Regulatory mechanisms for echinoderm muscle contraction

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24580293
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Fisheries chemistry
• Research Institution: Hokkaido University
• Principal Investigator: Tanaka Hiroyuki 北海道大学, 水産科学研究科(研究院), 助教 (90241372)
• Research Collaborator: HADANO Junji ; MORITA Takahiro ; NOTO Kouki ; ZUSHI Hideki ; HATTORI Kazuki
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 棘皮動物 / 筋肉 / 筋収縮の調節 / トロポニン / ウニ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Most of the musculature in echinoderms are smooth muscle and the contraction of which is believed to be regulated by the phosphorylation of myosin light chain depending on intracellular Ca2+ concentration as in the case of other smooth muscles in higher animals. In this study, troponin which is known as an actin-linked regulatory protein of striated muscles was revealed to be present in the various smooth muscles of sea urchin. The subunits of sea urchin troponin were obtained by the expression system constructed in Escherichia coli and were confirmed to be functional in vitro, even though they are lacking some regions which are known to be essential for the Ca2+-dependent activation of vertebrate striated muscle contraction. Therefore, the sea urchin troponin should activate the contraction by the acting mechanisms different from those of vertebrate troponin.

Free Research Field

水産生化学