Calcium-binding proteins and secretion

The Ca ion plays a central role in the control of the regulated pathway of exocytotic secretion in eukaryote cells. Most secretagogues either directly or indirectly raise cytosolic free Ca levels which in turn affects granule biogenesis, contractile events, gel/sol transition in intracellular matrix and membrane fusion events occurring at exocytosis. Many of these responses are mediated by Ca-binding proteins among which calmodulin and protein kinase C have received prominent attention. Studies of the nature and inter-relationship of proteins which undergo Ca-dependent association with intracellular membranes in secretory tissue reveal that there may be further Ca-binding proteins in these cells which act as intracellular transducers of the Ca signal during secretion.