title: Roles of calmodulin and calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase in flagellar motility regulation in the coral Acropora digitifera.
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 Ca(2+) concentration ([Ca(2+)]) 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 (45)Ca(2+)-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 NH(4)Cl treatment. NH(4)Cl 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.
authors.affiliation: Sesoko Station, Tropical Biosphere Research Center, University of the Ryukyus, 3422, Sesoko, Motobu, Okinawa 905-0227, Japan. morita_m0606@yahoo.co.jp
authors.forename: Masaya
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Morita
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Iguchi
authors.forename: Akihiro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Takemura
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D037421:Anthozoa / Q000378:metabolism*; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D002147:Calmodulin / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D005407:Flagella / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D013081:Sperm Motility / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D002147:Calmodulin; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases; D002118:Calcium