Regulation of calcineurin, a calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein phosphatase, in C. elegans.

Calcineurin is a calcium/calmodulin-dependent serine/ threonine protein phosphatase. It is a heterodimeric protein consisting of a catalytic subunit calcineurin A, and a regulatory calcium-binding subunit, calcineurin B. The primary sequence of both subunits and heterodimeric structure is highly conserved from yeast to mammals. Calcineurin has long been implicated in various signaling pathways. Calcineurin genes (cna-1/tax-6 and cnb-1) have been identified in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, which share high homology with their Drosophila and mammalian counterparts. C. elegans calcineurin binds calcium and functions as a heterodimeric protein phosphatase establishing its biochemical conservation. Calcineurin expresses in diverse tissues implicating its important role in various physiological processes. This review will focus in brief on the expression pattern and regulation of calcineurin including its effect on growth and development, locomotion, egg-laying, and sensory responses.