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Related Concept Videos

Feedback Regulation of Calcium Concentration01:27

Feedback Regulation of Calcium Concentration

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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.
Various transmembrane receptors, such as G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), elicit a response to extracellular signals by increasing cytosolic calcium. Activated GPCRs...
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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.
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Ligand-Gated Ion Channel Receptor: Gating Mechanism01:30

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Ligand-gated ion channels are transmembrane proteins that play a vital role in intercellular communication and functions of the nervous system. They allow the influx of ions across the membrane once the neurotransmitter binds, allowing the subsequent transmission of electrical excitation across the neurons. Other ligand-gated ion channels, like the γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor, permit anions like chloride into the cells on the binding of the GABA molecule. Their entry into the cell...
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Calcium is not only the most abundant mineral in bone but also the most abundant mineral in the human body. Calcium ions are needed for bone mineralization, tooth health, heart rate regulation and strength of contraction, blood coagulation, the contraction of smooth and skeletal muscle cells, and the regulation of nerve impulse conduction. The average calcium level in the blood is about 10 mg/dL. When the body cannot maintain this level, a person will experience hypo or hypercalcemia.
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Overview of Secretory Vesicles01:33

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Secretory vesicles, also known as dense core vesicles (DCVs), are membrane-bound vesicles that transport secretory proteins, such as hormones or neurotransmitters. Regulated secretory vesicles transport proteins from the trans-Golgi network to the exterior of the cell. Proteins present in regulated secretory vesicles are required to be rapidly exocytosed in large amounts upon a specific stimulus.
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Calcitonin, a vital polypeptide hormone, regulates calcium levels within body fluids. It is released by the parafollicular cells, also known as C cells, situated in the follicular epithelium of the thyroid gland. Calcitonin responds to fluctuations in blood calcium levels and the influence of gastrointestinal hormones like gastrin and cholecystokinin.
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 27, 2025

Fluorescent Calcium Imaging and Subsequent In Situ Hybridization for Neuronal Precursor Characterization in Xenopus laevis
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A novel origin for calcium selectivity.

Esteban Suárez-Delgado1, León D Islas1

  • 1Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, UNAM, México City, Mexico.

Elife
|February 26, 2020
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Scientists discovered the first native calcium ion channel in bacteria. This finding opens new avenues for understanding bacterial physiology and potential therapeutic targets.

Keywords:
biochemistrycalcium channelchemical biologyelectrophysiologyion channelsion selectivitymolecular biophysicsstructural biology

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Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Biophysics

Background:

  • Calcium ions (Ca2+) are crucial for various cellular processes in all domains of life.
  • While calcium channels are well-characterized in eukaryotes, their presence and function in bacteria have remained largely elusive.
  • Understanding bacterial ion transport is vital for microbial physiology and drug development.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify and characterize a native calcium ion channel in a bacterial species.
  • To elucidate the molecular basis of calcium transport in prokaryotes.
  • To provide a foundation for exploring novel antimicrobial strategies targeting bacterial calcium homeostasis.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized electrophysiological techniques to record ion currents across bacterial membranes.
  • Employed genetic and biochemical methods for channel identification and purification.
  • Performed structural analysis to determine the channel's architecture.

Main Results:

  • Successfully identified and functionally characterized a novel, native calcium ion channel in bacteria.
  • Demonstrated the channel's specific permeability to calcium ions and its gating properties.
  • Elucidated the protein complex responsible for calcium influx.

Conclusions:

  • This study reports the first definitive identification of a native calcium ion channel in bacteria.
  • The discovery challenges previous assumptions about calcium transport mechanisms in prokaryotes.
  • This bacterial calcium channel represents a potential target for future therapeutic interventions.