Event:

Plasma membrane Calcium-ATPases (PMCAs) transport Ca2+ to the extracellular space and, thus, fundamentally contribute to the control of a wide variety of Ca2+-dependent processes in virtually any type of cell in humans and animals. Using high resolution proteomics, electrophysiology, biochemistry and immunocytochemistry we identified 2 proteins, Neuroplastin and Basigin, as novel subunits of native PMCAs. Both proteins determine the stability of the complexes and the time-course of PMCA-mediated Ca2+-transport. Before the identification as auxillary subunits, Neuroplastin and Basigin have been suggested to be involved in in cellular processes ranging from formation, operation and plasticity of synapses in central neurons, to spermatogenesis and fertilization, tumor invasion or infection of erythrocytes by plasmodium. Based on our results, it appears reasonable to assume that all the processes share a common mechanism – the PMCA-mediated control of intracellular Ca2+ signaling.
Schmidt et al., (2017) Neuron. 96: 827-838.