Calmodulin calcium interactions

Nilsson KPR, Inganas O (2004) Optical emission of a conjugated polyelectrolyte calcium-induced conformational changes in calmodulin and calmodulin-calcineurin interactions. Macromolecules 37 9109-9113... 

Osteomalacia and osteoporosis are reported primarily in patients (95% females) with itai-itai disease, and osteomalacia has been observed in cadmium industry workers, the majority of whom are male (Goyer 1991). While the mechanisms for these effects are not well known, cadmium disruption of calcium metabolism may be important. One of the manifestations of renal injury in cadmium-exposed populations is calcuria and negative calcium balance. It is not clear whether these effects on calcium metabolism occur secondary to renal injury, or whether there is a direct effect on calcium pathways (see discussion of calmodulin-calcium-cadmium interactions in Sect. B.I). 

There may be an interaction of the two drugs on the calcineurin-calmodulin-calcium complex, on which both alcohol and tacrolimus/ pimecrolimus are known to act. 

The ETa receptor activates G proteins of the Gq/n and G12/i3 family. The ETB receptor stimulates G proteins of the G and Gq/11 family. In endothelial cells, activation of the ETB receptor stimulates the release of NO and prostacyclin (PGI2) via pertussis toxin-sensitive G proteins. In smooth muscle cells, the activation of ETA receptors leads to an increase of intracellular calcium via pertussis toxin-insensitive G proteins of the Gq/11 family and to an activation of Rho proteins most likely via G proteins of the Gi2/i3 family. Increase of intracellular calcium results in a calmodulin-dependent activation of the myosin light chain kinase (MLCK, Fig. 2). MLCK phosphorylates the 20 kDa myosin light chain (MLC-20), which then stimulates actin-myosin interaction of vascular smooth muscle cells resulting in vasoconstriction. Since activated Rho... 

The major relaxing transmitters are those that elevate the cAMP or cGMP concentration (Fig. 3). Adenosine stimulates the activity of cAMP kinase. The next step is not clear, but evidence has been accumulated that cAMP kinase decreases the calcium sensitivity of the contractile machinery. In vitro, cAMP kinase phosphorylated MLCK and decreased thereby the affinity of MLCK for calcium-calmodulin. However, this regulation does not occur in intact smooth muscle. Possible other substrate candidates for cAMP kinase are the heat stable protein HSP 20, (A heat stable protein of 20 kDa that is phosphorylated by cGMP kinase. It has been postulated that phospho-HSP 20 interferes with the interaction between actin and myosin allowing thereby smooth muscle relaxation without dephosphorylation of the rMLC.) Rho A and MLCP that are phosphorylated also by cGMP kinase I (Fig. 3). 

In striated muscle, there are two other proteins that are minor in terms of their mass but important in terms of their function. Tropomyosin is a fibrous molecule that consists of two chains, alpha and beta, that attach to F-actin in the groove between its filaments (Figure 49-3). Tropomyosin is present in all muscular and muscle-fike structures. The troponin complex is unique to striated muscle and consists of three polypeptides. Troponin T (TpT) binds to tropomyosin as well as to the other two troponin components. Troponin I (Tpl) inhibits the F-actin-myosin interaction and also binds to the other components of troponin. Troponin C (TpC) is a calcium-binding polypeptide that is structurally and functionally analogous to calmodulin, an important calcium-binding protein widely distributed in nature. Four molecules of calcium ion are bound per molecule of troponin C or calmodulin, and both molecules have a molecular mass of 17 kDa. 

This linear scheme of signal transduction (Fig. 12) from hypothetical membrane receptors to [Ca " ] and IP3 increases, calcium-calmodulin interaction, kinases activation and gene transcription is clearly an oversimplification of the reality several receptors must exist that are connected to different transduction cascades that activate a series of defense genes. Cross-talking between the pathways further complicates the picture. However, this represents a starting model on which to elaborate more refined hypotheses. 

Fig. 10.3. Acceptor photobleaching analysis of interaction between barley MLO and calmodulin. Barley MLO is a plant-specific integral membrane protein that associates with the cytosolic calcium sensor protein Calmodulin...

A similar approach for detecting the presence of specific proteins has also been reported by Nilsson and coworkers [26]. In this study, a complex between a calmodulin, a small calcium-binding protein, and the zwitter-ionic polythiophene POWT was used to detect the presence of calcineurin. The interaction between the POWT-camodulin complex and calcineurin changed the emission profile from POWT, and no observable changes were observed upon exposure of the complex human serum albumin, suggesting that the complex could be used for the specific detection of calcineurin. 

Following these initial results, POWT was employed in the detection of protein conformational changes after a binding event. The protein used, calmodulin, is relatively small and functions as an intracellular calcium sensor in eukaryotic cells [26]. When calmodulin interacts with calcium, a large conformational change... 

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