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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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Journal of biological chemistry Vol. 291; no. 40; pp. 20849 - 20857
Main Authors: Carafoli, Ernesto, Krebs, Joachim
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: United States 30.09.2016
Subjects:
Calcium - metabolism
Calcium Signaling - physiology
Calcium-Binding Proteins - metabolism
calcium channel
calcium ATPase
calcium
calcium-binding protein
magnesium
calcium signal
calmodulin
calcium transport
ISSN:1083-351X
Online Access:Get more information
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Summary: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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ISSN:1083-351X
DOI:10.1074/jbc.R116.735894