Local Ca2+ signals: Mechanism and function

Sponsored by The Journal of Physiology

In eukaryotic cells, a rise in cytoplasmic Ca²⁺ activates a plethora of responses that operate on time scales ranging from, milliseconds to days. Inherent to the use of such a universal signal is the problem of specificity: how can Ca²⁺ activate some responses but not others in the same cell? We now know that the spatial profile of the Ca²⁺ signal is important. Ca²⁺ does not simply rise uniformly throughout the cytoplasm on stimulation but can reach very high levels locally. The most fundamental Ca²⁺ signal is the Ca²⁺ microdomain that develops rapidly near open Ca²⁺ channels like store-operated CRAC channels and voltage-gated Ca²⁺ channels. This symposium will discuss how local Ca²⁺ signals are generated, how the underlying Ca²⁺ channels are controlled and how the signals activate downstream responses in health and disease.

The timings for this session are as follows