SpiCee: A Genetic Tool for Subcellular and Cell-Specific Calcium Manipulation.

Authors :: Ros O
Baudet S
Zagar Y
Loulier K
Roche F
Couvet S
Aghaie A
Atkins M
Louail A
Petit C
Metin C
Mechulam Y
Nicol X
Source :: Cell reports [Cell Rep] 2020 Jul 21; Vol. 32 (3), pp. 107934.
Publication Year :: 2020
Abstract: Calcium is a second messenger crucial to a myriad of cellular processes ranging from regulation of metabolism and cell survival to vesicle release and motility. Current strategies to directly manipulate endogenous calcium signals lack cellular and subcellular specificity. We introduce SpiCee, a versatile and genetically encoded chelator combining low- and high-affinity sites for calcium. This scavenger enables altering endogenous calcium signaling and functions in single cells in vitro and in vivo with biochemically controlled subcellular resolution. SpiCee paves the way to investigate local calcium signaling in vivo and directly manipulate this second messenger for therapeutic use.<br />Competing Interests: Declaration of Interests A patent application, listing O.R. and X.N. as inventors, describing the development and applications of SpiCee as a Ca(2+) chelator is pending.<br /> (Copyright © 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)