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. 1991 Aug;11(4):371–386. doi: 10.1007/BF00711419

Calcium-binding proteins inAplysia neurons

A Hermann 1,✉, T L Pauls 1, C W Heizmann 3
PMCID: PMC11567319  PMID: 1751962

Abstract

  1. Calcium (Ca)-binding proteins of neuronal ganglia and of single, identified neurons of the marine mollusk,Aplysia californica, were investigated. Using transblot/45Ca overlays two proteins, atM r 45,000 andM r 23,000, with a high Ca-binding ability were found.

  2. Western blot analysis revealed that the protein atM r 45,000 could be separated by 2D-PAGE into proteins withM r 40,000 andM r43,000. The protein atM r 40,000 immunocross-reacted with antisera directed against parvalbumin and rat calbindin D-28K, indicating a novel Ca-binding protein sharing common antigenic determinants for both proteins.

  3. The protein atM r 23,000 could be separated into a group of proteins withM r 13,000–20,000 which showed a high degree of similiarity to sarcoplasmatic calcium-binding proteins (SCP).

  4. We further investigated the protein pattern of single, identified neurons of different electrical activity (bursting, beating, and silent) by 2D-PAGE. Major differences were found in the range of lowM r and lowpI, where Ca-binding proteins are generally located. A protein at high concentrations characteristic for silent cells migrated at a position similar to crayfish SCP.

  5. The results show that various Ca-binding proteins are characteristic for neurons in theAplysia nervous system and support the idea that they may effect the electrical behavior of nerve cells.

Key words: Ca-binding proteins, parvalbumin, calbindin D-28K, sarcoplasmic calcium-binding protein, electrical activity, mollusk neurons, Aplysia californica

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