Biomaterial Database

Post-transcriptional regulation of the stanniocalcin gene by calcium. 1995

T J Ellis, and G F Wagner

Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada.

Stanniocalcin (STC) is a Ca(2+)-regulating hormone produced by the corpuscles of Stannius in bony fish. Calcium has been shown to stimulate STC synthesis at multiple levels including the level of gene expression. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of Ca2+ on STC mRNA stability. The half-life of STC mRNA was measured in primary cultured trout corpuscles of Stannius cells maintained in either normal (1.2 mM) or high (1.9 mM) levels of extracellular calcium and treated with the transcriptional inhibitor alpha-amanitin. In cells maintained in 1.2 mM Ca2+, STC mRNA levels decreased progressively over time with an estimated half-life of approximately 71 h. However, message levels remained unchanged for up to 4 days in cells maintained in 1.9 mM Ca2+, indicating that the transcript had been stabilized in response to Ca2+ stimulation. Blocking transcription prior to exposing cells to high Ca2+ did not alter the stabilizing effects of the cation, indicating that synthesis and processing of the mRNA transcript were not involved in message stabilization. Inhibiting protein synthesis with cycloheximide also had no influence on the stabilizing effects of high calcium. The experiments involving cycloheximide further suggested that the mechanism of mRNA stabilization involved protein-nucleic acid interactions in the cytoplasm, whereby the polysomal complex protected the mRNA from degradation. These data demonstrate that the stimulatory effect of Ca2+ on STC gene expression is due, in part, to mRNA stabilization.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007700	Kinetics	The rate dynamics in chemical or physical systems.
D008297	Male		Males
D002118	Calcium	A basic element found in nearly all tissues. It is a member of the alkaline earth family of metals with the atomic symbol Ca, atomic number 20, and atomic weight 40. Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body and combines with phosphorus to form calcium phosphate in the bones and teeth. It is essential for the normal functioning of nerves and muscles and plays a role in blood coagulation (as factor IV) and in many enzymatic processes.	Coagulation Factor IV,Factor IV,Blood Coagulation Factor IV,Calcium-40,Calcium 40,Factor IV, Coagulation
D002478	Cells, Cultured	Cells propagated in vitro in special media conducive to their growth. Cultured cells are used to study developmental, morphologic, metabolic, physiologic, and genetic processes, among others.	Cultured Cells,Cell, Cultured,Cultured Cell
D005260	Female		Females
D005786	Gene Expression Regulation	Any of the processes by which nuclear, cytoplasmic, or intercellular factors influence the differential control (induction or repression) of gene action at the level of transcription or translation.	Gene Action Regulation,Regulation of Gene Expression,Expression Regulation, Gene,Regulation, Gene Action,Regulation, Gene Expression
D006023	Glycoproteins	Conjugated protein-carbohydrate compounds including MUCINS; mucoid, and AMYLOID glycoproteins.	C-Glycosylated Proteins,Glycosylated Protein,Glycosylated Proteins,N-Glycosylated Proteins,O-Glycosylated Proteins,Glycoprotein,Neoglycoproteins,Protein, Glycosylated,Proteins, C-Glycosylated,Proteins, Glycosylated,Proteins, N-Glycosylated,Proteins, O-Glycosylated
D006728	Hormones	Chemical substances having a specific regulatory effect on the activity of a certain organ or organs. The term was originally applied to substances secreted by various ENDOCRINE GLANDS and transported in the bloodstream to the target organs. It is sometimes extended to include those substances that are not produced by the endocrine glands but that have similar effects.	Hormone,Hormone Receptor Agonists,Agonists, Hormone Receptor,Receptor Agonists, Hormone
D000546	Amanitins	Cyclic peptides extracted from carpophores of various mushroom species. They are potent inhibitors of RNA polymerases in most eukaryotic species, blocking the production of mRNA and protein synthesis. These peptides are important in the study of transcription. Alpha-amanitin is the main toxin from the species Amanitia phalloides, poisonous if ingested by humans or animals.	Amanitin
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia