Biotic activity of Ca2+-modulating non-traditional antimicrobial and -viral agents

Basis for a neuronal version of Grover's quantum algorithm

“…Each protein type can be directly or indirectly involved in cellular response-regulatory pathways and/or Ca 2+ homeostasis. The main classes of Ca 2+ channels, transporters, and exchangers across animal phylogeny rely on mechanosensitive [e.g., transient receptor potential (TRP) compression and stretch receptors], ATP-dependent [e.g., sarcoplasmic-endoplasmic-reticulum (SERCA) and plasma-membrane ATPase (PMCA) Ca 2+ uptake/extrusion pumps), ion-gated (e.g., Ca 2+ /H + and Na + /Ca 2+ exchangers)], voltage-gated (e.g., L-, N-, P/Q-, R-, and T-type receptors), ligand-gated [e.g., inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP 3 ), ryanodine (Ry), and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDA)], and peptidergic porin (e.g., aquaporins) mechanisms (Clark, 2013b ; Clark and Eisenstein, 2013 ; Clark et al, 2013 ; Dolphin, 2006 ; Foskett et al, 2007 ). The majority of known selective or nonselective Ca 2+ channel, transporter, and exchanger systems are well identified and studied for a range of differentiated animal cell types, such as neurons and myocytes.…”

“…However, these same and additional proteins are also instrumental, for example, in experience-independent cytokine and chemokine immunological responses, gene expression, cellular trafficking, and homeostasis (cf. Clark, 2013b ; Clark and Eisenstein, 2013 ; Foskett et al, 2007 ), when extracellular Ca 2+ influx and/or triggered IP 3 -dependent store-operated intracellular Ca 2+ -induced Ca 2+ reactions (CICRs) help control endosome transport, membrane remodeling, and up- and downregulation of metabolic and catabolic processes. In classic scenarios of facilitated and depressed glutamatergic synaptic function, respectively known as long-term potentiation (LTP) and depression (LTD), extracellular Ca 2+ enters the post-synaptic cell through activated NMDARs during the induction phase of plasticity.…”

“…With respect to the latter topic, the present model becomes particularly relevant during actuation of intracellular compartmental Ca 2+ loading from interstitial and intracellular cation sources. Even as a preliminary construct, the model implies contexts coincident with moderate to massive fluxes of Ca 2+ through cation-permeable integral cell membrane pores and gated channels, such as during synaptic plasticity (Malenka and Bear, 2004 ), microbial pathogen attack (Clark, 2013b ; Clark and Eisenstein, 2013 ; Clark et al, 2013 ), pathological oxidative stress (Bénédicte et al, 2012 ; Clark, 2012c ), and neurological disease and aging (Verkhratsky, 2005 ; Bezprozvanny and Mattson, 2008 ; Stutzmann and Mattson, 2011 ), will assist in driving neurons to accelerate response regulation to quantum-level efficiency through induction of stable local and possibly subsequent global continuous Ca 2+ waves. From a physiological perspective, dramatic increases in Ca 2+ wave velocity and signal transduction at either intracluster or intercluster physical dimensions are impressive and attainable for a all sorts of differentiated eukaryotic cells (cf.…”

Low-dose antibiotics: current status and outlook for the future

“…Providing a view on specific host effector pathways with antimicrobials, Mihu et al detail how antifungal medications effectively stimulate host responses via engagement with toll-like receptors (Mihu et al, 2014 ). In light of the expanding difficulties with drug resistance and a lack of therapeutics to combat them, Clark presents a cogent call for pursing Ca 2+ modulating strategies where by host Ca 2+ homeostasis is modulated to block pathogens from effectively utilizing this essential element (Clark, 2013 ).…”

The impact of microbes in the orchestration of plants’ resistance to biotic stress: a disease management approach

“…Calcium treatment of plants is another abiotic approach to enhancing plant resistance to biotic stress. Calcium has been found to boost the activities of peroxidase and strengthen the plant cell wall as well as improve the production of substance that could inhibit fungi development on plant (Clark 2013; Xu et al 2013; Downie, 2014). A combined treatment of tomato plant with calcium salt and salicylic acid elevated the production of antioxidant proteins, chitinase, and pathogenesis-related proteins that encouraged tomato resistance to B. cinerea infection (Linlin et al 2016).…”