Abstract
The marine alga Ulva compressa (Chlorophyta) showed a triphasic release of intracellular calcium with maximal levels at 2, 3 and 12 h and a biphasic accumulation of intracellular hydrogen peroxide with peaks at 3 and 12 h when cultivated with copper excess. Intracellular hydrogen peroxide originated exclusively in organelles. In this work, we analyzed the intracellular origin of calcium release and the type of calcium channels activated in response to copper excess. U. compressa was treated with thapsigargin, an inhibitor of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) calcium ATPase, ryanodine, an inhibitor of ryanodine-sensitive channels, and xestospongin C, an inhibitor of inositol 1, 4, 5-triphosphate (IP(3))-sensitive channels. Thapsigargin induced the depletion of calcium stored in ER at 75 min and completely inhibited calcium release at 2, 3 and 12 h of copper exposure indicating that calcium release originated in ER. In addition, ryanodine and xestospogin C inhibited calcium release at 2 and 3 h of copper exposure whereas the peak at 12 h was only inhibited by ryanodine. Thus, copper induced the activation of ryanodine-sensitive and IP(3)-sensitive calcium channels in ER of U. compressa.