Abstract.
Caffeine causes a [Ca2+] i increase in the cortex of Paramecium cells, followed by spillover with considerable attenuation, into central cell regions. From [Ca2+]rest i ∼50 to 80 nm, [Ca2+]act i rises within ≤3 sec to 500 (trichocyst-free strain tl) or 220 nm (nondischarge strain nd9–28°C) in the cortex. Rapid confocal analysis of wildtype cells (7S) showed only a 2-fold cortical increase within 2 sec, accompanied by trichocyst exocytosis and a central Ca2+ spread during the subsequent ≥2 sec. Chelation of Ca2+ o considerably attenuated [Ca2+] i increase. Therefore, caffeine may primarily mobilize cortical Ca2+ pools, superimposed by Ca2+ influx and spillover (particularly in tl cells with empty trichocyst docking sites). In nd cells, caffeine caused trichocyst contents to decondense internally (Ca2+-dependent stretching, normally occurring only after membrane fusion). With 7S cells this usually occurred only to a small extent, but with increasing frequency as [Ca2+] i signals were reduced by [Ca2+] o chelation. In this case, quenched-flow and ultrathin section or freeze-fracture analysis revealed dispersal of membrane components (without fusion) subsequent to internal contents decondensation, opposite to normal membrane fusion when a full [Ca2+] i signal was generated by caffeine stimulation (with Ca2+ i and Ca2+ o available). We conclude the following. (i) Caffeine can mobilize Ca2+ from cortical stores independent of the presence of Ca2+ o . (ii) To yield adequate signals for normal exocytosis, Ca2+ release and Ca2+ influx both have to occur during caffeine stimulation. (iii) Insufficient [Ca2+] i increase entails caffeine-mediated access of Ca2+ to the secretory contents, thus causing their decondensation before membrane fusion can occur. (iv) Trichocyst decondensation in turn gives a signal for an unusual dissociation of docking/fusion components at the cell membrane. These observations imply different threshold [Ca2+] i -values for membrane fusion and contents discharge.
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Received: 23 May 1997/Revised: 18 August 1997
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Klauke, N., Plattner, H. Caffeine-Induced Ca2+ Transients and Exocytosis in Paramecium Cells. A Correlated Ca2+ Imaging and Quenched-Flow/Freeze-Fracture Analysis. J. Membrane Biol. 161, 65–81 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1007/s002329900315
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s002329900315