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Calcium Signaling pp 531–551Cite as

Calcium Signaling: From Single Channels to Pathways

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Part of the book series: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology ((AEMB,volume 740))

Abstract

Ca2+ is not only one of the most versatile and ubiquitous second messengers but also a well-established representative example of cell signaling. The identification of most key elements involved in Ca2+ signaling enables a mechanistic and quantitative understanding of this particular pathway. Cellular behavior relies in general on the orchestration of molecular behavior leading to reliable cellular responses that allow for regulation and adaptation. Ca2+ signaling uses a hierarchical organization to transform single molecule behavior into cell wide signals. We have recently shown experimentally that this organization carries single channel signatures onto the whole cell level and renders Ca2+ oscillations stochastic. Here, we briefly review the co-evolution of experimental and theoretical studies in Ca2+ ­signaling and show how dynamic bottom-up modeling can be used to address ­biological questions and illuminate biological principles of cell signaling.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Rüdiger Thul for helpful comments on the manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Luxembourg Centre of Systems Biomedicine, University Luxembourg, 162a, avenue de la Faiencerie, L-1511, Luxembourg, Luxembourg

    Alexander Skupin

  2. Institute for Systems Biology, 401 Terry Avenue North, 98103-8904, Seattle, WA, USA

    Alexander Skupin

  3. Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC), Robert-Rössle-Str. 10, 13092, Berlin, Germany

    Kevin Thurley

Authors
  1. Alexander Skupin
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  2. Kevin Thurley
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Correspondence to Alexander Skupin .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Department of Clinical Sciences and Educ, Karolinska Institutet, Tulegatan 26, Stockholm, SE-118 83, Sweden

    Md. Shahidul Islam

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Skupin, A., Thurley, K. (2012). Calcium Signaling: From Single Channels to Pathways. In: Islam, M. (eds) Calcium Signaling. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 740. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-2888-2_24

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