[Development of calcium fluorescent probes and their application in life sciences]

It is well known that calcium is the key second intracellular messenger. Techniques using calcium fluorescent probes have been rapidly developed during the last decade, and have become one of the most important methods to measure intracellular free Ca2+ concentrations. This trend was even more accelerated after the development of a new generation of calcium fluorescent probes and the laser scanning confocal microscopy. In this article we will review the development of calcium fluorescent probes, the mechanisms and methods of measuring intracellular free Ca2+ concentrations, the properties of new calcium fluorescent probes, and their applications in life sciences.