Calcium siganlling in the heart. From contraction to gene expression.

Abstract

The human heart contracts approximately 75 times per minute under resting conditions. These contractions are mediated by fluctuations in cytosolic Ca2+ concentration. In heart failure the cardiomyocytes are not able to handle these Ca2+ signals properly. As a consequence the heart starts to remodel, a process initiated by altered gene transcription. The regulation of these processes is mediated by one and the same signalling ion, i.e. Ca2+. This review will discuss Ca2+ handling mechanisms ranging from cytosolic Ca2+ homeostasis and the regulation of gene expression to their role in heart failure.