Calcium signalling in malaria parasites

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.