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Related Concept Videos

Calmodulin-dependent Signaling01:16

Calmodulin-dependent Signaling

Calmodulin (CaM) is a calcium-binding protein in eukaryotes that controls various calcium-regulated cellular processes. It has four calcium-binding sites that bind calcium to form the calcium-calmodulin ( Ca2+-CaM) complex. GPCR stimulation increases the calcium levels in the cells that bind to CaM and induces a conformational change.
The Ca2+-CaM complex does not have enzymatic activity by itself. Instead, the complex binds downstream target proteins, including membrane proteins or enzymes,...
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Feedback Regulation of Calcium Concentration

Calcium is an essential signaling molecule required for various cellular functions. Calcium pumps and ion channels on cell and organellar membranes, such as those on the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), regulate calcium concentrations inside the cell. They remain closed, keeping the cytosolic calcium levels low at a resting state.
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Cells respond to many types of information, often through receptor proteins positioned on the membrane. They respond to chemical signals, such as hormones, neurotransmitters, and other signaling molecules, initiating a series of molecular reactions to produce an appropriate response. This is called signal transduction. Cells also coordinate different responses elicited by the same signaling molecule via mediators, allowing molecular cross-talk.
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Amplifying Signals via Enzymatic Cascade

When a ligand binds to a cell-surface receptor, the receptor's intracellular domain changes shape, which may either activate its enzyme function or allow its binding to other molecules. The initial signal is amplified by most signal transduction pathways. This means that a single ligand molecule can activate multiple molecules of a downstream target. Proteins that relay a signal are most commonly phosphorylated at one or more sites, activating or inactivating the protein. Kinases catalyze the...
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Intracellular Signaling Cascades

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Fluorescent Calcium Imaging and Subsequent In Situ Hybridization for Neuronal Precursor Characterization in Xenopus laevis
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Calcium and signal transduction.

Laura Fedrizzi1, Dmitry Lim, Ernesto Carafoli

  • 1Department of Biochemistry, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy. laura.fedrizzi@unipd.it.

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education : a Bimonthly Publication of the International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
|May 19, 2011
PubMed
Summary

Calcium (Ca²⁺) acts as a crucial second messenger in cell signaling, vital for cellular life. Its unique chemical properties allow it to carry biological information, but it can also signal cell death.

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Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Cell signaling evolved with multicellularity, necessitating communication between cells.
  • First messengers trigger intracellular responses via second messengers.
  • Calcium (Ca²⁺) emerged as a key second messenger due to its chemical flexibility.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the unique properties of calcium (Ca²⁺) as a biological messenger.
  • To highlight the ambivalent role of Ca²⁺ in cellular processes.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on cell signaling and calcium's role.
  • Analysis of calcium's chemical properties as a ligand.
  • Discussion of calcium's signaling functions.

Main Results:

  • Calcium (Ca²⁺) is a highly adaptable second messenger, capable of binding to sites of irregular geometry.
  • Its chemical nature makes it superior to other cations (Na⁺, K⁺, Mg²⁺) for biological information transfer.
  • Calcium signaling is essential for cell viability but can also induce cell death.

Conclusions:

  • Calcium (Ca²⁺) possesses unique properties that make it an ideal biological messenger.
  • The dual nature of calcium signaling, essential for life yet capable of causing death, is a critical aspect of its function.