title: The Neuronal Calcium Sensor protein Acrocalcin: a potential target of calmodulin regulation during development in the coral Acropora millepora.
abstract: To understand the calcium-mediated signalling pathways underlying settlement and metamorphosis in the Scleractinian coral Acropora millepora, a predicted protein set derived from larval cDNAs was scanned for the presence of EF-hand domains (Pfam Id: PF00036). This approach led to the identification of a canonical calmodulin (AmCaM) protein and an uncharacterised member of the Neuronal Calcium Sensor (NCS) family of proteins known here as Acrocalcin (AmAC). While AmCaM transcripts were present throughout development, AmAC transcripts were not detected prior to gastrulation, after which relatively constant mRNA levels were detected until metamorphosis and settlement. The AmAC protein contains an internal CaM-binding site and was shown to interact in vitro with AmCaM. These results are consistent with the idea that AmAC is a target of AmCaM in vivo, suggesting that this interaction may regulate calcium-dependent processes during the development of Acropora millepora.
authors.affiliation: ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies and School of Pharmacy and Molecular Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Alejandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Reyes-Bermudez
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sprungala
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D037421:Anthozoa / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development*; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D002147:Calmodulin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002846:Chromatography, Affinity; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D007814:Larva / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008675:Metamorphosis, Biological; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D051580:Neuronal Calcium-Sensor Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011485:Protein Binding; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
chemical_list: D002147:Calmodulin; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D051580:Neuronal Calcium-Sensor Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D002118:Calcium