Calcium receptor-mediated intracellular signalling

• Published in: Cell calcium (Edinburgh) Vol. 35; no. 3; pp. 217 - 228
• Main Author: Ward, Donald T
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier India Pvt Ltd 01.03.2004
• Subjects: Animals; Bone and Bones - cytology; Bone and Bones - metabolism; Calcium - metabolism; Calcium receptor; Caveolae - metabolism; Contractile Proteins - metabolism; Differential signalling; Epithelial Cells - metabolism; Extracellular Space - metabolism; Fibroblasts - cytology; Fibroblasts - metabolism; Filamins; GTP-Binding Proteins - metabolism; Humans; Intracellular signalling; Intracellular Space - metabolism; Kidney - cytology; Kidney - metabolism; Microfilament Proteins - metabolism; Models, Biological; phospholipase; Phospholipases - metabolism; Protein Kinase C - metabolism; Protein Kinases - metabolism; Receptors, Calcium-Sensing - agonists; Receptors, Calcium-Sensing - chemistry; Receptors, Calcium-Sensing - physiology; Signal Transduction - physiology; Calcium receptor; Differential signalling; Intracellular signalling
• ISSN: 0143-4160; 1532-1991
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ceca.2003.10.017

As a G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR), the extracellular calcium-sensing receptor (CaR) responds to changes in extracellular free calcium concentration by inducing intracellular signalling. These CaR-induced signals then specifically modulate cellular functions such as parathyroid hormone secretion from the parathyroid glands and calcium reabsorption in the kidney and thus to understand how the CaR functions one must understand how it signals. CaR-induced signalling involves intracellular Ca 2+ mobilisation/oscillations as well as the activation of various phospholipases and protein kinases and the suppression of cAMP formation. This review will detail the intracellular pathways by which the CaR is believed to elicit its physiological functions and summarises the evidence for cell- and agonist-specific differential signalling.