• Journal of the korean academy of Pediatric Dentistry
• /
• 제26권2호
• /
• pp.399-415
• /
• 1999

From bacteria to mammalian cells, one of the most important mediators of intracellular signal transduction mechanisms which regulate a variety of intracellular processes is free calcium. In salivary acinar cells, elevation of intracellular calcium concentration ($[Ca^{2+}]_i$) is essential for the salivary secretion induced by parasympathetic stimulation. However, in addition to $[Ca^{2+}]_i$, gap junctions which couple individual cells electrically and chemically have also been reported to regulate enzyme secretion in pancreatic acinar cells. Since the plasma membrane of salivary acinar cells has a high density of gap junctions, and these cells are electrically and chemically coupled with each other, gap junctions may modulate the secretory function of salivary glands. In this respect, I planned to investigate the role of gap junctions in the modulation of salivary secretion and $[Ca^{2+}]_i$, using mandibular salivary glands of rats. In order to measure the salivary flow rate, fluid was collected from the cannulated duct of the isolated perfused rat mandibular glands at 2 min intervals. $[Ca^{2+}]_i$, was measured from the cells loaded with fura-2 by spectrofluorometry. The results obtained were as follows: 1. CCh-induced salivary secretion was reversibly inhibited by 1 mM octanol, a gap junction blocker. 2. CCh-induced increase in $[Ca^{2+}]_i$, was also reversed by the application of 1 mM octanol. 3. Octanol did not block the initial increase in $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ caused by CCh, which suggested that the reduction of $[Ca^{2+}]_i$, caused by gap junction blockade was not resulted from the inhibition of $Ca^{2+}$ release from intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ stores. 4. Addition of octanol during stimulation with $1{\mu}M$ thapsigargin, a potent microsomal ATPase inhibitor, reduced $[Ca^{2+}]_i$, to the basal level. This suggested that inhibition of gap junction permeability closed plasma membrane $Ca^{2+}$ channels. 5. 2,5-di-tert-butyl-1,4-benzohydroquinone (TBQ) generated $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ oscillations resulting from periodic influx of $Ca^{2+}$ via plasma membrane. The TBQ-induced $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ oscillations were stopped by the application of 1mM octanol which implicated that gap junctions modulate the permeability of plasma membrane $Ca^{2+}$ channels. 6. Glycyrrhetinic acid, another well known gap junction blocker, also inhibited CCh-induced salivary secretion from rat mandibular glands. These results suggested that gap junctions play an important role in the modulation of fluid secretion from the rat mandibular glands and this was probably due to the inhibition of $Ca^{2+}$ influx through the plasma membrane $Ca^{2+}$ channels.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
• /
• 제30권6호
• /
• pp.1274-1284
• /
• 2009

Single crystals of fully dehydrated and fully $Ca^{2+}$-exchanged zeolites A (|$Ca_6$|[$Si_{12}Al_{12}O_{48}$]-LTA) and X (|$Ca_{46}$| [$Si_{100}Al_{92}O_{384}$]-FAU) were brought into contact with Te in fine pyrex capillaries at 623 K and 673 K, respectively, for 5 days. Crystal structures of Te-sorbed $Ca^{2+}$-exchanged zeolites A and X have been determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction techniques at 294 K in the cubic space group Pm$\overline{3}$ m (a = 12.288(2) $\AA$) and Fd $\overline{3}$ (a = 25.012(1) $\AA$), respectively. The crystal structures of pale red-brown |$Ca_6Te_3$|[$Si_{12}Al_{12}O_{48}$]-LTA and black coloured |$Ca_{46}Te_8$| [$Si_{100}Al_{92}O_{384}$]-FAU have been refined to the final error indices of $R_1/wR_2\;=\;0.1096/0.2768\;and\;R_1/wR_2$ = 0.1054/ 0.2979 with 204 and 282 reflections for which $F_o\;>\;4{\sigma}(F_o)$, respectively. In the structure of |Ca6Te3|[$Si_{12}Al_{12}O_{48}$]- LTA, 6 $Ca^{2+}$ ions per unit cell were found at one crystallographic positions, on 3-fold axes equipoints of opposite 6-rings. In |$Ca_{46}Te_8$|[$Si_{100}Al_{92}O_{384}$]-FAU, 46 $Ca^{2+}$ ions per unit cell were found at four crystallographically distinct positions: 3 $Ca^{2+}$ ions at Ca(1) fill the 16 equivalent positions of site I, 21 $Ca^{2+}$ ions at Ca(2) fill the 32 equivalent positions of site I’, 10 and 12 $Ca^{2+}$ ions at Ca(3) and Ca(4), respectively, fill the 32 equivalent positions of site II. The Te clusters are stabilized by interaction with cations and framework oxygen. In sodalite units, Te-Te distances of 2.86(10) and 2.69(4) $\AA$ in zeolites A and X, respectively exhibited strong covalent properties due to their interaction with $Ca^{2+}$ ions. On the other hand, in large cavity and supercage, those of 2.99(3) and 2.76(11) $\AA$ in zeolites A and X, respectively, showed ionic properties because alternative ionic interaction was formed through framework oxygen at one end and $Ca^{2+}$ cations at the other end.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
• /
• 제30권4호
• /
• pp.263-270
• /
• 2021

This experiment was carried out to determine the effect of CaCl₂ foliar spraying on the inhibition of blossom-end rot (BER) in hot summer paprika (Capsicum annum L. 'Special') cultivation. The effect of CaCl₂ application was examined by the foliar application based on different fruit size, frequency, and spraying time. Also, it was investigated the occurrence and alleviation effect of BER symptom. Foliar application of CaCl₂ (Ca 0.4%) was conducted by treating a fruit and leaf at 4 to 9 nodes above the crown flowers of each plant with 350 mL per week from June 3 to July 1. When the CaCl₂ was sprayed at 7-day intervals for 4 weeks, the Ca content was the lowest in the fruit harvested with BER symptom in 11 to 20 mm of fruit width (FW). Four different regions in both BER symptom and normal fruits showed significant differences of Ca content, the highest was in pedicel, followed by stem-end, middle, and blossom-end. The Ca content increased sharply in normal paprika with 31-40 mm FW, in which Ca content was 78% higher than that of BER. Ca content in the middle and blossom-end of paprika over 21 mm in FW ranged 19.8% to 28.8% in normal fruits and 15.7% to 18.5% in BER, respectively. The incidence of BER increased rapidly by more than 60% in fruits with 31-40 mm FW. While there was no difference in fruit weight among the FW treatment, marketable yield rate was highest in the 21-30 mm FW, and the sugar content was high in the 11-30mm FW. When CaCl₂ was applied three times for 7 days to a paprika having a 21- 30 mm FW, the cell wall-bound (CWB) Ca content was the highest and the rate of BER was lowest with 6.3%. After 10 days of CaCl₂ foliar spray treatment, the CWB Ca content of paprika increased by 2.9 to 3.5 times compared to the control in all treatments. At 7 days after the CaCl₂ foliar spraying once a day at varying spraying time, the leaf burn observed from 9:30 a.m. to 17:00 p.m. and the proline content increased as the spraying time was delayed. Therefore, the CaCl₂ foliar spraying method for reducing of BER occurrence during paprika summer cultivation seems to be appropriate to spray 2-3 times at intervals of 3 days and before 8 a.m. at the time when the FW is 21-30 mm.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
• /
• 제41권6호
• /
• pp.773-781
• /
• 1997

The activity of $Ca^{2+}$calmodulin (CaM)-dependent protein kinase Ia (CaM kinase Ia) is shown to be regulated through direct phosphorylation by CaM kinase I kinase (CaMK IK). In the present study, three distinct CaMKIK peaks were separated from Q-Sepharose colunm chromatography of pig brain homogenate using a Waters 650 Protein Purification System. The purified CaMKIK from the major peak potently and rapidly enhanced CaM kinase Ia activity, reaching a maximal stimulation within 2min at the concentrations of 12-15nM. The activated state of CaM kinase Ia is characterized by a markedly enhanced $V_{max}4 as well as significantly decreased $K_m\;and\;K_a$ values toward peptide substrate and CaM, respectively. These observations suggest the activation process of CaM kinase Ia. The phosphorylation of CaM kinase Ia by CaMKIK may induce its conformational change responsible for the alterations in the kinetic properties, which ultimately leads to the rapid enzyme activation.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
• /
• 제15권6호
• /
• pp.431-436
• /
• 2011

Vascular smooth muscle cells can obtain a proliferative function in environments such as atherosclerosis in vivo or primary culture in vitro. Proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells is accompanied by changes in ryanodine receptors (RyRs). In several studies, the cytosolic $Ca^{2+}$ response to caffeine is decreased during smooth muscle cell culture. Although caffeine is commonly used to investigate RyR function because it is difficult to measure $Ca^{2+}$ release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) directly, caffeine has additional off-target effects, including blocking inositol trisphosphate receptors and store-operated $Ca^{2+}$ entry. Using freshly dissociated rat aortic smooth muscle cells (RASMCs) and cultured RASMCs, we sought to provide direct evidence for the operation of RyRs through the $Ca^{2+}$- induced $Ca^{2+}$ -release pathway by directly measuring $Ca^{2+}$ release from SR in permeabilized cells. An additional goal was to elucidate alterations of RyRs that occurred during culture. Perfusion of permeabilized, freshly dissociated RASMCs with $Ca^{2+}$ stimulated $Ca^{2+}$ release from the SR. Caffeine and ryanodine also induced $Ca^{2+}$ release from the SR in dissociated RASMCs. In contrast, ryanodine, caffeine and $Ca^{2+}$ failed to trigger $Ca^{2+}$ release in cultured RASMCs. These results are consistent with results obtained by immunocytochemistry, which showed that RyRs were expressed in dissociated RASMCs, but not in cultured RASMCs. This study is the first to demonstrate $Ca^{2+}$ release from the SR by cytosolic $Ca^{2+}$ elevation in vascular smooth muscle cells, and also supports previous studies on the alterations of RyRs in vascular smooth muscle cells associated with culture.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
• /
• 제34권1호
• /
• pp.67-74
• /
• 1991

In order to improve the productivity of ethanol by sugar-alcohol-tolerant Saccharomyces cerevisiae D1, the effect of addition of $Ca^{2+}$ on the alcohol fermentation was investigated. The addition of $Ca^{2+}$led to both the improvement of ethanol productivity and the increase of viable cell concentration. The optimal concentration of $Ca^{2+}$ was 0.8 mM. The higher was initial concentration of glucose, the greater effect of $Ca^{2+}$ was observed. Ethanol inhibition of growth, specific death rate in lethal concentration of ethanol, and extracellular final pH decreased by the addition of $Ca^{2+}$. The effect of $Ca^{2+}$ supplementation was explained by the increase of its ethanol tolerance.

• Molecules and Cells
• /
• 제43권6호
• /
• pp.572-580
• /
• 2020

Transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 from rattlesnakes (rsTRPA1) and boas (bTRPA1) was previously proposed to underlie thermo-sensitive infrared sensing based on transcript enrichment in infrared-sensing neurons and hyper-thermosensitivity expressed in Xenopus oocytes. It is unknown how these TRPA1s show thermosensitivities that overwhelm other thermoreceptors, and why rsTRPA1 is more thermosensitive than bTRPA1. Here, we show that snake TRPA1s differentially require Ca²⁺ for hyper-thermosensitivity and that predisposition to cytosolic Ca²⁺ potentiation correlates with superior thermosensitivity. Extracellularly applied Ca²⁺ upshifted the temperature coefficients (Q10s) of both TRPA1s, for which rsTRPA1, but not bTRPA1, requires cytosolic Ca²⁺. Intracellular Ca²⁺ chelation and substitutive mutations of the conserved cytosolic Ca²⁺-binding domain lowered rsTRPA1 thermosensitivity comparable to that of bTRPA1. Thapsigargin-evoked Ca²⁺ or calmodulin little affected rsTRPA1 activity or thermosensitivity, implying the importance of precise spatiotemporal action of Ca²⁺. Remarkably, a single rattlesnake-mimicking substitution in the conserved but presumably dormant cytosolic Ca²⁺-binding domain of bTRPA1 substantially enhanced thermosensitivity through cytosolic Ca²⁺ like rsTRPA1, indicating the capability of this single site in the determination of both cytosolic Ca²⁺ dependence and thermosensitivity. Collectively, these data suggest that Ca²⁺ is essential for the hyper-thermosensitivity of these TRPA1s, and cytosolic potentiation by permeating Ca²⁺ may contribute to the natural variation of infrared senses between rattlesnakes and boas.

• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
• /
• 제16권6호
• /
• pp.267-272
• /
• 2006

A series of $Sr_{1-x}Ca_xGa_2S_4:Ce,Na$ phosphors have been synthesized by solid-state reaction. The photoluminescence and structural properties of $Sr_{1-x}Ca_xGa_2S_4:Ce,Na$ have been examined. The $Sr_{1-x}Ca_xGa_2S_4:Ce,Na$ phosphors have a strong absorption at 400 nm, which is the emission wavelength of a violet light emitting diode (LED). The emission peaks of $SrGa_2S_4:Ce,Na$are located at 448 nm and 485 nm. The partial replacement of Sr by Ca in $Sr_{1-x}Ca_xGa_2S_4:Ce,Na$ causes a red shift of emission wavelengths. The $Sr_{1-x}Ca_xGa_2S_4:Ce,Na$ can be used as blue emitting phosphors pumped by the violet LED for fabricating the multi-band white LED.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
• /
• 제56권6호
• /
• pp.377-381
• /
• 2012

The histidine-rich $Ca^{2+}$ binding protein (HRC) is a $Ca^{2+}$ binding protein in the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR). In this study, we examined whether the HRC is involved in the regulation of cardiac contraction and $Ca^{2+}$ signaling using HRC knock-out (KO) mouse ventricular myocytes. In field-stimulated single mouse ventricular myocytes, cell shortenings and $Ca^{2+}$ transients were measured using a video edge detection and a confocal $Ca^{2+}$ imaging, respectively. Compared with the wide-type (WT) myocytes, the magnitudes of cell shortenings were significantly larger in HRC KO cells (P<0.01, WT vs. KO). The rate of contraction and relaxation was significantly accelerated in HRC KO myocytes (P<0.05 and P<0.01, respectively, WT vs. KO). The magnitudes of $Ca^{2+}$ transients were increased by HRC KO (P<0.01, WT vs. KO). In addition, the decay of the $Ca^{2+}$ transient was faster in HRC KO cells than in wild-type cells P<0.01, WT vs. KO). These results suggest that HRC may suppress SR $Ca^{2+}$ releases and decay of $Ca^{2+}$ transients during action potentials, thereby attenuating ventricular contraction and relaxation.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• 제24권3호
• /
• pp.229-244
• /
• 1991

A bioassay technique and organ bath study were performed to analyze the effects of extracellular $Ca^{2+}$ and $Ca^{2+}$-antagonists on endothelium-derived relaxing factor[s][EDRF] released from the endothelial cells of rabbit aorta. Transverse strips with intact endothelium or damaged endothelium were used for the mechanical contraction experiment using organ bath. Long segment including thoracic and abdominal aorta with endothelium [EDRF donor aorta] was perfused with Tyrode solution which was aerated with 95% $O_2-5%$ $CO_2$ mixed gas and kept at 35oC. The perfusate was bioassayed with a transverse strip of thoracic aorta with damaged endothelium. The test strip was contracted with nor-epinephrine and acetylcholine was used to stimulate the release of EDRF from endothelial cells. The results obtained were as follows; 1] The endothelium-dependent relaxation[EDR] induced by acetylcholine was biphasic; an initial rapid relaxation followed by a slow relaxation. 2] EDR induced by acetylcholine was reduced gradually with the decrease in the concentration of extracellular $Ca^{2+}$. The effect of extracellular $Ca^{2+}$ on EDR was more prominent in the late slow relaxation phase. 3] EDR to acetylcholine was not altered by acute exposure to organic $Ca^{2+}$-antagonists. Pretreatment with verapamil to the EDRF donor aortic segment did not alter the magnitude of EDR. 4] Among the inorganic $Ca^{2+}$-antagonists $Mn^{2+}$ and $Cd^{2+}$ did not inhibit EDR, whereas $Co^{2+}$ and $La^{3+}$ inhibited EDR. 5] The inhibitory response of $Co^{2+}$ to EDR developed when infused directly on the test strip. That of $La^{3+}$, however, was evoked when added to solution perfusing the donor aortic segment. The above results suggest that $Ca^{2+}$-antagonists do not affect EDR and the inhibitory effect of $Ca^{2+}$ results from influencing the action of EDRF on vascular smooth muscle, whereas that of $La^{3+}$ results from its action on the release of EDRF from endothelial cells.