Giant proteins in a giant cell: Molecular basis of ultrafast Ca2+-dependent cell contraction

Abstract

The giant single-celled eukaryote, Spirostomum, exhibits one of the fastest movements in the biological world. This ultrafast contraction is dependent on Ca2+ rather than ATP and therefore differs to the actin-myosin system in muscle. We obtained the high-quality genome of Spirostomum minus from which we identified the key molecular components of its contractile apparatus, including two major Ca2+ binding proteins (Spasmin 1 and 2) and two giant proteins (GSBP1 and GSBP2), which act as the backbone and allow for the binding of hundreds of spasmins. The evidence suggests that the GSBP-spasmin protein complex is the functional unit of the mesh-like contractile fibrillar system, which, coupled with various other subcellular structures, provides the mechanism for repetitive ultrafast cell contraction and extension. These findings improve our understanding of the Ca2+-dependent ultrafast movement and provide a blueprint for future biomimicry, design, and construction of this kind of micromachine.