Ca²⁺ ATPase is a form of

P-ATPase The P-type ATPases, also known as E1-E2 ATPases, are a large group of evolutionarily related ion and lipid pumps that are found in bacteria, archaea, and eukaryotes. P-type ATPases are α-helical bundle primary transporters named based upon th ...

that transfers

calcium Calcium is a chemical element with the symbol Ca and atomic number 20. As an alkaline earth metal, calcium is a reactive metal that forms a dark oxide-nitride layer when exposed to air. Its physical and chemical properties are most similar to ...

after a

muscle Skeletal muscles (commonly referred to as muscles) are organs of the vertebrate muscular system and typically are attached by tendons to bones of a skeleton. The muscle cells of skeletal muscles are much longer than in the other types of muscl ...

has contracted. The two kinds of calcium ATPase are: *Plasma membrane Ca²⁺ ATPase (PMCA) *

Sarcoplasmic reticulum The sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) is a membrane-bound structure found within muscle cells that is similar to the smooth endoplasmic reticulum in other Cell (biology), cells. The main function of the SR is to store calcium ions (Ca2+). Calcium in bio ...

Ca²⁺ ATPase (SERCA)

Plasma membrane Ca²⁺ ATPase (PMCA)

Plasma membrane Ca²⁺ ATPase (PMCA) is a

transport protein A transport protein (variously referred to as a transmembrane pump, transporter, escort protein, acid transport protein, cation transport protein, or anion transport protein) is a protein that serves the function of moving other materials within ...

in the

plasma membrane The cell membrane (also known as the plasma membrane (PM) or cytoplasmic membrane, and historically referred to as the plasmalemma) is a biological membrane that separates and protects the interior of all cells from the outside environment (t ...

cells Cell most often refers to: * Cell (biology), the functional basic unit of life Cell may also refer to: Locations * Monastic cell, a small room, hut, or cave in which a religious recluse lives, alternatively the small precursor of a monastery w ...

that serves to remove

(Ca²⁺) from the cell. It is vital for regulating the amount of Ca²⁺ within cells. In fact, the PMCA is involved in removing Ca²⁺ from all

eukaryotic Eukaryotes () are organisms whose cells have a nucleus. All animals, plants, fungi, and many unicellular organisms, are Eukaryotes. They belong to the group of organisms Eukaryota or Eukarya, which is one of the three domains of life. Bacte ...

cells. There is a very large transmembrane

electrochemical gradient An electrochemical gradient is a gradient of electrochemical potential, usually for an ion that can move across a membrane. The gradient consists of two parts, the chemical gradient, or difference in solute concentration across a membrane, and th ...

of Ca²⁺ driving the entry of the

ion An ion () is an atom or molecule with a net electrical charge. The charge of an electron is considered to be negative by convention and this charge is equal and opposite to the charge of a proton, which is considered to be positive by conve ...

into cells, yet it is very important for cells to maintain low

concentration In chemistry, concentration is the abundance of a constituent divided by the total volume of a mixture. Several types of mathematical description can be distinguished: '' mass concentration'', ''molar concentration'', ''number concentration'', an ...

s of Ca²⁺ for proper

cell signalling In biology, cell signaling (cell signalling in British English) or cell communication is the ability of a cell to receive, process, and transmit signals with its environment and with itself. Cell signaling is a fundamental property of all cellula ...

; thus it is necessary for the cell to employ

ion pump An ion pump (also referred to as a sputter ion pump) is a type of vacuum pump which operates by sputtering a metal getter. Under ideal conditions, ion pumps are capable of reaching pressures as low as 10−11 mbar. An ion pump first ionizes ga ...

s to remove the Ca²⁺. The PMCA and the

sodium calcium exchanger The sodium-calcium exchanger (often denoted Na+/Ca2+ exchanger, exchange protein, or NCX) is an antiporter membrane protein that removes calcium from cells. It uses the energy that is stored in the electrochemical gradient of sodium (Na+) by a ...

(NCX) are together the main regulators of

intracellular This glossary of biology terms is a list of definitions of fundamental terms and concepts used in biology, the study of life and of living organisms. It is intended as introductory material for novices; for more specific and technical definitions ...

Ca²⁺ concentrations. Since it transports Ca²⁺ into the extracellular space, the PMCA is also an important regulator of the calcium concentration in the

extracellular space Extracellular space refers to the part of a multicellular organism outside the cells, usually taken to be outside the plasma membranes, and occupied by fluid. This is distinguished from intracellular space, which is inside the cells. The compositi ...

. The PMCA belongs to a family of

P-type primary ion transport ATPase The P-type ATPases, also known as E1-E2 ATPases, are a large group of evolutionarily related ion and lipid pumps that are found in bacteria, archaea, and eukaryotes. P-type ATPases are α-helical bundle primary transporters named based upon thei ...

s that form an aspartyl phosphate intermediate. The PMCA is expressed in a variety of tissues, including the

brain A brain is an organ that serves as the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals. It is located in the head, usually close to the sensory organs for senses such as vision. It is the most complex organ in a v ...

Sarcoendoplasmic Reticulum Ca²⁺ ATPase (SERCA)

In myocytes (

muscle cell A muscle cell is also known as a myocyte when referring to either a cardiac muscle cell (cardiomyocyte), or a smooth muscle cell as these are both small cells. A skeletal muscle cell is long and threadlike with many nuclei and is called a muscl ...

s) Ca²⁺ is normally sequestered (isolated) in a specialized form of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) called

sarcoplasmic reticulum The sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) is a membrane-bound structure found within muscle cells that is similar to the smooth endoplasmic reticulum in other Cell (biology), cells. The main function of the SR is to store calcium ions (Ca2+). Calcium in bio ...

(SR). It is a Ca²⁺ ATPase that transfers Ca²⁺ from the

cytosol The cytosol, also known as cytoplasmic matrix or groundplasm, is one of the liquids found inside cells (intracellular fluid (ICF)). It is separated into compartments by membranes. For example, the mitochondrial matrix separates the mitochondri ...

of the cell to the lumen of the SR at the expense of

ATP hydrolysis ATP hydrolysis is the catabolic reaction process by which chemical energy that has been stored in the high-energy phosphoanhydride bonds in adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is released after splitting these bonds, for example in muscles, by prod ...

during muscle relaxation. In the skeletal muscles the calcium pump in the sarcoplasmic reticulum membrane works in harmony with similar calcium pumps in the plasma membrane. This ensures that the cytosolic concentration of free calcium in resting muscle is below 0.1µM. The sarcoplasmic and endoplasmic reticulum calcium pumps are closely related in structure and mechanism, and both are inhibited by the tumor-promoting agent thapsigargin, which does not affect the plasma membrane Ca²⁺ pumps.

References

External links

* *
Overview at utoronto.ca

Cation transporting ATPase family in Pfam
{{Portal bar, Biology, border=no Transport proteins Transmembrane proteins EC 7.2.2

Plasma membrane Ca2+ ATPase (PMCA)

Sarcoendoplasmic Reticulum Ca2+ ATPase (SERCA)

See also

References

External links

Plasma membrane Ca²⁺ ATPase (PMCA)

Sarcoendoplasmic Reticulum Ca²⁺ ATPase (SERCA)