Calcium signalling in malaria parasites

Ca2+ is a ubiquitous intracellular messenger in malaria parasites with important functions in asexual blood stages responsible for malaria symptoms, the preceding liver-stage infection and transmission through the mosquito. Intracellular messengers amplify signals by binding to effector molecules that trigger physiological changes. The characterisation of some Ca2+ effector proteins has begun to provide insights into the vast range of biological processes controlled by Ca2+ signalling in malaria parasites, including host cell egress and invasion, protein secretion, motility and cell cycle regulation. Despite the importance of Ca2+ signalling during the life cycle of malaria parasites, little is known about Ca2+ homeostasis. Recent findings highlighted that upstream of stage-specific Ca2+ effectors is a conserved interplay between second messengers to control critical intracellular Ca2+ signals throughout the life cycle. The identification of the molecular mechanisms integrating stage-transcending mechanisms of Ca2+ homeostasis in a network of stage-specific regulator and effector pathways now represents a major challenge for a meaningful understanding of Ca2+ signalling in malaria parasites.