Ca2+ waves are read out as waves of PKCα translocation to the plasma membrane (shown).
Cellular Ca2+ signals come in many flavors—from long-lasting global increases to waves to brief local plumes. Each flavor is translated into a specific cellular response by Ca2+ sensors, including calmodulin and conventional PKCs (cPKCs).
Upon Ca2+ binding, PKCα—a common cPKC—translocates to the plasma membrane, the location of most of its targets, including ion channels and transporters. The bulkiness of PKCα might suggest that its diffusion constants should be too low for rapidly following the fast and brief Ca2+ signals. Many researchers thus suspected that tiny calmodulin must be the main translator of these signals.
But the new findings reveal that PKCα is fleet footed....
