Dr. Ben Miller, School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia
Tuesday 14th June, 1.00 p.m., Stacey Lecture Theatre 1
Calcium ions are an essential second messenger in numerous different signalling pathways. Distinct changes in cellular calcium concentration occur in response to different stimuli, and a suite of calcium-binding proteins have been implicated in decoding these different calcium signals. Indeed, families of diverse calcium-binding proteins have been described across biological systems, however the general mechanisms underlying how different calcium signals are decoded by cells remain unclear. A unique calcium- and calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase (CCaMK) found in most plants is essential for the correct interpretation of oscillatory calcium signals and the successful establishment of symbiotic interactions with soil micro-organisms. Using a combination of genetic, biochemical and mathematical modelling approaches, we have revealed a novel mechanism by which calcium signals are decoded via the CCaMK protein. Our current work combines these approaches with synthetic biology to determine how cells use diverse calcium-binding proteins to decode calcium signals into signalling outputs.