Calcium signaling in membrane repair

Resealing allows cells to mend damaged membranes rapidly when plasma membrane (PM) disruptions occur. Models of PM repair mechanisms include the “lipid-patch”, “endocytic removal”, and “macro-vesicle shedding” models, all of which postulate a dependence on local increases in intracellular Ca2+ at injury sites. Multiple calcium sensors, including synaptotagmin (Syt) VII, dysferlin, and apoptosis-linked gene-2 (ALG-2), are involved in PM resealing, suggesting that Ca2+ may regulate multiple steps of the repair process. Although earlier studies focused exclusively on external Ca2+, recent studies suggest that Ca2+ release from intracellular stores may also be important for PM resealing. Hence, depending on injury size and the type of injury, multiple sources of Ca2+ may be recruited to trigger and orchestrate repair processes. In this review, we discuss the mechanisms by which the resealing process is promoted by vesicular Ca2+ channels and Ca2+ sensors that accumulate at damage sites.