Abstract
An increase in intracellular Ca concentration is one of the major initial steps in B-cell activation that occurs within minutes after antigen receptor (BCR) engagement. In recent years, significant advances have been made in characterizing molecular mechanisms of Ca signaling in lymphocytes, although the majority of work was done on T cells. This mini-review discusses several underexplored areas of Ca signaling in B cells: (1) Ca signaling in immune synapse and multifaceted Ca responses within a single cell, (2) source of Ca involved in Ca-dependent protein phosphorylation events and the role of store-operated influx, (3) role of BCR coreceptors in Ca signaling, and (4) Ca signaling and maintenance of B-cell tolerance and clinical significance of Ca signaling alterations.
Keywords: calcium signaling, B lymphocytes, B cell receptor, CD21, immune synapse, anergy, autoimmunity