Calcium second messengers

This ionophore is able to carry selectively alkaline-earth cations through membrane phases by an antiport mechanism (m W 2h ) with a transport efficiency in favour of Ca versus Mg in biological membranes(3).Owing to its specificity, calcimycin is universally used as a tool to investigate the role of the second messenger calcium in physiological processes. 

Excitation of smooth muscle via alpha-1 receptors (eg, in the utems, vascular smooth muscle) is accompanied by an increase in intraceUular-free calcium, possibly by stimulation of phosphoUpase C which accelerates the breakdown of polyphosphoinositides to form the second messengers inositol triphosphate (IP3) and diacylglycerol (DAG). IP3 releases intracellular calcium, and DAG, by activation of protein kinase C, may also contribute to signal transduction. In addition, it is also thought that alpha-1 adrenergic receptors may be coupled to another second messenger, a pertussis toxin-sensitive G-protein that mediates the translocation of extracellular calcium. 

There are numerous second messenger systems such as those utilizing cyclic AMP and cyclic GMP, calcium and calmodulin, phosphoinosiddes, and diacylglerol with accompanying modulatory mechanisms. Each receptor is coupled to these in a variety of ways in different cell types. Therefore, it can be seen that it is impractical to attempt to quantitatively define each stimulus-response mechanism for each receptor system. Fortunately, this is not an... 

Another major second messenger in cells is calcium ion. Virtually any mammalian cell line can be used to measure transient calcium currents in fluorescence assays when cells are preloaded with an indicator dye that allows monitoring of changes in cytosolic calcium concentration. These responses can be observed in real time, but a characteristic of these responses is that they are transient. This may lead to problems with hemi-equilibria in antagonist studies whereby the maximal responses to agonists may be depressed in the presence of antagonists. These effects are discussed more fully in Chapter 6. 

Second messenger, these are molecules produced by cellular effectors that go on to activate other biochemical processes in the cell. Some examples of second messengers are cyclic AMP, inositol triphosphate, arachidonic acid, and calcium ion (see Chapter 2.2). 

Screening. See High-throughput screening Second messenger systems calcium ion, 83 description of, 24 production of, 25f Series hyperbolae, 38 Serotonin, 150, 151 f Seven transmembrane receptors, 3-4 Shennong Herbal, 147 Short interfering RNA duplex molecules, 184... 

Plasma membrane channels. The most common mechanism for the movement of into smooth muscle cells Ifom the extracellular space is the electrodiffusion of Ca " ions through highly selective channels. This movement can be significant in two quite different ways. First, Ca ions carry two positive charges and, in fact, most of the inward charge movement across the plasma membrane of smooth muscle myocytes is carried by Ca. Most smooth muscle action potentials are known to be Ca " action potentials. And second, the concentration of intracellular free calcium, the second messenger, is increased by inward calcium movement. 

Ikeda, S. R. and Dunlap, K., Voltage-dependent modulation of N-type calcium channels role of G-protein subunits, Adv. Second Messenger Phosphoprotein Res., 33, 131-151, 1999. 

Lead also has been shown to substitute for calcium in the activation of calmodulin, but this requires higher levels of lead than does the activation of protein kinase C. Nevertheless, the affinity of lead for calmodulin is higher than that of calcium. Once activated, calmodulin regulates the activity of certain enzymes and transporters. For example, it activates c-AMP phosphodiesterase to hydrolyze and terminate the action of cAMP, another second messenger (Bressler and Goldstein 1991 Goldstein 1993 Goering 1993). 

Goldstein GW. 1993. Evidence that lead acts as a calcium substitute in second messenger metabolism. Neurotoxicology 14 97-102. 

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