Calmodulin

BACKGROUND: Myocarditis substantially increases the risk of ventricular arrhythmia. Approximately 30% of all ventricular arrhythmia cases in patients with myocarditis originate from the right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT). However, the role of NLRP3 signaling in RVOT arrhythmogenesis remains unclear. METHODS: Rats with myosin peptide-induced myocarditis (experimental group) were treated with an NLRP3 inhibitor (MCC950; 10 mg/kg, daily for 14 days) or left untreated...

Memory consolidation is associated with the regulation of protein kinases, which impact synaptic functions and promote synaptogenesis. The administration of spermidine (SPD) has been shown to modulate major protein kinases associated with memory improvement, including the Ca2+ -dependent protein kinase (PKC) and cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA), key players in the cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) activation. Nevertheless, the initial mechanism underlying SPD-mediated memory consolidation remains unknown, as we hypothesize a potential involvement of the memory consolidation precursor, Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II-α (CaMKIIα), in this process...

Aspergillus section Flavi (Flavi) is a diverse group of fungal species whose common members include A. flavus and A. parasiticus. These are well-known for the production of aflatoxin (AF) B and G and other toxic metabolites, like cyclopiazonic acid (CPA). They are saprophytic soil dwellers and also become crop opportunistic epiphytes. The consequence is contamination of the crop with mycotoxins, such as carcinogenic AF. We investigated the Flavi community structure of maize and that of their surrounding soil, including their mycotoxigenicity...

Enzyme activity is regulated by several mechanisms, including phosphorylation. Phosphorylation is a key signal transduction process in all eukaryotic cells and is thus crucial for virtually all cellular processes. In addition to its direct effect on protein structure, phosphorylation also affects protein-protein interactions, such as binding to scaffolding 14-3-3 proteins, which selectively recognize phosphorylated motifs. These interactions then modulate the catalytic activity, cellular localisation and interactions of phosphorylated enzymes through different mechanisms...

Calmodulin-like proteins (CMLs) are unique Ca2+ sensors and play crucial roles in response to abiotic stress in plants. A salt-repressed PvCML9 from halophyte seashore paspalum (Paspalum vaginatum O. Swartz) was identified. PvCML9 was localized in the cytoplasm and nucleus and highly expressed in roots and stems. Overexpression of PvCML9 led to reduced salt tolerance in rice and seashore paspalum, whereas downregulating expression of PvCML9 showed increased salt tolerance in seashore paspalum as compared with the wild type (WT), indicating that PvCML9 regulated salt tolerance negatively...

BACKGROUND: As a scaffold protein, calcium/calmodulin-dependent serine protein kinase (CASK) has been extensively studied in a variety of tissues throughout the body. The Cask gene is ubiquitous in several tissues, such as the neurons, islets, heart, kidneys and sperm, and is mostly localised in the cytoplasm adjacent to the basement membrane. CASK binds to a variety of proteins through its domains to exerting its biological activity. SCOPE OF REVIEW: Here, we discuss the role of CASK in multiple tissues throughout the body...

BACKGROUND: The unique microenvironment in tumors inhibits the normal functioning of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, leading to immune evasion and cancer progression. Over-activation of KCa3.1 using positive modulators has been proposed to rescue the anti-tumor response. One of the key characteristics of the tumor microenvironment is extracellular acidity. Herein, we analyzed how intra- and extracellular pH affects K+ currents through KCa3.1 and if the potency of two of its positive modulators, Riluzole and SKA-31, is pH sensitive...

Cocaine use disorder is a significant public health issue without an effective pharmacological treatment. Successful treatments are hindered in part by an incomplete understanding of the molecular mechanisms that underlie long-lasting maladaptive plasticity and addiction-like behaviors. Here, we leverage a large RNA-sequencing dataset to generate gene co-expression networks across 6 interconnected regions of the brain's reward circuitry from mice that underwent saline or cocaine self-administration. We identify phosphodiesterase 1b ( Pde1b ), a Ca2+ /calmodulin-dependent enzyme that increases cAMP and cGMP hydrolysis, as a central hub gene within a nucleus accumbens (NAc) gene module that was bioinformatically associated with addiction-like behavior...

The development of new molecules for the treatment of calmodulin related cardiovascular or neurodegenerative diseases is an interesting goal. In this work, we introduce a novel strategy with four main steps: (1) chemical synthesis of target molecules, (2) Förster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) biosensor development and in vitro biological assay of new derivatives, (3) Cheminformatics models development and in vivo activity prediction, and (4) Docking studies. This strategy is illustrated with a case study...

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is regarded as a type of respiratory failure. Emerging evidence has demonstrated the significant roles of microRNAs in various disorders. Nevertheless, the role of miR-202-3p in ARDS is unclear. Forty male C57BL/6 mice treated with phosphate buffer saline/lipopolysaccharide (PBS/LPS) and administrated with NC/miR-202-3p agomir were divided into four groups. A reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to evaluate the level of miR-202-3p, its target genes, and proinflammatory factors...

OBJECTIVES: To report an autoimmune paraneoplastic encephalitis characterized by immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody targeting synaptic protein calmodulin kinase-like vesicle-associated (CAMKV). METHODS: Serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples harboring unclassified antibodies on murine brain-based indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) were screened by human protein microarray. In 5 patients with identical cerebral IFA staining, CAMKV was identified as top-ranking candidate antigen...

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Nocardiosis is an uncommon infectious disease that bears certain similarities to tuberculosis, with a continuous increase in its incidence and a poor prognosis. In traditional Chinese medicine, the leaves of Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp. are employed to treat wounds, malaria, coughs, and abdominal pain. AIM OF THE STUDY: In this study, we investigated the effects and mechanisms of longistylin A (LGA), a natural stilbene isolated from C...

The assessment of peptide-protein interactions is a pivotal aspect of studying the functionality and mechanisms of various bioactive peptides. In this context, it is essential to employ methods that meet specific criteria, including sensitivity, biocompatibility, versatility, simplicity, and the ability to offer real-time monitoring. In cellular contexts, only a few proteins naturally possess inherent fluorescence, specifically those containing aromatic amino acids, particularly tryptophan. Nonetheless, by covalently attaching fluorescent markers, almost all proteins can be modified for monitoring purposes...

AIMS: Hyperactivity of Ca2+ /calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) has emerged as a central cause of pathologic remodelling in heart failure. It has been suggested that CaMKII-induced hyperphosphorylation of the ryanodine receptor 2 (RyR2) and consequently increased diastolic Ca2+ leak from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) is a crucial mechanism by which increased CaMKII activity leads to contractile dysfunction. We aim to evaluate the relevance of CaMKII-dependent RyR2 phosphorylation for CaMKII-induced heart failure development in vivo...

Amorphophallus muelleri is an Araceae plant with perennial tuber, widely used in food, pharmaceutical and chemical industry due to its richness in glucomannan. In April 2022, an outbreak of a target spot on A. muelleri plantlets was observed in a nursery in Ruili, Yunnan, China. The leafstalks of the diseased plantlets in the nursery turned brown and decayed (Fig.1 A-B), then gradually some water-soaked spots on the true leaves developed along the veins (Fig.1 A). Subquencely, the spots on the true leaves turned dark green to white-grayish in the center, which formed light to dark brown concentric rings with a target-like appearance surrounded by a yellow halo (Fig...

Calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase IV (CaMK4) is a versatile serine/threonine kinase involved in various cellular functions. It regulates T-cell differentiation, podocyte function, tumor cell proliferation/apoptosis, β cell mass, and insulin sensitivity. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms are complex and remain incompletely understood. The aims of this review are to highlight the latest advances in the regulatory mechanisms of CaMK4 underlying T-cell imbalance and parenchymal cell mass in multiple diseases...

Cyclic nucleotide-gated ion channels (CNGCs), as non-selective cation channels, play essential roles in plant growth and stress responses. However, they have not been identified in Qingke (Hordeum vulgare L.). Here, we performed a comprehensive genome-wide identification and function analysis of the HvCNGC gene family to determine its role in drought tolerance. Phylogenetic analysis showed that 27 HvCNGC genes were divided into four groups and unevenly located on seven chromosomes. Transcription analysis revealed that two closely related members of HvCNGC3 and HvCNGC16 were highly induced and the expression of both genes were distinctly different in two extremely drought-tolerant materials...

Cotton is a critical crop with massive economic implications worldwide. Verticillium wilt is a soil-borne ailment caused by Verticillium dahliae , which harms the growth and development of cotton. Therefore, investigating the genes associated with resistance to verticillium wilt is of particular significance. In this study, we identified the GhIQD1 gene through transcriptome analysis and experimentally characterized the role of the GhIQD1 gene in cotton against V. dahliae . The findings indicated that GhIQD1 acts as a calmodulin-binding protein...

Muscle regeneration, representing an essential homeostatic process, relies mainly on the myogenic progress of resident satellite cells, and it is modulated by multiple physical and nutritional factors. Here, we investigated how myogenic differentiation-related factors and pathways respond to the first limiting amino acid lysine (Lys) in the fast and slow muscles, and their satellite cells (SCs), of swine. Thirty 28-day-old weaned piglets with similar body weights were subjected to three diet regimens: control group (d 0-28: 1...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.