Calcium Ions Signaling: Targets for Attack and Utilization by Viruses
Yang Qu, Yingjie Sun, Zengqi Yang, Chan Ding
Abstract
Calcium, as a second intracellular messenger, participate in various physiological and biochemical processes, including cell growth and proliferation, energy metabolism, information transfer, cell death, and immune response. Ca 2+ channels or pumps in plasma and organelle membranes and Ca 2+ -related proteins maintain Ca 2+ homeostasis by regulating Ca 2+ inflow, outflow and buffering to avoid any adverse effects caused by Ca 2+ overload or depletion. Thus, Ca 2+ signaling also provides a target for virus invasion, replication, proliferation and release. After hijacking the host cell, viruses exploit Ca 2+ signaling to regulate apoptosis and resist host immunity to establish persistent infection. In this review, we discuss cellular Ca 2+ signaling and channels, interaction of calcium-associated proteins with viruses, and host cell fate, as well as the role of Ca 2+ in cell death and antiviral response during viral infection.