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Updated: Jul 15, 2026

Characterization of G Protein-coupled Receptors by a Fluorescence-based Calcium Mobilization Assay
Published on: July 28, 2014
Measuring GPCR-Induced Intracellular Calcium Signaling Using a Quantitative High-Throughput Assay
Shree S Kumar1, Kathleen G Mountjoy2
1Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Department of Molecular Medicine and Pathology, School of Medical Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
Researchers developed a new high-throughput method to measure intracellular calcium in live cells. This quantitative assay uses Fura-2/AM in HEK293 cells, enabling robust G-protein-coupled receptor signaling studies.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Cell Biology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Intracellular calcium (Ca2+) signaling is crucial for G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) pathways.
- Studying Ca2+ signaling is challenging due to the lack of robust, high-throughput quantitative methods.
- Existing methods often lack the sensitivity or throughput for comprehensive GPCR analysis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a reliable, high-throughput, quantitative method for measuring intracellular calcium concentrations.
- To enable the study of Ca2+ signaling in HEK293 cells expressing various GPCRs.
- To provide a detailed protocol for researchers investigating GPCR-mediated calcium dynamics.
Main Methods:
- Utilized HEK293 cell suspensions loaded with Fura-2/AM in 96-well plates.
- Calibrated intracellular calcium levels using EGTA (for minimum) and ionomycin (for maximum).
- Monitored fluorescence using a PHERAstar FS plate reader for quantitative analysis.
Main Results:
- Established a robust and quantitative method for measuring intracellular calcium in live cells.
- Demonstrated the assay's applicability for both endogenous and exogenous GPCRs (stable or transiently expressed).
- Provided a detailed protocol adaptable for high-throughput screening.
Conclusions:
- The developed Fura-2/AM-based assay offers a reliable, high-throughput solution for quantifying intracellular calcium.
- This method significantly advances the study of GPCR signaling pathways involving calcium.
- The assay is suitable for diverse applications in drug discovery and basic research involving GPCRs.
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