Endoplasmic reticulum calcium tunnels integrate signalling in polarised cells.
One of the most crucial aspects of Ca(2+) signalling is the ability to generate highly localised transient elevations of the cytosolic Ca(2+) concentration at specific strategically important target sites. Inevitably this necessitates a relatively high Ca(2+) buffering power of the cytoplasm, which in turn makes movement of Ca(2+) from one part of a cell to another difficult. Nature has evolved an elegant solution to this problem by creating operational Ca(2+) tunnels through the endoplasmic reticulum. Very recently direct evidence that such tunnelling also occurs in neurons has been provided.
Petersen
Ole H
OH
MRC Group, Physiological Laboratory, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool L69 3BX, UK. o.h.petersen@liv.ac.uk
Verkhratsky
Alexei
A
D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D020013:Calcium Signaling; D016764:Cell Polarity; D004721:Endoplasmic Reticulum / Q000378:metabolism*; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism
D002118:Calcium