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Cytoplasmic organelles determine complexity and specificity of calcium signalling in adrenal chromaffin cells
Author(s) -
GarcíaSancho J.,
Verkhratsky A.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
acta physiologica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.591
H-Index - 116
eISSN - 1748-1716
pISSN - 1748-1708
DOI - 10.1111/j.1748-1716.2007.01812.x
Subject(s) - exocytosis , endoplasmic reticulum , organelle , microbiology and biotechnology , calcium signaling , mitochondrion , intracellular , calcium , cytoplasm , calcium in biology , chromaffin cell , biology , chemistry , secretion , biophysics , biochemistry , endocrinology , adrenal medulla , catecholamine , organic chemistry
Complex and coordinated fluctuations of intracellular free Ca 2+ concentration ([Ca 2+ ] c ) regulate secretion of adrenaline from chromaffin cells. The physiologically relevant intracellular Ca 2+ signals occur either as localized microdomains of high Ca 2+ concentrations or as propagating Ca 2+ waves, which give rise to global Ca 2+ elevations. Intracellular organelles, the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), mitochondria and nuclear envelope, are endowed with powerful Ca 2+ transport systems. Calcium uptake and Ca 2+ release from these organelles determine the spatial and temporal parameters of Ca 2+ signalling events. Furthermore, the ER and mitochondria form close relations with the sites of plasmalemmal Ca 2+ entry, creating ‘Ca 2+ signalling triads’ which act as elementary operational units, which regulate exocytosis. Ca 2+ ions accumulating in the ER and mitochondria integrate exocytotic activity with energy production and protein synthesis.