Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Feedback Regulation of Calcium Concentration01:27

Feedback Regulation of Calcium Concentration

3.4K
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...
3.4K
Smooth Muscle Contraction01:25

Smooth Muscle Contraction

3.1K
Smooth muscle contraction is a complex process vital for various bodily functions, from maintaining blood vessel tension to facilitating the movement of food through the digestive tract. Unlike striated muscles, smooth muscle contraction begins more slowly and lasts longer.
The onset of contraction is triggered by an increase in calcium ions within the sarcoplasm, similar to the process in striated muscle. However, smooth muscles have a relatively smaller reservoir of the sarcoplasmic...
3.1K
Calmodulin-dependent Signaling01:16

Calmodulin-dependent Signaling

5.2K
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,...
5.2K
Cell Motility through Blebbing01:16

Cell Motility through Blebbing

1.9K
Blebs are a type of membrane protrusion formed by the internal hydrostatic pressure of the cytoplasm. Blebs are observed in several cell types, including fibroblasts, immune cells, and single-celled organisms like the amoeba. The primary function of blebs is cell locomotion and apoptosis, but they are also found during necrosis and cell division. The life cycle of a bleb comprises an initiation phase followed by the expansion and retraction phases.
Blebbing Through the Matrix
In multicellular...
1.9K
Relaxation of Skeletal Muscles01:29

Relaxation of Skeletal Muscles

3.3K
The period of muscle contraction primarily influences the duration of stimulation at the neuromuscular junction (NMJ), the presence of free calcium ions in the sarcoplasm, and the availability of energy or ATP to support contractions.
When an action potential reaches the axon terminal, it depolarizes the membrane and opens voltage-gated sodium channels. Sodium ions enter the cell, further depolarizing the presynaptic membrane. This depolarization causes voltage-gated calcium channels to open....
3.3K
Hormones and Bone Tissue01:17

Hormones and Bone Tissue

2.7K
The endocrine system produces and secretes hormones, which interact with the skeletal system. These hormones control bone growth, maintain bone once it is formed, and remodel it.
Hormones That Influence Osteoblasts and/or Maintain the Matrix
Several hormones are necessary for controlling bone growth and maintaining the bone matrix. The pituitary gland secretes growth hormone (GH), which, as its name implies, controls bone growth. This happens in several ways: first, it triggers chondrocyte...
2.7K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

E. coli prepares for starvation by dramatically remodeling its proteome in the first hours after loss of nutrients.

Molecular systems biology·2026
Same author

Coexistence of trapped and flow-transported nuclei enables fast pigeon post communication across multinucleated cell.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2025
Same author

Size-dependent self-avoidance enables superdiffusive migration in macroscopic unicellulars.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2024
Same author

Alkaline vents recreated in two dimensions to study pH gradients, precipitation morphology, and molecule accumulation.

Science advances·2023
Same author

Network topology enables efficient response to environment in<i>Physarum polycephalum</i>.

Physical biology·2023
Same author

Vein fate determined by flow-based but time-delayed integration of network architecture.

eLife·2023

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 11, 2025

In Vivo Calcium Imaging in C. elegans Body Wall Muscles
08:03

In Vivo Calcium Imaging in C. elegans Body Wall Muscles

Published on: October 20, 2019

7.7K

Calcium regulates cortex contraction inPhysarum polycephalum.

Bjoern Kscheschinski1, Mirna Kramar1, Karen Alim1,2

  • 1Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, 37077 Göttingen, Germany.

Physical Biology
|November 17, 2023
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Physarum polycephalum uses calcium to regulate its contractions. This slime mold

Keywords:
acellular slime moldmechano-chemical couplingself-organization

More Related Videos

Monitoring Changes in the Intracellular Calcium Concentration and Synaptic Efficacy in the Mollusc Aplysia
09:51

Monitoring Changes in the Intracellular Calcium Concentration and Synaptic Efficacy in the Mollusc Aplysia

Published on: July 15, 2012

11.0K
Ratiometric Calcium Imaging of Individual Neurons in Behaving Caenorhabditis Elegans
11:26

Ratiometric Calcium Imaging of Individual Neurons in Behaving Caenorhabditis Elegans

Published on: February 7, 2018

11.7K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 11, 2025

In Vivo Calcium Imaging in C. elegans Body Wall Muscles
08:03

In Vivo Calcium Imaging in C. elegans Body Wall Muscles

Published on: October 20, 2019

7.7K
Monitoring Changes in the Intracellular Calcium Concentration and Synaptic Efficacy in the Mollusc Aplysia
09:51

Monitoring Changes in the Intracellular Calcium Concentration and Synaptic Efficacy in the Mollusc Aplysia

Published on: July 15, 2012

11.0K
Ratiometric Calcium Imaging of Individual Neurons in Behaving Caenorhabditis Elegans
11:26

Ratiometric Calcium Imaging of Individual Neurons in Behaving Caenorhabditis Elegans

Published on: February 7, 2018

11.7K

Area of Science:

  • Biophysics
  • Cell Biology
  • Developmental Biology

Background:

  • Physarum polycephalum exhibits complex behaviors driven by actomyosin-based contractions.
  • Self-organized flow patterns in P. polycephalum are crucial for stimulus response and body mass reorganization.
  • The precise chemical mechanisms regulating these contraction patterns remain incompletely understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of intracellular calcium in regulating contraction patterns in Physarum polycephalum networks.
  • To explore the relationship between calcium concentration and tube radius dynamics.
  • To compare experimental findings with theoretical models of calcium-mediated inhibition.

Main Methods:

  • Ratiometric measurements of free intracellular calcium in simple Physarum networks.
  • Spatiotemporal analysis of calcium concentration and tube radius.
  • Comparison of experimental phase relations with a theoretical model incorporating calcium as an inhibitor.

Main Results:

  • Spatiotemporal calcium patterns showed a nearly anti-correlated relationship with tube radius.
  • Experimental data suggest calcium is a key regulator of actomyosin activity.
  • Numerical simulations indicated calcium inhibits contractions, though quantitative discrepancies with experimental data persist.

Conclusions:

  • Calcium plays a significant role in regulating actomyosin-driven contractions in Physarum polycephalum.
  • Further refinement of theoretical models is needed to fully reconcile experimental observations.
  • Understanding these contraction mechanisms is vital for deciphering Physarum's complex behaviors.