Expression of calmodulin and Acrocalcin during coral development.

<p>(A) The canonical calmodulin AmCaM is expressed at a relatively constant level during development as a ∼ 1500 bp transcript. (B) The ∼2500 bp Acrocalcin (AmAC) transcript is present at low levels at the late gastrulation stage, after which levels are relatively constant from the pear stage through to post-settlement. An early and a late pear stage were tested for AmCaM and AmAC transcripts. (C) The faint salt-and-pepper pattern visible at gastrulation reflects AmAC expression in the endoderm (b). A relatively constant expression level was observed from late gastrulation onward, sphere through post-settlement (c–g). No staining was detected in corresponding controls incubated with sense RNA probes (b′, c′, e′). Nucleic acid markers (asterisks). Pre-gastrulation (prawn chip, a). Gastrulation (donut, b). Late gastrula (sphere, c). Early planula (pear, d). Planula (e). Settlement and metamorphosis (f). Settled polyps (g). Control stages (b′, c′, e′), respectively.</p

Primary structure of the coral EF-hand proteins.

<p>(A) As in the canonical calmodulins of a wide range of other eukaryotes, the AmCaM protein contains four predicted EF-hand motifs, each of which fulfils the criteria for activity. Genbank identifiers for the sequences: <i>Acropora</i> Cluster 043479; <i>Nematostella</i> XP_00163858.1; <i>Homo</i> NP_001734.1; <i>Drosophila</i> NP_523710.1; <i>Aedes</i> XP_001662431.1; <i>Suberites</i> O97341; <i>Trichoplax</i> EDV29861.1; <i>Monosiga</i> XP_001749021.1; <i>Schizosaccharomyces</i> XP_002175972. (B) The coral Acrocalcin (AmAC) protein is a typical member of the NCS-B class, possessing an N-terminal myristoylation site (MGK, orange box), three EF-hand motifs (indicated by red boxes) and a predicted CaM-binding site (blue box). Genbank identifiers for sequences: <i>Acropora</i> Cluster 013002; <i>Nematostella1</i> XP_001639634.1; <i>Nematostella2</i> XP_001639635.1; HS (<i>Homo sapiens</i>) hippocalcin NP_002140.2; HS (<i>Homo sapiens</i>) neurocalcin NP_114430; <i>Drosophila</i> NP_788543.1; <i>Aedes</i> XP_001648788.1; <i>Amphimedon</i> XP_003386697.1; <i>Trichoplax</i> EDV23214.1; <i>Monosiga</i> EDQ90181.1.</p