title: Compartmentalized signalling: Ca2+ compartments, microdomains and the many facets of Ca2+ signalling.
abstract: Ca(2+) regulates a multitude of cellular processes and does so by partitioning its actions in space and time. In this review, we discuss how Ca(2+) responses are constructed from small quantal (elementary) events that have the potential to propagate to produce large pan-cellular responses. We review how Ca(2+) is compartmentalized both physically and functionally, and describe how each organelle has its own distinct Ca(2+)-handling properties. We explain how coordination of the movement of Ca(2+) between organelles is used to shape and hone Ca(2+) signals. Finally, we provide a number of specific examples of where compartmentation and localization of Ca(2+) are crucial to cell function.
authors.affiliation: Department Human Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
authors.forename: Alex J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Laude
authors.forename: Alec W M
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Simpson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D020013:Calcium Signaling / Q000502:physiology*; D002451:Cell Compartmentation / Q000502:physiology; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D021962:Membrane Microdomains / Q000378:metabolism; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000378:metabolism; D008954:Models, Biological; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D002118:Calcium