title: Converting fluorescence data into Ca2+ concentration.
abstract: In many situations, fluorescent Ca(2+) reporters are used to simply indicate that a change of Ca(2+) concentration has occurred. Monitoring the emission from a Ca(2+)-sensitive indicator can be sufficient to tell whether a signal has arisen, and what its kinetic/spatial parameters were. The emission from an indicator does not have a linear relationship to the Ca(2+) concentration within a cell; rather, the relationship between fluorescence emission and Ca(2+) concentration is described by a logistic function. Simply recording fluorescence emission, therefore, provides a relative indication of the magnitude of a Ca(2+) signal that should not be used for generating mean amplitude data. However, with a little consideration and effort, the fluorescence output can be calibrated to yield actual Ca(2+) concentration.
authors: Babraham Institute, Babraham, Cambridge, CB22 3AT, United Kingdom. martin.bootman@babraham.ac.uk
authors: Martin D
authors: MD
authors: Bootman
authors: Katja
authors: K
authors: Rietdorf
authors: Tony
authors: T
authors: Collins
authors: Simon
authors: S
authors: Walker
authors: Michael
authors: M
authors: Sanderson
mesh_terms: D002118:Calcium / Q000737:chemistry*; D002138:Calibration; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007700:Kinetics; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D002118:Calcium