Calcium Ions Signaling: Targets for Attack and Utilization by Viruses

Abstract

Calcium, as a second intracellular messenger, participate in various physiological and biochemical processes, including cell growth and proliferation, energy metabolism, information transfer, cell death, and immune response. Ca2+channels or pumps in plasma and organelle membranes and Ca2+-related proteins maintain Ca2+homeostasis by regulating Ca2+inflow, outflow and buffering to avoid any adverse effects caused by Ca2+overload or depletion. Thus, Ca2+signaling also provides a target for virus invasion, replication, proliferation and release. After hijacking the host cell, viruses exploit Ca2+signaling to regulate apoptosis and resist host immunity to establish persistent infection. In this review, we discuss cellular Ca2+signaling and channels, interaction of calcium-associated proteins with viruses, and host cell fate, as well as the role of Ca2+in cell death and antiviral response during viral infection.