Why Calcium? How Calcium Became the Best Communicator
Calcium carries messages to virtually all important functions of cells. Although it was already active in unicellular organisms, its role became universally important after the transition to multicellular life. In this Minireview, we explore how calcium ended up in this privileged position. Most lik...
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| Vydáno v: | The Journal of biological chemistry Ročník 291; číslo 40; s. 20849 - 20857 |
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| Hlavní autoři: | , |
| Médium: | Journal Article |
| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Vydáno: |
United States
30.09.2016
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| Témata: | |
| ISSN: | 1083-351X |
| On-line přístup: | Zjistit podrobnosti o přístupu |
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| Shrnutí: | Calcium carries messages to virtually all important functions of cells. Although it was already active in unicellular organisms, its role became universally important after the transition to multicellular life. In this Minireview, we explore how calcium ended up in this privileged position. Most likely its unique coordination chemistry was a decisive factor as it makes its binding by complex molecules particularly easy even in the presence of large excesses of other cations, e.g. magnesium. Its free concentration within cells can thus be maintained at the very low levels demanded by the signaling function. A large cadre of proteins has evolved to bind or transport calcium. They all contribute to buffer it within cells, but a number of them also decode its message for the benefit of the target. The most important of these "calcium sensors" are the EF-hand proteins. Calcium is an ambivalent messenger. Although essential to the correct functioning of cell processes, if not carefully controlled spatially and temporally within cells, it generates variously severe cell dysfunctions, and even cell death. |
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| Bibliografie: | ObjectType-Article-2 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-3 content type line 23 ObjectType-Review-1 |
| ISSN: | 1083-351X |
| DOI: | 10.1074/jbc.R116.735894 |