Flickering calcium microdomains signal turning of migrating cells.
It has been well-established that polarized migrating cells exhibit a stable and transient gradient of intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i), increasing from front-to-rear, that is thought to be responsible for rear retraction. The paradox that arises is how calcium at the front of a cell catalyzes critical high-threshold calcium-dependent processes during cell migration and particularly in decision-making for a cell to turn. In this brief review, we discuss the recent discovery of flickering high-[Ca2+]i microdomains ("calcium flickers") at the front of migrating fibroblasts and their common role in transducing local membrane mechanical stress (via TRPM7, a stretch-activated calcium-permeating transient receptor potential channel) and chemoattractant-elicited signals (via type 2 inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor in the endoplasmic reticulum). Furthermore, we present a new model for patterned calcium flicker activity as the mechanism for steering the turning of a migrating cell.
Institute of Molecular Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Biomembrane and Membrane Biotechnology, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China. chaoliang.wei@gmail.com
Chaoliang
C
Wei
Xianhua
X
Wang
Min
M
Chen
Kunfu
K
Ouyang
Ming
M
Zheng
Heping
H
Cheng
D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D020013:Calcium Signaling / Q000502:physiology*; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000502:physiology*; D016764:Cell Polarity / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007424:Intracellular Fluid / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D021962:Membrane Microdomains / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D013314:Stress, Mechanical
D002118:Calcium