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Introduction. Calcium signals and developmental patterning.

Michael Whitaker1, Jim Smith

  • 1Institute of Cell and Molecular Bioscience, Medical School, Newcastle University, Framlington Place, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, UK. michael.whitaker@ncl.ac.uk

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences
|January 15, 2008
PubMed
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Calcium ions are crucial cellular signals in development, initiating egg activation during fertilization and guiding early embryonic cell cycles. Emerging evidence highlights their central role in specifying developmental patterns and cell fates.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Biology
  • Cell Signaling
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Calcium ions act as ubiquitous cellular signals, playing a critical role in various biological processes.
  • Fertilization is a key example, where sperm-induced calcium signals activate the egg and regulate early embryonic cell cycles.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the essential role of calcium signals in developmental patterning and cell fate determination.
  • To integrate findings from developmental biologists studying calcium signals and other patterning events.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature and discussion findings from developmental biologists.
  • Synthesis of evidence on calcium signaling in early embryonic development and pattern formation.

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Main Results:

  • Calcium signals are fundamental for egg activation and progression through early embryonic cell cycles.
  • Increasing evidence supports calcium signals as essential components in specifying developmental patterning and cell fate.
  • Calcium signaling is implicated in key developmental events including axis formation, gastrulation, and neural specification.

Conclusions:

  • Calcium signals are central to fundamental developmental processes, including dorsoventral axis formation, gastrulation, and neural cell fate determination.
  • The reviewed evidence establishes calcium signaling as a core mechanism in orchestrating complex developmental events.