Regulation of intracellular calcium in promastigotes of the human protozoan parasite Leishmania donovani.

By using the fluorescent Ca2+ indicator fura 2, we show that the concentration of free calcium in the cytoplasm of Leishmania donovani promastigotes is maintained at very low levels (73.5 +/- 10-94 +/- 8 nM at a [Ca2+]i range of 0-1 mM). The maintenance of low [Ca2+]i is energy-dependent as it is disrupted by KCN, H+-ATPase inhibitors, and ionophores. KCN, nigericin, and N,N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide increase cytosolic free calcium by mobilizing calcium from intracellular pools. Monensin and oligomycin increase [Ca2+]i by allowing influx of calcium from the external medium through the plasma membrane, but they have no effect on intracellular pools. Intracellular traffic of calcium was examined by measuring the transport of 45Ca2+ in digitonin-permeabilized promastigotes. Two transport systems for calcium were identified in these cells. One is respiration-dependent, suggesting a mitochondrial localization. A second system is respiration-independent but requires either endogenous or externally added ATP. The ATP-dependent Ca2+ transport is optimal at pH 7.1, has high affinity for calcium (Km = 92 nM, Vmax = 1 nmol/min/mg of protein), and is sensitive to orthovanadate. These properties suggest the presence of a Ca2+-ATPase similar to that of mammalian endoplasmic reticulum. Taken together, the results indicate that [Ca2+]i in L. donovani promastigotes is regulated at low concentration by mechanisms similar to those found in higher eukaryotic cells.