Roles of Calmodulin and Calcium/Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase in Flagellar Motility Regulation in the Coral Acropora Digitifera |
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Authors: | Masaya Morita Akira Iguchi Akihiro Takemura |
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Institution: | (1) Sesoko Station, Tropical Biosphere Research Center, University of the Ryukyus, 3422, Sesoko, Motobu, Okinawa 905-0227, Japan;(2) ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Australia, Townsville, Queensland, 4811, Australia;(3) Comparative Genomics Centre, James Cook University, Australia, Molecular Science Building, Townsville, Queensland, 4811, Australia |
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Abstract: | In the corals Acropora spp., eggs secrete substances that induce sperm motility regulation. An elevation of intracellular pH (pH]i) and a regulation
of intracellular Ca2+ concentration (Ca2+]) are involved in the sperm motility regulation cascade. However, the detailed molecular aspects of flagellar motility regulation
have not been fully demonstrated in Acropora. In this study, we determined the presence and roles of both calmodulin (CaM) and calcium/calmodulin dependent-protein kinase
(CaMK) in the sperm flagellar motility regulation of Acropora. A 45Ca2+-overlay assay and an immunoblot analysis showed that sperm contain an acidic 16-kDa protein that was CaM, and an immunoblot
analysis revealed the presence of CaMK in coral sperm. In addition, a specific inhibitor of CaMK, KN-93, and a CaM antagonist,
W-7, inhibited sperm motility activation induced by NH4Cl treatment. NH4Cl treatment causes an increase in intracellular pH]i of sperm, suggesting that CaM and CaMK are involved in sperm motility
initiation caused by an increase in pH]i. The involvement of CaM and CaMK in motility regulation in coral highlights the
importance of these molecules throughout the animal kingdom. |
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Keywords: | Flagellar motility Sperm Coral Chemotaxis Protein phosphorylation Calcium-binding proteins |
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