Calmodulin transit via gap junctions is reduced in the absence of an electric field

Gap junctional transport of Calmodulin (CaM) from epithelial cells to insect oocytes is enhanced by alignment of the molecules via an electric field. It has recently been shown that CaM is needed for uptake of vitellogenins, is produced in the epithelial cells and reaches oocytes via gap junctions. For CaM to transit the gap junctions something must align these elongated molecules with the lumina of the gap junctions. This might be accomplished by the electric field that exists at the membrane of any cell with an Em of >0 mV. Fluorescently labeled CaM was injected into oocytes. At t=0, the epithelial cell/oocyte “fluorescence” ratio showed epithelial cells to be 24%±1.5% as bright as the injected oocyte. In follicles which maintained an electric field for one hour the epithelial cell/oocyte fluorescence ratio had risen to 79%±1.4%, while for follicles in which the field was cancelled by holding Em at 0 mV the ratio was only 45%±1.7%. After termination of the holding current follicles regained their original Em and their original electric field. At the end of a second hour of incubation the ratio had risen to 76%±1.2%, very close to what was observed in the untreated control follicles.