Calcium signaling in trypanosomatid parasites

Calcium ion (Ca(2+)) is an important second messenger in trypanosomatids and essential for their survival although prolonged high intracellular Ca(2+) levels lead to cell death. As other eukaryotic cells, trypanosomes use two sources of Ca(2+) for generating signals: Ca(2+) release from intracellular stores and Ca(2+) entry across the plasma membrane. Ca(2+) release from intracellular stores is controlled by the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor (IP3R) that is located in acidocalcisomes, acidic organelles that are the primary Ca(2+) reservoir in these cells. A plasma membrane Ca(2+)-ATPase controls the cytosolic Ca(2+) levels and a number of pumps and exchangers are responsible for Ca(2+) uptake and release from intracellular compartments. The trypanosomatid genomes contain a wide variety of signaling and regulatory proteins that bind Ca(2+) as well as many Ca(2+)-binding proteins that await further characterization. The mitochondrial Ca(2+) transporters of trypanosomatids have an important role in the regulation of cell bioenergetics and flagellar Ca(2+) appears to have roles in sensing the environment. In trypanosomatids in which an intracellular life cycle is present, Ca(2+) signaling is important for host cell invasion.