Abstract:
Calcium (Ca2+) plays a primary role in regulating numerous cellular processes and adaptive responses in eukaryotes. The binding of Ca2+ changes the conformation and charge of the protein, which are the basis for signal transduction. Calmodulin (CaM) is the principal Ca2+ binding protein expressed in all eukaryotes including Neurospora crassa. When bound to Ca2+, CaM activates over 300 target proteins. Ca2+/CaM-dependent kinases (Ca2+/CaMKs) are one of the main effector proteins of CaM. Preliminary studies in N. crassa have shown the importance of CaM and Ca2+/CaMKs in growth, development, stress response, sexual development, and in regulating the circadian system. However, the detailed cellular roles and molecular mechanism by which CaM and Ca2+/CaMKs regulate the different phases of life cycle or the cell under different conditions still remain unclear in N. crassa. Therefore, this study sought to understand the cellular roles and the mechanism by which CaM and Ca2+/CaMKs mediated the cell under stress conditions, during sexual development, and in regulating the circadian clock.
