved in the biogeochemistry of Ca and Sr. Copyright 2005 by the American Geophysical Union.
Ca sup + emission in the sunlit ionosphere
Torr, M.R. ); Torr, D.G.; Bhatt, P.; Swift, W.; Dougani, H. )
In the course of a program of twilight airglow observations from the McDonald Observatory in southwest Texas, the resonance fluorescence emissions from calcium ions were measured. In particular, twilight sequences were obtained during the period of December 19-22, 1987, which coincided with the Ursids meteorite shower. During this meteorite event the intensities of the Ca{sup +} emission lines at 3,934 {angstrom} increased to the point that the surface brightness profiles could be inverted to volume emission rate profiles. These profiles show evidence for strong spatial redistribution of the Ca{sup +} over the course of three days. Prior to the onset of the meteorite activity, emissions from the Ca{sup +} originate from below 100 km, on the occasions when the emissions are visible. By the evening of December 19 a peak is measurable at 108 km. On the morning of December 22, a high-altitude peak was observed above 250 km, with a larger peak down at approximately 85 km. By the evening of December 22, the emission had substantially intensified, with the peak of the layer being at 80 km or below, but with emission being produced all the way up to at least 160 km. Observations of these emissions during meteor shower periods could provide a valuable tracer for the processes responsible for the transport of ions in the D, E, and F region, allowing the full altitude and latitude extent of the distribution to be determined.
TRP-Na(+)/Ca(2+) Exchanger Coupling.
Harper, Alan G S; Sage, Stewart O
Na(+)/Ca(2+) exchangers (NCXs) have traditionally been viewed principally as a means of Ca(2+) removal from non-excitable cells. However there has recently been increasing interest in the operation of NCXs in reverse mode acting as a means of eliciting Ca(2+) entry into these cells. Reverse mode exchange requires a significant change in the normal resting transmembrane ion gradients and membrane potential, which has been suggested to occur principally via the coupling of NCXs to localised Na(+) entry through non-selective cation channels such as canonical transient receptor potential (TRPC) channels. Here we review evidence for functional or physical coupling of NCXs to non-selective cation channels, and how this affects NCX activity in non-excitable cells. In particular we focus on the potential role of nanojunctions, where the close apposition of plasma and intracellular membranes may help create the conditions needed for the generation of localised rises in Na(+) concentration that would be required to trigger reverse mode exchange. PMID:27161225
Superconductivity in Ca-doped graphene laminates
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Chapman, J.; Su, Y.; Howard, C. A.; Kundys, D.; Grigorenko, A. N.; Guinea, F.; Geim, A. K.; Grigorieva, I. V.; Nair, R. R.
Despite graphene's long list of exceptional electronic properties and many theoretical predictions regarding the possibility of superconductivity in graphene, its direct and unambiguous experimental observation has not been achieved. We searched for superconductivity in weakly interacting, metal decorated graphene crystals assembled into so-called graphene laminates, consisting of well separated and electronically decoupled graphene crystallites. We report robust superconductivity in all Ca-doped graphene laminates. They become superconducting at temperatures (Tc) between ≈4 and ≈6 K, with Tc's strongly dependent on the confinement of the Ca layer and the induced charge carrier concentration in graphene. We find that Ca is the only dopant that induces superconductivity in graphene laminates above 1.8 K among several dopants used in our experiments, such as potassium, caesium and lithium. By revealing the tunability of the superconducting response through doping and confinement of the metal layer, our work shows that achieving superconductivity in free-standing, metal decorated monolayer graphene is conditional on an optimum confinement of the metal layer and sufficient doping, thereby bringing its experimental realization within grasp.
Winiarski, M J; Wiendlocha, B; Gołąb, S; Kushwaha, S K; Wiśniewski, P; Kaczorowski, D; Thompson, J D; Cava, R J; Klimczuk, T
Superconductivity is observed with critical temperature Tc = 2.0 K in self-flux-grown single crystals of CaBi2. This material adopts the ZrSi2 structure type with lattice parameters a = 4.696(1) Å, b = 17.081(2) Å and c = 4.611(1) Å. The crystals of CaBi2 were studied by means of magnetic susceptibility, specific heat and electrical resistivity measurements. The heat capacity jump at Tc is ΔC/γTc = 1.41, confirming bulk superconductivity; the Sommerfeld coefficient γ = 4.1 mJ mol(-1) K(-2) and the Debye temperature ΘD = 157 K. The electron-phonon coupling strength is λel-ph = 0.59, and the thermodynamic critical field Hc is low, between 111 and 124 Oe CaBi2 is a moderate coupling type-I superconductor. Results of electronic structure calculations are reported and charge densities, electronic bands, densities of states and Fermi surfaces are discussed, focusing on the effects of spin-orbit coupling and electronic property anisotropy. We find a mixed quasi-2D + 3D character in the electronic structure, which reflects the layered crystal structure of the material. PMID:27435423
Superconductivity in Ca-doped graphene laminates.
Chapman, J; Su, Y; Howard, C A; Kundys, D; Grigorenko, A N; Guinea, F; Geim, A K; Grigorieva, I V; Nair, R R
Despite graphene's long list of exceptional electronic properties and many theoretical predictions regarding the possibility of superconductivity in graphene, its direct and unambiguous experimental observation has not been achieved. We searched for superconductivity in weakly interacting, metal decorated graphene crystals assembled into so-called graphene laminates, consisting of well separated and electronically decoupled graphene crystallites. We report robust superconductivity in all Ca-doped graphene laminates. They become superconducting at temperatures (Tc) between ≈4 and ≈6 K, with Tc's strongly dependent on the confinement of the Ca layer and the induced charge carrier concentration in graphene. We find that Ca is the only dopant that induces superconductivity in graphene laminates above 1.8 K among several dopants used in our experiments, such as potassium, caesium and lithium. By revealing the tunability of the superconducting response through doping and confinement of the metal layer, our work shows that achieving superconductivity in free-standing, metal decorated monolayer graphene is conditional on an optimum confinement of the metal layer and sufficient doping, thereby bringing its experimental realization within grasp. PMID:26979564
Superconductivity in Ca-doped graphene laminates
Chapman, J.; Su, Y.; Howard, C. A.; Kundys, D.; Grigorenko, A. N.; Guinea, F.; Geim, A. K.; Grigorieva, I. V.; Nair, R. R.
Despite graphene's long list of exceptional electronic properties and many theoretical predictions regarding the possibility of superconductivity in graphene, its direct and unambiguous experimental observation has not been achieved. We searched for superconductivity in weakly interacting, metal decorated graphene crystals assembled into so-called graphene laminates, consisting of well separated and electronically decoupled graphene crystallites. We report robust superconductivity in all Ca-doped graphene laminates. They become superconducting at temperatures (Tc) between ≈4 and ≈6 K, with Tc's strongly dependent on the confinement of the Ca layer and the induced charge carrier concentration in graphene. We find that Ca is the only dopant that induces superconductivity in graphene laminates above 1.8 K among several dopants used in our experiments, such as potassium, caesium and lithium. By revealing the tunability of the superconducting response through doping and confinement of the metal layer, our work shows that achieving superconductivity in free-standing, metal decorated monolayer graphene is conditional on an optimum confinement of the metal layer and sufficient doping, thereby bringing its experimental realization within grasp. PMID:26979564
Dissociation of Ca-bearing Molecules as a Source of Mercury's Ca Exosphere
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Burger, Matthew H.; Killen, Rosemary M.
Observations of Mercury's calcium exosphere by MESSENGER have revealed three key features: (1) The Ca is extremely energetic, with a temperature ~70,000 K if the source is thermal, (2) the source region is located in the dawn hemisphere, and (3) there is a strong annual variation in the Ca source rate (Burger et al. 2014). Killen and Hahn (2015) have shown that the source rate is consistent with impact vaporization by interplanetary dust and the intersection of Mercury with a cometary dust stream (likely associated with Comet Encke, Christou et al., submitted).Killen et al. (2005) suggested that energetic calcium could be produced by the dissociation of Ca-bearing molecules produced in impact vaporization plumes. We test this hypothesis with a Monte Carlo model that follows the evolution of atomic and molecular calcium produced in impact plumes. Ca-bearing molecules such as CaO, CaOH, and Ca(OH)2 are more likely to be are produced in vapor plumes than atomic Ca (Berezhnoy and Klumov 2008); these molecules quickly break apart either through vibrational dissociation or photodissociation. The excess energy associated with dissociation gives the atomic Ca an extra energy boost above the temperature of the impact plumes (~5000 K). We determine impact vaporization rates and excess energies required by the dissociation process to reproduce the scale height and spatial morphology of the Ca exosphere as observed by the MESSENGER Ultraviolet and Visible Spectrometer (UVVS).ReferencesBerezhnoy, A.A. and Klumov, B.A., Impacts as sources of the exosphere on Mercury, Icarus, 195, 511-522, 2008, doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2008.01.005.Burger, M.H., et al., Seasonal variations in Mercury's dayside calcium exosphere, Icarus, 238, 51-58, 2014, doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2014.04.049.Killen, R.M., et al., The calcium exosphere of Mercury, Icarus, 173, 300-311, 2005, doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2004.08.022.Killen, R.M. and Hahn, J.M., Impact vaporization as a possible source ofMercury's calcium exosphere
Nitric oxide inhibits capacitative Ca2+ entry by suppression of mitochondrial Ca2+ handling
Thyagarajan, Baskaran; Malli, Roland; Schmidt, Kurt; Graier, Wolfgang F; Groschner, Klaus
Nitric oxide (NO) is a key modulator of cellular Ca2+ signalling and a determinant of mitochondrial function. Here, we demonstrate that NO governs capacitative Ca2+ entry (CCE) into HEK293 cells by impairment of mitochondrial Ca2+ handling. Authentic NO as well as the NO donors 1-[2-(carboxylato)pyrrolidin-1-yl]diazem-1-ium-1,2-diolate (ProliNO) and 2-(N,N-diethylamino)-diazenolate-2-oxide (DEANO) suppressed CCE activated by thapsigargin (TG)-induced store depletion. Threshold concentrations for inhibition of CCE by ProliNO and DEANO were 0.3 and 1 μM, respectively. NO-induced inhibition of CCE was not mimicked by peroxynitrite (100 μM), the peroxynitrite donor 3-morpholino-sydnonimine (SIN-1, 100 μM) or 8-bromoguanosine 3′,5′-cyclic monophosphate (8-BrcGMP, 1 mM). In addition, the guanylyl cyclase inhibitor 1H-[1,2,4] oxadiazole[4,3-a] quinoxalin-1-one (ODQ, 30 μM) failed to antagonize the inhibitory action of NO on CCE. DEANO (1–10 μM) suppressed mitochondrial respiration as evident from inhibition of cellular oxygen consumption. Experiments using fluorescent dyes to monitor mitochondrial membrane potential and mitochondrial Ca2+ levels, respectively, indicated that DEANO (10 μM) depolarized mitochondria and suppressed mitochondrial Ca2+ sequestration. The inhibitory effect of DEANO on Ca2+ uptake into mitochondria was confirmed by recording mitochondrial Ca2+ during agonist stimulation in HEK293 cells expressing ratiometric-pericam in mitochondria. DEANO (10 μM) failed to inhibit Ba2+ entry into TG-stimulated cells when extracellular Ca2+ was buffered below 1 μM, while clear inhibition of Ba2+ entry into store depleted cells was observed when extracellular Ca2+ levels were above 10 μM. Moreover, buffering of intracellular Ca2+ by use of N,N′-[1,2-ethanediylbis(oxy-2,1-phenylene)] bis [N-[25-[(acetyloxy) methoxy]-2-oxoethyl
Multimodality of Ca2+ signaling in rat atrial myocytes.
Morad, Martin; Javaheri, Ashkan; Risius, Tim; Belmonte, Steve
It has been suggested that the multiplicity of Ca(2+) signaling pathways in atrial myocytes may contribute to the variability of its function. This article reports on a novel Ca(2+) signaling cascade initiated by mechanical forces induced by "puffing" of solution onto the myocytes. Ca(i) transients were measured in fura-2 acetoxymethyl (AM) loaded cells using alternating 340- and 410-nm excitation waves at 1.2 kHz. Pressurized puffs of bathing solutions, applied by an electronically controlled micro-barrel system, activated slowly (approximately 300 ms) developing Ca(i) transients that lasted 1,693 +/- 68 ms at room temperature. Subsequent second and third puffs, applied at approximately 20 s intervals activated significantly smaller or no Ca(i) transients. Puff-triggered Ca(i) transients could be reactivated once again following caffeine (10 mM)-induced release of Ca(2+) from sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR). Puff-triggered Ca(i) transients were independent of [Ca(2+)](o), and activation of voltage-gated Ca(2+) or cationic stretch channels or influx of Ca(2+) on Na(+)/Ca(2+)exchanger, because puffing solution containing no Ca(2+), 10 microM diltiazem, 1 mM Cd(2+), 5 mM Ni(2+), or 100 microM Gd(3+) failed to suppress them. Puff-triggered Ca(i) transients were enhanced in paced compared to quiescent myocytes. Electrically activated Ca(i) transients triggered during the time course of puff-induced transients were unaltered, suggesting functionally separate Ca(2+) pools. Contribution of inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate (IP(3))-gated or mitochondrial Ca(2+) pools or modulation of SR stores by nitric oxide/nitric oxide synthase (NO/NOS) signaling were evaluated using 0.5 to 500 microM 2-aminoethoxydiphenyl borate (2-APB) and 0.1 to 1 microM carbonylcyanide-p-trifluoromethoxyphenylhydrazone (FCCP), and 1 mM Nomega-Nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) and 7-nitroindizole, respectively. Only FCCP appeared to significantly suppress the puff-triggered Ca(i) transients. It was
Ca Isotopic Ratios in Igneous Rocks: Some Preliminary Results
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Huang, S.; Farkas, J.; Jacobsen, S. B.
Calcium (Ca) is the 5th most abundant element on the Earth, and it is an important geochemical and cosmochemical tracer. It has six isotopes and only H and He have a larger percentage mass difference (Δm/m) between the heaviest and the lightest isotopes. Systematic Ca isotopic studies have mostly focused on low-temperature geochemical processes, and most Ca isotopic analyses have been applied on modern and ancient marine carbonates and sulphates, documenting large and systematic isotopic variations, which were used to infer the chemical evolution of seawater. Detailed work on igneous rocks is very limited. Here we show two examples of how stable Ca isotopic ratios can be a useful geochemical tool in understanding igneous processes. Ca isotopic fractionation between coexisting clinopyroxene and orthopyroxene from mantle peridotites: We report Ca isotopic ratios on co-existing clino- and ortho-pyroxenes from Kilbourne Hole and San Carlos mantle peridotites. The 44Ca/40Ca in orthopyroxenes is ~0.5 per mil heavier than that in co-existing clinopyroxenes. Combined with published Ca isotopic data on low-temperature Ca-bearing minerals (calcite, aragonite and barite), we show that the fractionation of Ca isotopes between Ca-bearing minerals (at both low-temperature and high-temperature) is primarily controlled by the strength of Ca-O bond in the minerals. The mineral with shorter (i.e., stronger) Ca-O bond yields heavier Ca isotopic ratio. Using our measured 44Ca/40Ca in mantle pyroxenes and the relative proportions of major Ca-bearing minerals in the upper mantle, the estimated 44Ca/40Ca of the upper mantle is 1.1 per mil heavier relative to the NIST 915a, ~0.1 to 0.2 per mil higher than basalts. Ca isotopic variation in Hawaiian shield lavas: Large geochemical and isotopic variations have been observed in lavas forming the large tholeiitic shields of Hawaiian volcanoes, with lavas from the surface of the Koolau volcano (Makapuu-stage) defining one compositional and
Substantial depletion of the intracellular Ca2+ stores is required for macroscopic activation of the Ca2+ release-activated Ca2+ current in rat basophilic leukaemia cells.
Fierro, L; Parekh, A B
1. Tight-seal whole-cell patch clamp experiments were performed to examine the ability of different intracellular Ca2+ mobilising agents to activate the Ca2+ release-activated Ca2+ current (ICRAC) in rat basophilic leukaemia (RBL-1) cells under conditions of weak cytoplasmic Ca2+ buffering. 2. Dialysis with a maximal concentration of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) routinely failed to activate macroscopic ICRAC in low buffer (0.mM EGTA, BAPTA or dimethyl BAPTA), whereas it activated the current to its maximal extent in high buffer (10 mM EGTA). Dialysis with a poorly metabolisable analogue of IP3, with ionomycin, or with IP3 and ionomycin all failed to generate macroscopic ICRAC in low Ca2+ buffering conditions. 3. Dialysis with the sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase (SERCA) pump blocker thapsigargin was able to activate ICRAC even in the presence of low cytoplasmic Ca2+ buffering, albeit at a slow rate. Exposure to IP3 together with the SERCA blockers thapsigargin, thapsigargicin or cyclopiazonic acid rapidly activated ICRAC in low buffer. 4. Following activation of ICRAC by intracellular dialysis with IP3 and thapsigargin in low buffer, the current was very selective for Ca2+ (apparent KD of 1 mM) Sr2+ and Ba2+ were less effective charge carriers and Na+ was not conducted to any appreciable extent. The ionic selectivity of ICRAC was very similar in low or high intracellular Ca2+ buffer. 5. Fast Ca2+-dependent inactivation of ICRAC occurred at a similar rate and to a similar extent in low or high Ca2+ buffer. Ca2+-dependent inactivation is not the reason why macroscopic ICRAC cannot be seen under conditions of low cytoplasmic Ca2+ buffering. 6. ICRAC could be activated by combining IP3 with thapsigargin, even in the presence of 100 microM Ca2+ and the absence of any exogenous Ca2+ chelator, where ATP and glutamate represented the only Ca2+ buffers in the pipette solution. 7. Our results suggest that a threshold exists within the IP3-sensitive Ca2+ store
Small event Ca2+ release: a probable precursor of Ca2+ sparks in frog skeletal muscle.
Shirokova, N; Ríos, E
1. Fluo-3 fluorescence associated with Ca2+ release was recorded with confocal microscopy in single muscle fibres. Clamp depolarization to -65 or -60 mV elicited Ca2+ sparks with amplitudes and spatial widths distributed approximately normally, with mean values of 0.79 of resting fluorescence and 0.8 micron (S.D., 0.17 and 0.2 micron; n = 193), respectively. Given these distributions, events of amplitude less than 0.45 or width less than 0.4 micron are unlikely to be sparks. 2. Low voltage depolarization (-72 mV) elicited only one spark per triad every 6 s, but generated a relative increase in fluorescence at triads of 0.05. This increase must therefore have been due to events smaller than sparks. 3. The variance/mean ratio of triadic fluorescence gradients averaged 0.11 at low voltages and increased severalfold at the higher voltages at which sparks appeared, indicating the existence of at least two event amplitudes. 4. Tetracaine (200 microM) reversibly abolished sparks and the early peak of Ca2+ release at all voltages. In its presence, discrete events were smaller than the spark criterion, and triadic gradients had a variance/mean ratio of 0.11. 5. The phenylalkylamine D600 (2 microM) reduced release at all voltages, abolishing sparks and the peak of Ca2+ release at low but not at high voltages. 6. The parallel abolition of all sparks and the peak of Ca2+ release indicates that both phenomena are activated by Ca2+. The restoration of sparks by voltage in D600 suggests that release in small events provides the trigger Ca2+ for activation of sparks. Images Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 PMID:9234193
Pressure-induced structural transformation of CaC2.
Wang, Lu; Huang, Xiaoli; Li, Da; Huang, Yanping; Bao, Kuo; Li, Fangfei; Wu, Gang; Liu, Bingbing; Cui, Tian
The high pressure structural changes of calcium carbide CaC2 have been investigated with Raman spectroscopy and synchrotron X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques in a diamond anvil cell at room temperature. At ambient conditions, two forms of CaC2 co-exist. Above 4.9 GPa, monoclinic CaC2-ii diminished indicating the structural phase transition from CaC2-ii to CaC2-i. At about 7.0 GPa, both XRD patterns and Raman spectra confirmed that CaC2-i transforms into a metallic Cmcm structure which contains polymeric carbon chains. Along with the phase transition, the isolated C2 dumbbells are polymerized into zigzag chains resulting in a large volume collapse with 22.4%. Above 30.0 GPa, the XRD patterns of CaC2 become featureless and remain featureless upon decompression, suggesting an irreversible amorphization of CaC2. PMID:27208957
The emerging role of CaMKII in cancer
Wang, Yan-yang; Zhao, Ren; Zhe, Hong
Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) is a multifunctional serine/threonine kinases best known for its critical role in learning and memory. Recent studies suggested that high levels of CaMKII also expressed in variety of malignant diseases. In this review, we focus on the structure and biology properties of CaMKII, including the role of CaMKII in the regulation of cancer progression and therapy response. We also describe the role of CaMKII in the diagnosis of different kinds of cancer and recent progress in the development of CaMKII inhibitors. These data establishes CaMKII as a novel target whose modulation presents new opportunities for cancer diagnosis and treatment. PMID:25961153
Pressure-induced structural transformation of CaC2
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Wang, Lu; Huang, Xiaoli; Li, Da; Huang, Yanping; Bao, Kuo; Li, Fangfei; Wu, Gang; Liu, Bingbing; Cui, Tian
The high pressure structural changes of calcium carbide CaC2 have been investigated with Raman spectroscopy and synchrotron X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques in a diamond anvil cell at room temperature. At ambient conditions, two forms of CaC2 co-exist. Above 4.9 GPa, monoclinic CaC2-ii diminished indicating the structural phase transition from CaC2-ii to CaC2-i. At about 7.0 GPa, both XRD patterns and Raman spectra confirmed that CaC2-i transforms into a metallic Cmcm structure which contains polymeric carbon chains. Along with the phase transition, the isolated C2 dumbbells are polymerized into zigzag chains resulting in a large volume collapse with 22.4%. Above 30.0 GPa, the XRD patterns of CaC2 become featureless and remain featureless upon decompression, suggesting an irreversible amorphization of CaC2.
MicroRNA-145 suppresses ROS-induced Ca{sup 2+} overload of cardiomyocytes by targeting CaMKIIδ
Cha, Min-Ji; Jang, Jin-Kyung; Ham, Onju; Song, Byeong-Wook; Lee, Se-Yeon; Lee, Chang Yeon; Park, Jun-Hee; Lee, Jiyun; Seo, Hyang-Hee; Choi, Eunhyun; Jeon, Woo-min; Hwang, Hye Jin; Shin, Hyun-Taek; and others
Highlights: •CaMKIIδ mediates H{sub 2}O{sub 2}-induced Ca{sup 2+} overload in cardiomyocytes. •miR-145 can inhibit Ca{sup 2+} overload. •A luciferase assay confirms that miR-145 functions as a CaMKIIδ-targeting miRNA. •Overexpression of miR-145 regulates CaMKIIδ-related genes and ameliorates apoptosis. -- Abstract: A change in intracellular free calcium (Ca{sup 2+}) is a common signaling mechanism of reperfusion-induced cardiomyocyte death. Calcium/calmodulin dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) is a critical regulator of Ca{sup 2+} signaling and mediates signaling pathways responsible for functions in the heart including hypertrophy, apoptosis, arrhythmia, and heart disease. MicroRNAs (miRNA) are involved in the regulation of cell response, including survival, proliferation, apoptosis, and development. However, the roles of miRNAs in Ca{sup 2+}-mediated apoptosis of cardiomyocytes are uncertain. Here, we determined the potential role of miRNA in the regulation of CaMKII dependent apoptosis and explored its underlying mechanism. To determine the potential roles of miRNAs in H{sub 2}O{sub 2}-mediated Ca{sup 2+} overload, we selected and tested 6 putative miRNAs that targeted CaMKIIδ, and showed that miR-145 represses CaMKIIδ protein expression and Ca{sup 2+} overload. We confirmed CaMKIIδ as a direct downstream target of miR-145. Furthermore, miR-145 regulates Ca{sup 2+}-related signals and ameliorates apoptosis. This study demonstrates that miR-145 regulates reactive oxygen species (ROS)-induced Ca{sup 2+} overload in cardiomyocytes. Thus, miR-145 affects ROS-mediated gene regulation and cellular injury responses.
Application of Ca stable isotopes to long-term changes in the Ca cycle of a Northern Hardwood forest
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Kurtz, A. C.; Takagi, K.; Bailey, S. W.; Bullen, T. D.
The Hubbard Brook Ecosystem Study (New Hampshire, USA) presents an unusual opportunity for the application of innovative isotope methods in forest biogeochemistry. Changes in biogeochemical cycling resulting from decades of acid deposition, subsequent reductions in acid deposition, and a series of experimental treatments (harvesting, Ca amendment) have been studied continuously for 60 years at this site. Importantly, researchers have archived soil, water, and vegetation samples for much of the site's history. Our work seeks to complement earlier mass balance studies of Ca cycling by measuring Ca isotope ratios on archived samples. In the first component of our study, we examined the Ca isotopic response to an experimental clearcut in the early 1980's. Earlier work showed that the clearcut promoted dramatic loss of Ca from the watershed, indicated by a 5-fold increase in streamwater Ca concentrations. The mechanism for this loss was unclear as no resolvable changes in soil Ca pools were observed. Our work shows that streamwater dissolved Ca becomes isotopically lighter as Ca concentrations increase. These data are best accounted for by an increase in Ca loss from the soil cation exchange complex. Soil exchangeable δ44Ca itself evolves towards lighter values in the years following the experimental harvest. We interpret this as replenishment of the soil exchange complex by release of isotopically light Ca from root biomass. In the second component of our study, we examine decadal-scale changes in streamwater and soil Ca in an un-manipulated biogeochemical reference watershed. Historical data from Hubbard Brook show that streamwater Ca concentrations began decreasing sharply in the early 1970's, attributed to decreased deposition of both acidity and Ca with the passage of the Clean Air Act. Preliminary data indicate no resolvable change in the average δ44Ca of streamwater, with variability mostly attributable to discharge (flowpath control). Preliminary data
Sr/Ca and Ba/Ca variations in environmental and biological sources: A survey of marine and terrestrial systems
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Peek, Stephanie; Clementz, Mark T.
The relative concentrations of strontium to calcium (Sr/Ca) and barium to calcium (Ba/Ca) in mammalian bioapatite are common biogeochemical indicators for trophic level and/or dietary preferences in terrestrial foodwebs; however, similar research in marine foodwebs is lacking. This study combined environmental and biological Sr/Ca and Ba/Ca data from both terrestrial and marine settings from 62 published books, reports, and studies along with original data collected from 149 marine mammals (30 species) and 83 prey items (18 species) and found that variations in Sr/Ca and Ba/Ca ratios of biological and environmental samples are appreciably different in terrestrial and marine systems. In terrestrial systems, environmental sources account for most of the variations in Sr/Ca and Ba/Ca ratios. In contrast, environmental sources in marine systems (i.e., seawater) are comparatively invariant, meaning most of the variations in Sr/Ca and Ba/Ca ratios originate from biological processes. Marine consumers, particularly non-mammalian and mammalian vertebrates, show evidence of biopurification of Ca relative to Sr and Ba, similar to what is observed in terrestrial systems; however, unlike terrestrial systems, variations in Sr/Ca and Ba/Ca ratios of environmental sources are overprinted by bioaccumulation of Sr and Ba at the base of marine foodwebs. This demonstrates that in marine systems, spatial or temporal differences may have little to no effect on Sr/Ca and Ba/Ca ratios of marine vertebrates, making Sr/Ca, and to a lesser extent Ba/Ca, potentially useful global proxies for trophic level and dietary preferences of marine vertebrates.
Graded Ca²⁺/calmodulin-dependent coupling of voltage-gated CaV1.2 channels.
Dixon, Rose E; Moreno, Claudia M; Yuan, Can; Opitz-Araya, Ximena; Binder, Marc D; Navedo, Manuel F; Santana, Luis F
In the heart, reliable activation of Ca(2+) release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum during the plateau of the ventricular action potential requires synchronous opening of multiple CaV1.2 channels. Yet the mechanisms that coordinate this simultaneous opening during every heartbeat are unclear. Here, we demonstrate that CaV1.2 channels form clusters that undergo dynamic, reciprocal, allosteric interactions. This 'functional coupling' facilitates Ca(2+) influx by increasing activation of adjoined channels and occurs through C-terminal-to-C-terminal interactions. These interactions are initiated by binding of incoming Ca(2+) to calmodulin (CaM) and proceed through Ca(2+)/CaM binding to the CaV1.2 pre-IQ domain. Coupling fades as [Ca(2+)]i decreases, but persists longer than the current that evoked it, providing evidence for 'molecular memory'. Our findings suggest a model for CaV1.2 channel gating and Ca(2+)-influx amplification that unifies diverse observations about Ca(2+) signaling in the heart, and challenges the long-held view that voltage-gated channels open and close independently. PMID:25714924
Graded Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent coupling of voltage-gated CaV1.2 channels
Dixon, Rose E; Moreno, Claudia M; Yuan, Can; Opitz-Araya, Ximena; Binder, Marc D; Navedo, Manuel F; Santana, Luis F
In the heart, reliable activation of Ca2+ release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum during the plateau of the ventricular action potential requires synchronous opening of multiple CaV1.2 channels. Yet the mechanisms that coordinate this simultaneous opening during every heartbeat are unclear. Here, we demonstrate that CaV1.2 channels form clusters that undergo dynamic, reciprocal, allosteric interactions. This 'functional coupling' facilitates Ca2+ influx by increasing activation of adjoined channels and occurs through C-terminal-to-C-terminal interactions. These interactions are initiated by binding of incoming Ca2+ to calmodulin (CaM) and proceed through Ca2+/CaM binding to the CaV1.2 pre-IQ domain. Coupling fades as [Ca2+]i decreases, but persists longer than the current that evoked it, providing evidence for 'molecular memory'. Our findings suggest a model for CaV1.2 channel gating and Ca2+-influx amplification that unifies diverse observations about Ca2+ signaling in the heart, and challenges the long-held view that voltage-gated channels open and close independently. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.05608.001 PMID:25714924
The EF-Hand Ca2+ Binding Protein MICU Choreographs Mitochondrial Ca2+ Dynamics in Arabidopsis[OPEN
Carraretto, Luca; Teardo, Enrico; Cendron, Laura; Füßl, Magdalena; Doccula, Fabrizio G.; Szabò, Ildikò
Plant organelle function must constantly adjust to environmental conditions, which requires dynamic coordination. Ca2+ signaling may play a central role in this process. Free Ca2+ dynamics are tightly regulated and differ markedly between the cytosol, plastid stroma, and mitochondrial matrix. The mechanistic basis of compartment-specific Ca2+ dynamics is poorly understood. Here, we studied the function of At-MICU, an EF-hand protein of Arabidopsis thaliana with homology to constituents of the mitochondrial Ca2+ uniporter machinery in mammals. MICU binds Ca2+ and localizes to the mitochondria in Arabidopsis. In vivo imaging of roots expressing a genetically encoded Ca2+ sensor in the mitochondrial matrix revealed that lack of MICU increased resting concentrations of free Ca2+ in the matrix. Furthermore, Ca2+ elevations triggered by auxin and extracellular ATP occurred more rapidly and reached higher maximal concentrations in the mitochondria of micu mutants, whereas cytosolic Ca2+ signatures remained unchanged. These findings support the idea that a conserved uniporter system, with composition and regulation distinct from the mammalian machinery, mediates mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake in plants under in vivo conditions. They further suggest that MICU acts as a throttle that controls Ca2+ uptake by moderating influx, thereby shaping Ca2+ signatures in the matrix and preserving mitochondrial homeostasis. Our results open the door to genetic dissection of mitochondrial Ca2+ signaling in plants. PMID:26530087
Ca2+ transport capacity of sarcolemmal Na+-Ca2+ exchange. Extrapolation of vesicle data to in vivo conditions.
Philipson, K D; Ward, R
Na+-Ca2+ exchange activity is high in cardiac sarcolemmal vesicles suggesting an important physiologic role. Vesicular Na+-Ca2+ exchange, however, is usually measured under conditions which are far from physiologic. Using sarcolemmal vesicles, we have estimated the possible significance of both Ca2+ influx and efflux mediated by Na+-Ca2+ exchange under approximate in vivo ionic conditions. In this situation, Na+-Ca2+ exchange activity is far from maximal with intracellular Mg2+ causing significant inhibition. The capacity of the Na+-Ca2+ exchange system to extrude intracellular Ca2+ (at [Ca2+] = 6.0 microM) is about 1.2 mumol Ca2+/kg wet weight/s and approximately equals the capacity of the sarcolemmal ATP-dependent Ca2+ pump. The capacity of the sarcoplasmic reticular Ca2+ pump to remove cytoplasmic Ca2+ is much larger. Significant Ca2+ influx through the exchanger is unlikely to occur in normal mammalian myocardium and would require reduced extracellular Na+ or elevated intracellular Na+. PMID:3783729
Role of sarcomere mechanics and Ca2+ overload in Ca2+ waves and arrhythmias in rat cardiac muscle.
ter Keurs, Henk E D J; Wakayama, Yuji; Sugai, Yoshinao; Price, Guy; Kagaya, Yutaka; Boyden, Penelope A; Miura, Masahito; Stuyvers, Bruno D M
Ca(2+) release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) depends on the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca(2+) load and the cytosolic Ca(2+) level. Arrhythmogenic Ca(2+) waves underlying triggered propagated contractions arise from Ca(2+) overloaded regions near damaged areas in the cardiac muscle. Ca(2+) waves can also be induced in undamaged muscle, in regions with nonuniform excitation-contraction (EC) coupling by the cycle of stretch and release in the border zone between the damaged and intact regions. We hypothesize that rapid shortening of sarcomeres in the border zone during relaxation causes Ca(2+) release from troponin C (TnC) on thin filaments and initiates Ca(2+) waves. Elimination of this shortening will inhibit the initiation of Ca(2+) waves, while SR Ca(2+) overload will enhance the waves. Force, sarcomere length (SL), and [Ca(2+)](i) were measured and muscle length was controlled. A small jet of Hepes solution with an extracellular [Ca(2+)] 10 mM (HC), or HC containing BDM, was used to weaken a 300 mum long muscle segment. Trains of electrical stimuli were used to induce Ca(2+) waves. The effects of small exponential stretches on triggered propagatory contraction (TPC) amplitude and propagation velocity of Ca(2+) waves (V(prop)) were studied. Sarcomere shortening was uniform prior to activation. HC induced spontaneous diastolic sarcomere contractions in the jet region and attenuated twitch sarcomere shortening; HC+ butanedione monoxime (BDM) caused stretch only in the jet region. Stimulus trains induced Ca(2+) waves, which started inside the HC jet region during twitch relaxation. Ca(2+) waves started in the border zone of the BDM jet. The initial local [Ca(2+)](i) rise of the waves by HC was twice that by BDM. The waves propagated at a V(prop) of 2.0 +/- 0.2 mm/sec. Arrhythmias occurred frequently in trabeculae following exposure to the HC jet. Stretch early during relaxation, which reduced sarcomere shortening in the weakened regions, substantially
Control of IP3-mediated Ca2+ puffs in Xenopus laevis oocytes by the Ca2+-binding protein parvalbumin
John, Linu M; Mosquera-Caro, Monica; Camacho, Patricia; Lechleiter, James D
Elementary events of Ca2+ release (Ca2+ puffs) can be elicited from discrete clusters of inositol 1,4,5 trisphosphate receptors (IP3Rs) at low concentrations of IP3. Ca2+ puffs have rarely been observed unless elicited by either hormone treatment or introduction of IP3 into the cell. However, cells appear to have sufficient concentrations of IP3 (0.1-3.0 μM) to induce Ca2+ release under resting conditions. Here, we investigated Ca2+ puff activity in non-stimulated Xenopus oocytes using confocal microscopy. The fluorescent Ca2+ dye indicators Calcium Green 1 and Oregon Green 488 BAPTA-2 were injected into oocytes to monitor basal Ca2+ activity. In this preparation, injection or overexpression of parvalbumin, an EF-hand Ca2+-binding protein (CaBP), induced Ca2+ puffs in resting Xenopus oocytes. This activity was inhibited by heparin, an IP3R channel blocker, and by mutation of the Ca2+-binding sites in parvalbumin. Ca2+ puff activity was also evoked by injection of low concentrations of the Ca2+ chelator EGTA, but not by calbindin D28k, another member of the EF-hand CaBP superfamily. BAPTA and the Ca2+ indicator dye Oregon Green 488 BAPTA-1 evoked Ca2+ puff activity, while the dextran conjugate of Oregon Green 488 BAPTA-1 did not. These data indicate that a Ca2+ buffer must be mobile in order to increase Ca2+ puff activity. Together, the data indicate that some IP3Rs spontaneously release Ca2+ under resting concentrations of IP3. These elementary Ca2+ events appear to be below the level of detection of current imaging techniques. We suggest that parvalbumin evokes Ca2+ puffs by coordinating the activity of elementary IP3R channel openings. We conclude that Ca2+ release can be evoked not only by hormone-induced increases in IP3, but also by expression of mobile cytosolic CaBPs under resting concentrations of IP3. PMID:11507154
Ca++ induced hypothermia in a hibernator /Citellus beechyi/
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Hanegan, J. L.; Williams, B. A.
Results of perfusion of excess Ca++ and Na+ into the hypothalamus of the hibernating ground squirrel Citellus beechyi are presented. The significant finding is that perfused excess Ca++ causes a reduction in core temperature when ambient temperature is low (12 C). Ca++ also causes a rise in rectal temperature at high ambient temperature (33 C). Thus hypothalamic Ca++ perfusion apparently causes a nonspecific depression of thermoregulatory control.
T-type Ca2+ channel modulation by otilonium bromide
Strege, Peter R.; Sha, Lei; Beyder, Arthur; Bernard, Cheryl E.; Perez-Reyes, Edward; Evangelista, Stefano; Gibbons, Simon J.; Szurszewski, Joseph H.
Antispasmodics are used clinically to treat a variety of gastrointestinal disorders by inhibition of smooth muscle contraction. The main pathway for smooth muscle Ca2+ entry is through L-type channels; however, there is increasing evidence that T-type Ca2+ channels also play a role in regulating contractility. Otilonium bromide, an antispasmodic, has previously been shown to inhibit L-type Ca2+ channels and colonic contractile activity. The objective of this study was to determine whether otilonium bromide also inhibits T-type Ca2+ channels. Whole cell currents were recorded by patch-clamp technique from HEK293 cells transfected with cDNAs encoding the T-type Ca2+ channels, CaV3.1 (α1G), CaV3.2 (α1H), or CaV3.3 (α1I) alpha subunits. Extracellular solution was exchanged with otilonium bromide (10−8 to 10−5 M). Otilonium bromide reversibly blocked all T-type Ca2+ channels with a significantly greater affinity for CaV3.3 than CaV3.1 or CaV3.2. Additionally, the drug slowed inactivation in CaV3.1 and CaV3.3. Inhibition of T-type Ca2+ channels may contribute to inhibition of contractility by otilonium bromide. This may represent a new mechanism of action for antispasmodics and may contribute to the observed increased clinical effectiveness of antispasmodics compared with selective L-type Ca2+ channel blockers. PMID:20203058
High precision calcium isotope analysis using 42Ca-48Ca double-spike TIMS technique
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Feng, L.; Zhou, L.; Gao, S.; Tong, S. Y.; Zhou, M. L.
Double spike techniques are widely used for determining calcium isotopic compositions of natural samples. The most important factor controlling precision of the double spike technique is the choice of appropriate spike isotope pair, the composition of double spikes and the ratio of spike to sample(CSp/CN). We propose an optimal 42Ca-48Ca double spike protocol which yields the best internal precision for calcium isotopic composition determinations among all kinds of spike pairs and various spike compositions and ratios of spike to sample, as predicted by linear error propagation method. It is suggested to use spike composition of 42Ca/(42Ca+48Ca) = 0.44 mol/mol and CSp/(CN+ CSp)= 0.12mol/mol because it takes both advantages of the largest mass dispersion between 42Ca and 48Ca (14%) and lowest spike cost. Spiked samples were purified by pass through homemade micro-column filled with Ca special resin. K, Ti and other interference elements were completely separated, while 100% calcium was recovered with negligible blank. Data collection includes integration time, idle time, focus and peakcenter frequency, which were all carefully designed for the highest internal precision and lowest analysis time. All beams were automatically measured in a sequence by Triton TIMS so as to eliminate difference of analytical conditions between samples and standards, and also to increase the analytical throughputs. The typical internal precision of 100 duty cycles for one beam is 0.012‒0.015 ‰ (2δSEM), which agrees well with the predicted internal precision of 0.0124 ‰ (2δSEM). Our methods improve internal precisions by a factor of 2‒10 compared to previous methods of determination of calcium isotopic compositions by double spike TIMS. We analyzed NIST SRM 915a, NIST SRM 915b and Pacific Seawater as well as interspersed geological samples during two months. The obtained average δ44/40Ca (all relative to NIST SRM 915a) is 0.02 ± 0.02 ‰ (n=28), 0.72±0.04 ‰ (n=10) and 1
Nature of the individual Ca2+ binding sites in Ca2+-regenerated bacteriorhodopsin
Zhang, Y. N.; Sweetman, L. L.; Awad, E. S.; El-Sayed, M. A.
The binding constants, K1 and K2, and the number of Ca2+ ions in each of the two high affinity sites of Ca2+-regenerated bacteriorhodopsin (bR) are determined potentiometrically at different pH values in the range of pH 3.5-4.5 by using the Scatchard plot method. From the pH dependence of K1 and K2, it was found that two hydrogen ions are released for each Ca2+ bound to each of the two high affinity sites. Furthermore, we have measured by a direct spectroscopic method the association constant, Ks, for the binding of Ca2+ to deionized bR, which is responsible for producing the blue to purple color change. Comparing the value of Ks and its pH dependence with those of K1 and K2 showed that the site corresponding to Ks is to be identified with that of K2. This is in agreement with the conclusion reached previously, using a different approach, which showed that it is the second Ca2+ that causes the blue to purple color change. Our studies also show that in addition to the two distinct high affinity sites, there are about four to six sites with lower binding constants. These are attributed to the nonspecific binding in bR. PMID:19431830
Electronic structure of Ca, Sr, and Ba under pressure.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Animalu, A. O. E.; Heine, V.; Vasvari, B.
Electronic band structure calculations phase of Ca, Sr and Ba over wide range of atomic volumes under pressure electronic band structure calculations for fcc phase of Ca, Sr and Ba over wide range of atomic volumes under pressure electronic band structure calculations for fcc phase of Ca, Sr and Ba over wide range of atomic volumes under pressure
Memory retrieval along the proximodistal axis of CA1.
Nakazawa, Yuki; Pevzner, Aleksandr; Tanaka, Kazumasa Z; Wiltgen, Brian J
The proximal and distal segments of CA1 are thought to perform distinct computations. Neurons in proximal CA1 are reciprocally connected with the medial entorhinal cortex (MEC) and exhibit precise spatial firing. In contrast, cells in distal CA1 communicate with the lateral entorhinal cortex (LEC), exhibit more diffuse spatial firing and are affected by the presence of objects in the environment. To determine if these segments make unique contributions to memory retrieval, we examined cellular activity along the proximodistal axis of CA1 using transgenic reporter mice. Neurons tagged during context learning in proximal CA1 were more likely to be reactivated during testing than those in distal CA1. This was true following context fear conditioning and after exposure to a novel environment. Reactivation was also higher in brain regions connected to proximal CA1 (MEC, distal CA3) than those connected to the distal segment (LEC, proximal CA3). To examine contributions to memory retrieval, we performed neurotoxic lesions of proximal or distal CA1 after training. Lesions of the proximal segment significantly impaired memory retrieval while damage to distal CA1 had no effect. These data suggest that context memories are retrieved by a hippocampal microcircuit that involves the proximal but not distal segment of CA1. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. PMID:27068122
78 FR 36655 - Drawbridge Operation Regulation; Carquinez Strait, Martinez, CA
Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
... SECURITY Coast Guard 33 CFR Part 117 Drawbridge Operation Regulation; Carquinez Strait, Martinez, CA AGENCY... Drawbridge across the Carquinez Strait, mile 7.0 at Martinez, CA. The deviation is necessary to perform a..., at Martinez, CA. The drawbridge navigation span provides 135 feet vertical clearance above Mean...
Registration of CA0469C025C chickpea germplasm
Technology Transfer Automated Retrieval System (TEKTRAN)
Chickpea (Cicer arientinum L.) germplasm CA0469C025C (Reg. No. XXX; PI XXX), was released by the USDA-ARS in 2010. CA0469C025C was released based on its improved yield and reaction to Ascochyta blight relative to the popular commercial cultivars 'Dwelley', 'Sierra', and 'Sawyer'. CA0490C025C is deri...
77 FR 10371 - Drawbridge Operation Regulation; Sacramento River, Sacramento, CA
Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
... SECURITY Coast Guard 33 CFR Part 117 Drawbridge Operation Regulation; Sacramento River, Sacramento, CA... of the Tower Drawbridge across the Sacramento River, mile 59.0, at Sacramento, CA. The deviation is... Drawbridge, mile 59.0, Sacramento River, at Sacramento, CA. The Tower Drawbridge navigation span provides...
77 FR 22216 - Drawbridge Operation Regulation; Sacramento River, Sacramento, CA
Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
... SECURITY Coast Guard 33 CFR Part 117 Drawbridge Operation Regulation; Sacramento River, Sacramento, CA... across the Sacramento River, mile 59.0, at Sacramento, CA. The deviation is necessary to allow the... Tower Drawbridge, mile 59.0, Sacramento River, at Sacramento, CA. The Tower Drawbridge navigation...
78 FR 42452 - Drawbridge Operation Regulation; Sacramento River, Sacramento, CA
Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
... SECURITY Coast Guard 33 CFR Part 117 Drawbridge Operation Regulation; Sacramento River, Sacramento, CA... across the Sacramento River, mile 59.4 at Sacramento, CA. The deviation is necessary to allow the bridge... Sacramento River, at Sacramento, CA. The drawbridge navigation span provides 109 feet vertical...
76 FR 79067 - Drawbridge Operation Regulation; Sacramento River, Sacramento, CA
Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
... SECURITY Coast Guard 33 CFR Part 117 Drawbridge Operation Regulation; Sacramento River, Sacramento, CA... of the Tower Drawbridge across the Sacramento River, mile 59.0, at Sacramento, CA. The deviation is... change to the operation of the Tower Drawbridge, mile 59.0, Sacramento River, at Sacramento, CA....
78 FR 15878 - Drawbridge Operation Regulations; Sacramento River, Sacramento, CA
Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
... SECURITY Coast Guard 33 CFR Part 117 Drawbridge Operation Regulations; Sacramento River, Sacramento, CA... across Sacramento River, mile 59.0, at Sacramento, CA. The deviation is necessary to allow the community... Sacramento River, at Sacramento, CA. The Tower Drawbridge navigation span provides a vertical clearance of...
77 FR 44139 - Drawbridge Operation Regulation; Sacramento River, Sacramento, CA
Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
... SECURITY Coast Guard 33 CFR Part 117 Drawbridge Operation Regulation; Sacramento River, Sacramento, CA... across the Sacramento River, mile 59.0, at Sacramento, CA. The deviation is necessary to allow the... operation of the Tower Drawbridge, mile 59.0, Sacramento River, at Sacramento, CA. The Tower...
77 FR 419 - Drawbridge Operation Regulation; Sacramento River, Paintersville, CA
Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
... CFR Part 117 Drawbridge Operation Regulation; Sacramento River, Paintersville, CA AGENCY: Coast Guard... Paintersville Drawbridge across Sacramento River, mile 33.4, at Paintersville, CA. The deviation is necessary to... Paintersville Drawbridge, mile 33.4, over Sacramento River, at Paintersville, CA. The drawbridge navigation...
Dual effect of spermine on mitochondrial Ca2+ transport.
Lenzen, S; Münster, W; Rustenbeck, I
1. A dual effect of the polyamine spermine on Ca2+ uptake by isolated rat liver, brain and heart mitochondria could be demonstrated by using a high-resolution system for studying mitochondrial Ca2+ transport. Depending on the experimental situation, spermine had an inhibiting or accelerating effects on mitochondrial Ca(2+)-uptake rate, but invariably increased the mitochondrial Ca2+ accumulation. 2. Both effects were concentration-dependent and clearly discernible on the basis of their different kinetic characteristics. For mitochondria from all three tissues the half-maximally effective concentration for inhibition of the initial rate of Ca2+ uptake was approx. 180 microM, whereas that for the subsequent stimulation of Ca2+ accumulation was approx. 50 microM. 3. Acceleration of the initial uptake rate could be seen when the mitochondria were preloaded with spermine during a 2 min preincubation period and thereafter incubated in a medium without spermine. 4. When such spermine-preloaded mitochondria were incubated in a spermine-containing medium, the increase in Ca(2+)-accumulation capacity was maintained in spite of an unchanged rate of Ca2+ uptake. 5. Mg2+ interacted with the effects of spermine in a differential manner, enhancing the initial inhibition of the rate of mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake and diminishing the subsequent stimulation of mitochondrial Ca2+ accumulation. 6. This dual effect of spermine on mitochondrial Ca2+ transport resolves the apparent paradox that a polycationic compound can act as a stimulator of Ca2+ uptake. PMID:1530590
Research on urban sprawl based on GIS and CA
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Qin, Fen; Yan, Lijie
The complex urban system can't be simulated directly by the traditional and static models. Cellular automata (CA) is a kind of dynamically modeling framework from bottom to top, which possesses the capability of modeling spatialtemporal evolvement process of a complicated geographical system. The peculiarities of CA are apt for simulating urban sprawl, urban expansion and land use evolution, which make the application of CA become very popular. The environment of CA simulation can be improved by using the CA model integrated with GIS to simulate the urban sprawl, and new parameters and transition rules can be found out by establishing classical urban CA. The paper summarizes the status and the application of urban CA in the world, develops a CA model named GIS-CA on the basis of the principle of CA, integrated with GIS and RS, adds urban plan as controlling factor into GIS-CA model, and uses GIS-CA model to simulate and forecast urban sprawl, and takes Luoyang City as the case study. The simulation and forecast results are acceptable for that the precision and Lee-Sallee shape index are rational.
Characteristics (Delta44/40Ca, Mg/Ca and Sr/Ca) of Mytilus edulis and Arctica islandica Shells formed in a Temperature-Salinity Matrix
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Hiebenthal, C.; Eisenhauer, A.; Wahl, M.
We investigated the influence of temperature (5°C to 15°C (A. islandica) resp. 25°C (M. edulis)) and salinity (15 to 35 psu) regimes on the calcium (Ca) isotope fractionation (Δ44/40Ca) and on Mg/Ca and Sr/Ca in cultured bivalves (Mytilus edulis and Arctica islandica). In an orthogonal 2-factorial (temperature vs. salinity) experiment, the bivalves were allowed to grow for 15 weeks under tightly controlled conditions and then probed and analysed by thermal ionisation mass spectrometry (TIMS) and optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). Several interactions between the factors temperature and salinity with respect to their influence on bivalve shell parameters could be found. However, with the exception of Sr/Ca data, the variation of measured shell characteristics between individual bivalves was high. The Sr/Ca - salinity proxy seems to be the most reliable (linear. regression, M. edulis: Sr/Ca = -0.0283*sal + 1.7967, R2 = 0.81, p < 0.001), even though, in A. islandica shells, it can be blurred by temperature effects at low salinities (lin. regr. at 5°C: p > 0.05, at 10°C: Sr/Ca = - 0.061*sal + 3.13, R2 = 0.93, p < 0.001, at 15°C: Sr/Ca = -0.066*sal + 3.34, R2 = 0.92, p < 0.001). In M. edulis shells Mg/Ca ratios related well with seawater temperature (lin. regr.: Mg/Ca = 0.642*t - 0.107, R2 = 0.81, p < 0.001). Ca isotope ratios only in A. islandica related significantly with temperature (lin. regr.: Δ44/40Ca = 0.016*t - 1.26, R2 = 0.29, p < 0.01) but due to an interacting salinity effect at 10°C (lin. regr.: Δ44/40Ca = -0.0148*sal - 0.738, R2 = 0.62, p = 0.002) the temperature model can only explain a limited part of the variation. Overall, the calcitic shells of M. edulis appear to provide the better element ratio proxies (Mg/Ca for temperature and Sr/Ca for salinity) and the aragonitic shells of A. islandica have the better Ca isotope - temperature proxy.
Intracellular Na+ overload causes oxidation of CaMKII and leads to Ca2+ mishandling in isolated ventricular myocytes.
Viatchenko-Karpinski, Serge; Kornyeyev, Dmytro; El-Bizri, Nesrine; Budas, Grant; Fan, Peidong; Jiang, Zhan; Yang, Jin; Anderson, Mark E; Shryock, John C; Chang, Ching-Pin; Belardinelli, Luiz; Yao, Lina
An increase of late Na(+) current (INaL) in cardiac myocytes can raise the cytosolic Na(+) concentration and is associated with activation of Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) and alterations of mitochondrial metabolism and Ca(2+) handling by sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR). We tested the hypothesis that augmentation of INaL can increase mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and oxidation of CaMKII, resulting in spontaneous SR Ca(2+) release and increased diastolic Ca(2+) in myocytes. Increases of INaL and/or of the cytosolic Na(+) concentration led to mitochondrial ROS production and oxidation of CaMKII to cause dysregulation of Ca(2+) handling in rabbit cardiac myocytes. PMID:25252177
Using Ca isotopes to constrain source of streamwater Ca following clear-cutting of a New England watershed
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Takagi, K.; Kurtz, A. C.; Bailey, S. W.
Stable Ca isotopes have been used in applications ranging from use as a paleooceanographic temperature proxy to tracing continental weathering fluxes to the oceans. One of the most important applications has been in understanding Ca cycling in terrestrial ecosystems. Major land use disturbance such as forest harvesting results in increased hydrologic export of cations but the mechanisms that lead to increased Ca export and the sources of streamwater Ca following disturbance remain uncertain. Ca isotope ratios may allow us to determine the internal Ca pools that contribute to increased export. We measured stable Ca isotopes on archived streamwater samples from Hubbard Brook Watershed 5 before and after a 1983 whole-watershed harvest experiment to test the following hypothesis: following harvest, the Ca isotopic value of streamwater will shift towards an isotopically light composition reflecting loss of biologically cycled Ca from soil pools. Ca concentrations measured on archived samples correspond exactly to values measured at the time of collection indicating adequate sample preservation over several decades of storage. Preliminary stable Ca isotopic results on these streamwater samples indicate a robust shift in δ40Ca from a pre-harvest value of -0.95% (vs. seawater) to a post-harvest value of -1.45%. We developed a box model of Ca cycling in forested ecosystems that includes Ca isotopes as tracer in order to model the δ40Ca of the various soil and vegetation pools. Steady-state model results indicate that vegetation is isotopically light relative to the B-horizon and forest floor soil pools and the forest floor soil pool is isotopically light relative to the B-horizon soil pool. We used modeled δ40Ca values of B-horizon and forest floor soil pools in a two end-member mixing analysis to evaluate changes in streamwater δ40Ca following harvesting. Our mixing analysis indicates that the observed decrease in the δ40Ca of streamwater following harvest requires an
Late INa increases diastolic SR-Ca2+-leak in atrial myocardium by activating PKA and CaMKII
Fischer, Thomas H.; Herting, Jonas; Mason, Fleur E.; Hartmann, Nico; Watanabe, Saera; Nikolaev, Viacheslav O.; Sprenger, Julia U.; Fan, Peidong; Yao, Lina; Popov, Aron-Frederik; Danner, Bernhard C.; Schöndube, Friedrich; Belardinelli, Luiz; Hasenfuss, Gerd; Maier, Lars S.; Sossalla, Samuel
Aims Enhanced cardiac late Na current (late INa) and increased sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR)-Ca2+-leak are both highly arrhythmogenic. This study seeks to identify signalling pathways interconnecting late INa and SR-Ca2+-leak in atrial cardiomyocytes (CMs). Methods and results In murine atrial CMs, SR-Ca2+-leak was increased by the late INa enhancer Anemonia sulcata toxin II (ATX-II). An inhibition of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (Autocamide-2-related inhibitory peptide), protein kinase A (H89), or late INa (Ranolazine or Tetrodotoxin) all prevented ATX-II-dependent SR-Ca2+-leak. The SR-Ca2+-leak induction by ATX-II was not detected when either the Na+/Ca2+ exchanger was inhibited (KBR) or in CaMKIIδc-knockout mice. FRET measurements revealed increased cAMP levels upon ATX-II stimulation, which could be prevented by inhibition of adenylyl cyclases (ACs) 5 and 6 (NKY 80) but not by inhibition of phosphodiesterases (IBMX), suggesting PKA activation via an AC-dependent increase of cAMP levels. Western blots showed late INa-dependent hyperphosphorylation of CaMKII as well as PKA target sites at ryanodine receptor type-2 (-S2814 and -S2808) and phospholamban (-Thr17, -S16). Enhancement of late INa did not alter Ca2+-transient amplitude or SR-Ca2+-load. However, upon late INa activation and simultaneous CaMKII inhibition, Ca2+-transient amplitude and SR-Ca2+-load were increased, whereas PKA inhibition reduced Ca2+-transient amplitude and load and additionally slowed Ca2+ elimination. In atrial CMs from patients with atrial fibrillation, inhibition of late INa, CaMKII, or PKA reduced the SR-Ca2+-leak. Conclusion Late INa exerts distinct effects on Ca2+ homeostasis in atrial myocardium through activation of CaMKII and PKA. Inhibition of late INa represents a potential approach to attenuate CaMKII activation and decreases SR-Ca2+-leak in atrial rhythm disorders. The interconnection with the cAMP/PKA system further increases the antiarrhythmic potential of late
CaV1.2/CaV3.x channels mediate divergent vasomotor responses in human cerebral arteries.
Harraz, Osama F; Visser, Frank; Brett, Suzanne E; Goldman, Daniel; Zechariah, Anil; Hashad, Ahmed M; Menon, Bijoy K; Watson, Tim; Starreveld, Yves; Welsh, Donald G
The regulation of arterial tone is critical in the spatial and temporal control of cerebral blood flow. Voltage-gated Ca(2+) (CaV) channels are key regulators of excitation-contraction coupling in arterial smooth muscle, and thereby of arterial tone. Although L- and T-type CaV channels have been identified in rodent smooth muscle, little is known about the expression and function of specific CaV subtypes in human arteries. Here, we determined which CaV subtypes are present in human cerebral arteries and defined their roles in determining arterial tone. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analysis, respectively, identified mRNA and protein for L- and T-type channels in smooth muscle of cerebral arteries harvested from patients undergoing resection surgery. Analogous to rodents, CaV1.2 (L-type) and CaV3.2 (T-type) α1 subunits were expressed in human cerebral arterial smooth muscle; intriguingly, the CaV3.1 (T-type) subtype present in rodents was replaced with a different T-type isoform, CaV3.3, in humans. Using established pharmacological and electrophysiological tools, we separated and characterized the unique profiles of Ca(2+) channel subtypes. Pressurized vessel myography identified a key role for CaV1.2 and CaV3.3 channels in mediating cerebral arterial constriction, with the former and latter predominating at higher and lower intraluminal pressures, respectively. In contrast, CaV3.2 antagonized arterial tone through downstream regulation of the large-conductance Ca(2+)-activated K(+) channel. Computational analysis indicated that each Ca(2+) channel subtype will uniquely contribute to the dynamic regulation of cerebral blood flow. In conclusion, this study documents the expression of three distinct Ca(2+) channel subtypes in human cerebral arteries and further shows how they act together to orchestrate arterial tone. PMID:25918359
Reorientable dipolar CuCa antisite and anomalous screening in CaCu3Ti4O12
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Delugas, Pietro; Alippi, Paola; Fiorentini, Vincenzo; Raineri, Vito
Based on first-principles calculations, we show that the abundant CuCa antisite defect contributes sizably to dielectric screening in single-crystal CaCu3Ti4O12 . CuCa has a multi-minimum off-center equilibrium configuration, whereby it possesses a large and easily reorientable dipole moment. The low-temperature and frequency cut-off behavior of CuCa -induced response is consistent with experiment.
Mg/Ca, Sr/Ca and Ca isotope ratios in benthonic foraminifers related to test structure, mineralogy and environmental controls
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Gussone, Nikolaus; Filipsson, Helena L.; Kuhnert, Henning
We analysed Mg/Ca, Sr/Ca and Ca isotope ratios of benthonic foraminifers from sediment core tops retrieved during several research cruises in the Atlantic Ocean, in order to improve the understanding of isotope fractionation and element partitioning resulting from biomineralisation processes and changes in ambient conditions. Species include foraminifers secreting tests composed of hyaline low magnesium calcite, porcelaneous high magnesium calcite as well as aragonite. Our results demonstrate systematic isotope fractionation and element partitioning patterns specific for these foraminiferal groups. Calcium isotope fractionation is similar in porcelaneous and hyaline calcite tests and both groups demonstrate the previously described anomaly with enrichment of heavy isotopes around 3-4 °C (Gussone and Filipsson, 2010). Calcium isotope ratios of the aragonitic species Hoeglundina elegans, on the other hand, are about 0.4‰ lighter compared to the calcitic species, which is in general agreement with stronger fractionation in inorganic aragonite compared to calcite. However, the low and strongly variable Sr content suggests additional processes during test formation, and we propose that transmembrane ion transport or a precursor phase to aragonite may be involved. Porcelaneous tests, composed of high Mg calcite, incorporate higher amounts of Sr compared to hyaline low Mg calcite, in agreement with inorganic calcite systematics, but also porcelaneous tests with reduced Mg/Ca show high Sr/Ca. While calcium isotopes, Sr/Ca and Mg/Ca in benthonic foraminifers primarily appear to fractionate and partition with a dominant inorganic control, δ44/40Ca temperature and growth rate dependencies of benthonic foraminifer tests favour a dominant contribution of light Ca by transmembrane transport relative to unfractionated seawater Ca to the calcifying fluid, thus controlling the formation of foraminiferal δ44/40Ca and Sr/Ca proxy signals.
Association of serum levels of CEA, CA199, CA125, CYFRA21-1 and CA72-4 and disease characteristics in colorectal cancer.
Zhong, Wa; Yu, Zhong; Zhan, Jun; Yu, Tao; Lin, Ying; Xia, Zhong-Sheng; Yuan, Yu-Hong; Chen, Qi-Kui
Identifying predictive biomarkers for colorectal cancer would facilitate diagnosis and treatment of the disease. This study aimed to investigate the association of the serological biomarkers CEA, CA19-9, CA125, CYFRA21-1 and CA72-4 with patient characteristics and disease outcomes in colorectal cancer. Patients (N = 373) with colorectal cancer were evaluated for the association of CEA, CA19-9, CA125, CYFRA21-1, and CA72-4 pre and post-surgery and at disease recurrence with demographics, disease characteristics including pathological types, degree of differentiation, invasion depth, abdominal lymph node metastasis, TMN stage, Dukes stage, location of cancer and metastasis, and disease outcomes. It was more common for a patient to express these markers prior to surgery and at disease recurrence than following surgery. Overall, the serum levels of CEA, CA19-9, CA125, CYFRA21-1, and CA72-4 were not associated with age, gender, pathological type and location of cancer (all P-values >0.05), but were associated with the poor tumor differentiation, higher tumor invasion, greater degree of abdominal lymph node metastasis, and higher TNM and Duke stage tumors (all P-values < 0.01). CEA expression was associated with older ages (median age 65 years). Multivariate analysis indicated that CEA was correlated with overall survival and none of the markers correlated with disease recurrence. The expression of CEA, CA19-9, CA125, CYFRA21-1, and CA72-4 was associated with specific disease characteristics which tended to indicated more advanced disease and disease recurrence consistent with these biomarkers being useful for detecting colorectal cancer. PMID:24875250
Ca(2+)-mobilizing hormones induce sequentially ordered Ca2+ signals in multicellular systems of rat hepatocytes.
Combettes, L; Tran, D; Tordjmann, T; Laurent, M; Berthon, B; Claret, M
The development of hormone-mediated Ca2+ signals was analysed in polarized doublets, triplets and quadruplets of rat hepatocytes by video imaging of fura2 fluorescence. These multicellular models showed dilated bile canaliculi, and gap junctions were observed by using an anti-connexin-32 antibody. They also showed highly organized Ca2+ signals in response to vasopressin or noradrenaline. Surprisingly, the primary rises in intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) did not start randomly from any cell of the multiplet. It originated invariably in the same hepatocyte (first-responding cell), and then was propagated in a sequential manner to the nearest connected cells (cell 2, then 3, in triplets; cell 2, 3, then 4 in quadruplets). The sequential activation of the cells appeared to be an intrinsic property of multiplets of rat hepatocytes. (1) In the continued presence of hormones, the same sequential order was observed up to six times, i.e. at each train of oscillations occurring between the cells. (2) The order of [Ca2+]i responses was modified neither by the repeated addition of hormones nor by the hormonal dose. (3) The mechanical disruption of an intermediate cell slowed down the speed of the propagation, suggesting a role of gap junctions in the rapidity of the sequential activation of cells. (4) The same multiplet could have a different first-responding cell for vasopressin or noradrenaline, suggesting a role of the hormonal receptors in the sequentiality of cell responses. It is postulated that a functional heterogeneity of hormonal receptors, and the presence of functional gap junctions, are involved in the existence of sequentially ordered hormone-mediated [Ca2+]i rises in the multiplets of rat hepatocytes. Images Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 PMID:7998996
Superdeformed and Triaxial States in 42Ca
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Hadyńska-KlÈ©k, K.; Napiorkowski, P. J.; Zielińska, M.; Srebrny, J.; Maj, A.; Azaiez, F.; Valiente Dobón, J. J.; Kicińska-Habior, M.; Nowacki, F.; Naïdja, H.; Bounthong, B.; Rodríguez, T. R.; de Angelis, G.; Abraham, T.; Anil Kumar, G.; Bazzacco, D.; Bellato, M.; Bortolato, D.; Bednarczyk, P.; Benzoni, G.; Berti, L.; Birkenbach, B.; Bruyneel, B.; Brambilla, S.; Camera, F.; Chavas, J.; Cederwall, B.; Charles, L.; Ciemała, M.; Cocconi, P.; Coleman-Smith, P.; Colombo, A.; Corsi, A.; Crespi, F. C. L.; Cullen, D. M.; Czermak, A.; Désesquelles, P.; Doherty, D. T.; Dulny, B.; Eberth, J.; Farnea, E.; Fornal, B.; Franchoo, S.; Gadea, A.; Giaz, A.; Gottardo, A.; Grave, X.; GrÈ©bosz, J.; Görgen, A.; Gulmini, M.; Habermann, T.; Hess, H.; Isocrate, R.; Iwanicki, J.; Jaworski, G.; Judson, D. S.; Jungclaus, A.; Karkour, N.; Kmiecik, M.; Karpiński, D.; Kisieliński, M.; Kondratyev, N.; Korichi, A.; Komorowska, M.; Kowalczyk, M.; Korten, W.; Krzysiek, M.; Lehaut, G.; Leoni, S.; Ljungvall, J.; Lopez-Martens, A.; Lunardi, S.; Maron, G.; Mazurek, K.; Menegazzo, R.; Mengoni, D.; Merchán, E.; MÈ©czyński, W.; Michelagnoli, C.; Mierzejewski, J.; Million, B.; Myalski, S.; Napoli, D. R.; Nicolini, R.; Niikura, M.; Obertelli, A.; Özmen, S. F.; Palacz, M.; Próchniak, L.; Pullia, A.; Quintana, B.; Rampazzo, G.; Recchia, F.; Redon, N.; Reiter, P.; Rosso, D.; Rusek, K.; Sahin, E.; Salsac, M.-D.; Söderström, P.-A.; Stefan, I.; Stézowski, O.; Styczeń, J.; Theisen, Ch.; Toniolo, N.; Ur, C. A.; Vandone, V.; Wadsworth, R.; Wasilewska, B.; Wiens, A.; Wood, J. L.; Wrzosek-Lipska, K.; ZiÈ©bliński, M.
Shape parameters of a weakly deformed ground-state band and highly deformed slightly triaxial sideband in 42Ca were determined from E 2 matrix elements measured in the first low-energy Coulomb excitation experiment performed with AGATA. The picture of two coexisting structures is well reproduced by new state-of-the-art large-scale shell model and beyond-mean-field calculations. Experimental evidence for superdeformation of the band built on 02+ has been obtained and the role of triaxiality in the A ˜40 mass region is discussed. Furthermore, the potential of Coulomb excitation as a tool to study superdeformation has been demonstrated for the first time.
Ca2+-Regulated Photoproteins: Effective Immunoassay Reporters
Frank, Ludmila A.
Ca2+-regulated photoproteins of luminous marine coelenterates are of interest and a challenge for researchers as a unique bioluminescent system and as a promising analytical instrument for both in vivo and in vitro applications. The proteins are comprehensively studied as to biochemical properties, tertiary structures, bioluminescence mechanism, etc. This knowledge, along with available recombinant proteins serves the basis for development of unique bioluminescent detection systems that are "self-contained", triggerable, fast, highly sensitive, and non-hazardous. In the paper, we focus on the use of photoproteins as reporters in binding assays based on immunological recognition element—bioluminescent immunoassay and hybridization immunoassay, their advantages and prospects. PMID:22163526
San Francisco and Bay Area, CA, USA
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
This cloud free color infrared view of San Francisco and Bay Area, CA (38.0N, 122.5W) is unusual because the city is normally concealed from view by clouds and fog. Gray tones represent urban areas and the red toned areas are vegetated. Within the city, parks easily stand out from the well-developed parts of the city as enclaves of color. The trace of the San Andreas fault shows as a straight valley running across the San Francisco peninsula.
Mechanics of Old Faithful Geyser, Calistoga, CA
Rudolph, M.L.; Manga, M.; Hurwitz, Shaul; Johnston, Malcolm J.; Karlstrom, L.; Wang, Chun-Yong
In order to probe the subsurface dynamics associated with geyser eruptions, we measured ground deformation at Old Faithful Geyser of Calistoga, CA. We present a physical model in which recharge during the period preceding an eruption is driven by pressure differences relative to the aquifer supplying the geyser. The model predicts that pressure and ground deformation are characterized by an exponential function of time, consistent with our observations. The geyser's conduit is connected to a reservoir at a depth of at least 42 m, and pressure changes in the reservoir can produce the observed ground deformations through either a poroelastic or elastic mechanical model.