Calcium (Ca2+) is a unique mineral that serves as both a nutrient and a signal in all eukaryotes. To maintain Ca2+ homeostasis for both nutrition and signaling purposes, the tool kit for Ca2+ transport has expanded across kingdoms of eukaryotes to encode specific Ca2+ signals referred to as Ca2+ signatures. In parallel, a large array of Ca2+-binding proteins has evolved as specific sensors to decode Ca2+ signatures. By comparing these coding and decoding mechanisms in fungi, animals, and plants, both unified and divergent themes have emerged, and the underlying complexity will challenge researchers for years to come. Considering the scale and breadth of the subject, instead of a literature survey, in this review we focus on a conceptual framework that aims to introduce readers to the principles and mechanisms of Ca2+ signaling. We finish with several examples of Ca2+-signaling pathways, including polarized cell growth, immunity and symbiosis, and systemic signaling, to piece together specific coding and decoding mechanisms in plants versus animals.
Keywords: calcium channels; calcium-binding proteins; innate immunity; polarized cell growth; protein kinases; systemic signaling.