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.
Highlights
Scleractinian corals play important ecological roles, as they are responsible for the underlying framework of coral reefs, one of the most productive ecosystems on earth [1,2]
Amphimedon, clear orthologs were present in two other sponges, Suberites domuncula and Halicondria okadi, the former of which is included in the alignment shown as Fig. 1A
Regulatory EF-hand proteins are the primary mediators of calcium signalling pathways [38], and amongst these, the Neuronal Calcium Sensor (NCS) protein family appear to have a wide variety of roles [39,40]
Summary
Scleractinian corals play important ecological roles, as they are responsible for the underlying framework of coral reefs, one of the most productive ecosystems on earth [1,2]. Calcium metabolism and homeostasis are of particular interest in corals in the context of calcification. Recent microarray studies [3,4,5,6] suggest that calcium-dependent signalling pathways may regulate metamorphosis, symbiosis and skeleton deposition in scleractinian corals. Consistent with this, clear counterparts of many of the molecules known to play key roles in calcium signalling and homeostasis in vertebrates are present in Acropora [7,8]. Surprisingly little is known about either calcium metabolism or calcium-dependent signalling pathways in corals
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