Calcium signalling in malaria parasites |
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| Authors: | Mathieu Brochet Oliver Billker |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Faculty of Medicine, Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, University of Geneva, Switzerland;2. UMR5235 CNRS—Université Montpellier 2, Montpellier, France;3. Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Malaria Programme, Hinxton, UK |
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| Abstract: | Ca2+ is a ubiquitous intracellular messenger in malaria parasites with important functions in asexual blood stages responsible for malaria symptoms, the preceding liver‐stage infection and transmission through the mosquito. Intracellular messengers amplify signals by binding to effector molecules that trigger physiological changes. The characterisation of some Ca2+ effector proteins has begun to provide insights into the vast range of biological processes controlled by Ca2+ signalling in malaria parasites, including host cell egress and invasion, protein secretion, motility and cell cycle regulation. Despite the importance of Ca2+ signalling during the life cycle of malaria parasites, little is known about Ca2+ homeostasis. Recent findings highlighted that upstream of stage‐specific Ca2+ effectors is a conserved interplay between second messengers to control critical intracellular Ca2+ signals throughout the life cycle. The identification of the molecular mechanisms integrating stage‐transcending mechanisms of Ca2+ homeostasis in a network of stage‐specific regulator and effector pathways now represents a major challenge for a meaningful understanding of Ca2+ signalling in malaria parasites. |
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