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Updated: Jul 6, 2026

Imaging Initial Ca2+ Microdomains in Primary T Cells
Published on: October 4, 2024
Ca2+ signalling: a new route to NAADP
Guy A Rutter1, Elisa A Bellomo
1Department of Cell Biology, Division of Medicine, Sir Alexander Fleming Building, Imperial College, London, Exhibition Road, London SW7 2AZ, UK. g.rutter@imperial.ac.uk
Abstract:
NAADP (nicotinic acid-adenine dinucleotide phosphate) is a derivative of NADP (nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide phosphate), which differs by the presence of a nicotinic acid instead of a nicotinamide moiety. This small structural difference makes NAADP one of the most powerful second messengers known, able to mobilize intracellular Ca2+ in a wide range of cellular models, ranging from invertebrates to mammals. Despite this, our understanding of NAADP homoeostasis, metabolism and physiological action is still limited. A new report by Vasudevan and colleagues in this issue of the Biochemical Journal provides important new data by describing a new synthetic activity in sperm cells which may turn out to represent the most physiologically relevant route to this second messenger.
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