Calcium Handling in Cell Physiology and Pathophysiology
A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Biology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2024 | Viewed by 1180
Special Issue Editor
Interests: cell biology; physiology; genetics; calcium, cardiomyocytes; neurons
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Calcium ions (Ca2+) handling is the central coordinator of the functions of excitable cells. For neuronal, skeletal, cardiac or smooth muscle, and for pancreatic beta cells, the transient elevation of intracellular Ca2+ triggers molecular machines and produces key cellular responses such as contraction and secretion. Beyond this role in excitable cells, the acute elevation of intracellular Ca2+ concentration produces universal cellular physiologic responses affecting cellular shape, motility, gene expression, growth or apoptosis. Therefore, keeping the plasma membrane Ca2+ gradient between a high Ca2+ content (1.1–1.4 mM) in the extracellular fluid and the cytosol (0.15 μM), as well as maintaining the endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ gradient (100.0 μΜ) and the mitochondria inner membrane Ca2+ buffering capacity (50.0 μM), is of critical importance in cell physiology and responsiveness. Upon excitation, these Ca2+ stores release Ca2+ to the cytosol, and getting the time to decay of cytosolic Ca2+ down by four orders of magnitude is equally important to judge between life and death conditions for the cell. These delicate, regulated processes are mediated through ion channels, accessory regulatory and Ca2+ buffering proteins of which mutations, functional deregulations or expression changes are frequently involved in pathophysiological situations that could be evolved in human diseases. As druggable agents, these proteins represent pharmacological targets for the treatment of neuronal, muscular, cardiological, endocrinal or homeostasis diseases. This Special Issue of IJMS (“Calcium Handling in Cell Physiology and Pathophysiology”) will present novel research and reviews in the field of Ca2+ handling proteins’ molecular interplay and regulation in cell physiology and pathophysiology.
Dr. Demetrios A. Arvanitis
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- Ca2+
- endoplasmic reticulum
- mitochondria
- neuron
- skeletal muscle
- cardiac muscle
- smooth muscle
- pancreatic beta cells
- contractility
- secretion
