title: Calcium signaling in the liver.
abstract: Intracellular free Ca(2+) ([Ca(2+)]i) is a highly versatile second messenger that regulates a wide range of functions in every type of cell and tissue. To achieve this versatility, the Ca(2+) signaling system operates in a variety of ways to regulate cellular processes that function over a wide dynamic range. This is particularly well exemplified for Ca(2+) signals in the liver, which modulate diverse and specialized functions such as bile secretion, glucose metabolism, cell proliferation, and apoptosis. These Ca(2+) signals are organized to control distinct cellular processes through tight spatial and temporal coordination of [Ca(2+)]i signals, both within and between cells. This article will review the machinery responsible for the formation of Ca(2+) signals in the liver, the types of subcellular, cellular, and intercellular signals that occur, the physiological role of Ca(2+) signaling in the liver, and the role of Ca(2+) signaling in liver disease.
authors.affiliation: Section of Digestive Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA.
authors.forename: Maria Jimena
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Amaya
authors.forename: Michael H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Nathanson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D020013:Calcium Signaling / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000502:physiology*