Lipids in Ca2+ signalling--an introduction.

Lipids and lipid-derived metabolites are increasingly recognised as bonafide signalling molecules that regulate many cellular processes. These include the well-established InsP(3), diacylglycerol (DAG), PIP(2), PIP(3) and arachidonic acid (AA), as well as other poly-unsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), lysophospholipids, sphingolipids, endocannabinoids and endovanilloids. They regulate a plethora of molecules that are involved in Ca(2+) signalling, including various ion channels, pumps and transporters, thereby triggering, modulating and fine-tuning Ca(2+) signals. Although appreciated individually, it seems timely to highlight the overall impact of lipids as signalling molecules and their role in Ca(2+) signalling, and this is the aim of this special issue of Cell Calcium.