Calmodulin (CaM) (an abbreviation for calcium-modulated protein) is a multifunctional intermediate calcium-binding messenger protein expressed in all eukaryotic cells. [1] It is an intracellular target of the secondary messenger Ca 2+, and the binding of Ca 2+ is required for the activation of calmodulin.

Jul 4, 2017 · Calmodulin, or calcium-modulated protein, is a calcium-binding protein found in the cytoplasm of all eukaryotic cells. It interacts with many other proteins in the cell, and acts as a regulator or an effector molecule in a wide variety of cellular functions.

Calmodulin (CaM), a calcium sensor, decodes the critical calcium-dependent signals and converts them into the driving force to control various important cellular functions, such as ion transport.

Calmodulin changes shape when it binds to calcium and can activate over 300 essential proteins. Each of its four high-affinity calcium binding sites, called EF-hands, contains a characteristic loop flanked by two alpha helices.

Calmodulin 1 is the archetype of the family of calcium-modulated proteins of which nearly 20 members have been found. They are identified by their occurrence in the cytosol or on membranes facing the cytosol and by a high affinity for calcium. Calmodulin contains 149 amino acids and has 4 calcium-binding EF hand motifs.

Aug 16, 2024 · Calmodulin plays a crucial role in cellular signaling, acting as a versatile calcium sensor. Its unique ability to bind calcium ions and undergo conformational changes makes it indispensable for various physiological processes .

Calmodulin binds to channels and membrane proteins and regulates their function. Calmodulin binding to the NR1 subunit of NMDA receptors in neurons causes a marked reduction in their channel opening probability, suggesting activity-dependent feedback inhibition and Ca 2+-dependent inactivation of NMDA receptors.

Calmodulin is a ubiquitous, highly conserved protein that plays a critical role in numerous essential cellular functions, including Ca 2+ transport, cell motility, cytoskeletal assembly, protein phosphorylation/dephosphorylation, cell proliferation and cell cycle progression.

Calmodulin is the most widely distributed and most versatile member of a family of calcium-binding proteins which probably serve as receptors for the Ca2+ signal. Through the regulation of a wide variety of intracellular enzymes, calmodulin plays a key role in …

Calmodulin is the best studied and prototypical example of the E-F-hand family of Ca2+-sensing proteins. Changes in intracellular Ca2+ concentration regulate calmodulin in three distinct ways. First, at the cellular level, by directing its subcellular distribution.