Intracellular Calcium Regulation

Intracellular Calcium Regulation Editor Felix Bronner A notable development in biological research is the recent widespread interest in the role played by calcium in cellular metabolism. Calcium homeostasis has been studied intensively for many years and mechanisms by which calcium absorption, excretion and bone deposition are effected and regulated are beginning to be understood in detail. It now appears there may exist a parallel between the maintenance and regulation of intracellular and extracellular calcium. This volume presents up–to–date information on intracellular calcium regulation and thus provides a foundation for studies that aim to explore the relationship between intracellular and extracellular calcium metabolism. Intracellular Calcium Regulation examines in detail what happens to calcium inside the cell and offers authoritative discussions on such topics as:

• calcium fluxes: defining the role played by the plasma membrane in regulating the cellular calcium level, the application of tracer techniques to an analysis of the cellular calcium pool, the compartments making up the pool and the rates of exchange between compartments
• processes of calcium entry into the cell: describing entry into cells that do not fire action potentials, as well as three types of voltage–sensitive calcium channels, including their distribution, pharmacology, molecular properties and modulation
• organelles, such as the endoplasmic reticulum, the Golgi complex, lysosomes, or mitochondria and their role in regulating intracellular calcium levels
• the new, exciting field of calcium–binding or calcium modulated proteins, such as troponin–C, parvalbumin, S–100 proteins, calbindins, and calmodulin, as well as some novel calcium–binding proteins like the 42C and 42A proteins, calcyclin and caltractin
• calcium efflux: analyzing the role and function of the plasma membrane calcium pump and the Na⁺/Ca²⁺ exchanger, including the kinetics of ATP hydrolysis, how calcium transport and ATP hydrolysis are linked, the kinetics and properties of the sodium–calcium exchange, its regulation and role in such specialized cells as retinal rods and cardiac myocytes
• calcium transport as carried out by resting, stimulated and excitable cells with emphasis on activated phospholipase C, involvement of the G proteins and protein kinase C
• calcium transport as carried out by the specialized transport cells of intestine and kidney, entry via calcium channels, intracellular diffusion as facilitated by the calcium–binding proteins, and extrusion via the Ca–ATPase.