title: Characterization of a Ca2+ uniporter from Bacillus subtilis by partial purification and reconstitution into phospholipid vesicles.
abstract: Ca2+ was accumulated by right-side-out membrane vesicles of Bacillus subtilis following imposition of a diffusion potential, inside-negative, owing to K+-efflux via valinomycin. Uptake was dependent on the magnitude of the membrane potential. This voltage-dependent Ca2+ uptake was inhibited by Ca2+ channel blockers such as nitrendipine, verapamil and LaCl3, and was competitively inhibited by Ba2+ and Sr2+. The system showed saturation kinetics with an apparent Km for Ca2+ of about 250 microM. Proteins responsible for the voltage-dependent Ca2+ uptake were partially purified by preparative isoelectric focusing in a Sepharose bed. A fraction at pH 5.28-5.33 contained the activity. The characteristics of Ca2+ uptake in reconstituted proteoliposomes were the same as those in membrane vesicles (sensitive to Ca2+ channel blockers; inhibited by Ba2+ and Sr2+). In addition, uptake was not influenced by a pH gradient imposed on the vesicles. The apparent Km for Ca2+ in the reconstituted system was about 260 microM. The specific activity was increased about 50-fold by purification with isoelectric focusing.
mesh_terms: D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000378:metabolism*; D001692:Biological Transport; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D007525:Isoelectric Focusing; D008564:Membrane Potentials; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D008565:Membrane Proteins; D002118:Calcium