Timing in Cellular Ca²⁺ Signaling

Calcium (Ca²⁺) signals are generated across a broad time range. Kinetic considerations impact how information is processed to encode and decode Ca²⁺ signals, the choreography of responses that ensure specific and efficient signaling and the overall temporal amplification such that ephemeral Ca²⁺ signals have lasting physiological value. The reciprocal importance of timing for Ca²⁺ signaling, and Ca²⁺ signaling for timing is exemplified by the altered kinetic profiles of Ca²⁺ signals in certain diseases and the likely role of basal Ca²⁺ fluctuations in the perception of time itself.