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Calcium channels of the excitable ciliary membrane fromParamecium: An initial biochemical characterization

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Summary

A stopped-flow spectrophotometric technique was used to study the kinetics of Ca flux into ciliary membrane vesicles fromParamecium tetraurelia wild-type and several ‘pawn’ mutants with defective Ca conductances. 15mm Arsenazo III was used as metallochromic indicator and as intravesicular Ca trap. The absolute amount of Ca-permeable vesicles was significantly reduced in preparations from the ‘pawn’ mutants compared to wild-type. However, influx kinetics were identical for vesicles from wild-type and ‘pawn’ mutantParamecia when the fraction of Ca-permeable vesicles was taken into account. Ca influx was rapid with a time constant of about 1.5 sec and an initial saturation rate of arsenazo III of about 50%/single vesicle ×sec−1. Ca influx rates were half-maximal at approximately 20 μm Ca. Comparisons of Ba toxicity tested with a behavioral assay, Ca inward conductances under voltage-clamp conditions and Ca influx kinetics between wild-type and the ‘pawn’ mutants pwA (d4-94), leaky pwB (d4-96) and the double mutant pwA/pwB indicated that Ca transport in all types of ciliary membrane vesicles occurred through similar Ca gates.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Pharmazeutisches Institut der Universität Tübingen, West Germany

    Jürgen Thiele, Manfred K. Otto & Joachim E. Schultz

  2. Lehrstuhl für allgemeine Zoologie, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, West Germany

    Joachim W. Deitmer

Authors
  1. Jürgen Thiele
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  2. Manfred K. Otto
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  3. Joachim W. Deitmer
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  4. Joachim E. Schultz
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Thiele, J., Otto, M.K., Deitmer, J.W. et al. Calcium channels of the excitable ciliary membrane fromParamecium: An initial biochemical characterization. J. Membrain Biol. 76, 253–260 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01870367

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01870367

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