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Updated: Jul 10, 2026

Single-Cell Calcium Imaging for Studying the Activation of Calcium Ion Channels
Published on: December 13, 2024
Dual-stimuli responsive ionophore for OFF-ON-OFF transmembrane calcium ion transport and inter-vesicle signalling
Gurshinder Kaur1, Krzysztof M Bąk2, Daniel C Edwards2
1Chemistry Research Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford 12 Mansfield Road Oxford OX1 3TA UK matthew.langton@chem.ox.ac.uk.
Abstract:
The design of stimuli-responsive synthetic ion transporters is inspired by natural protein channels and pumps, which regulates transport by responding to changes in extracellular stimuli such as light, membrane potential and small molecules. Examples of synthetic calcium transporters are rare, despite the widespread importance of calcium in various biological processes including signalling, nerve transmission and as enzyme cofactors. Herein we report a dual-stimuli responsive ionophore able to mediate transmembrane calcium ion transport across lipid bilayer membranes, with transport sequentially activated and deactivated by light and enzymatic stimuli. We exploit this system to achieve inter-vesicle signal-induced calcium transport, in which calcium influx to one population of vesicles is distally activated via signalling from neighbouring vesicles in a manner reminiscent of signalling pathways in nature.
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