Calcium Ions Signaling: Targets for Attack and Utilization by Viruses

Calcium, as a second intracellular messenger, participate in various physiological and biochemical processes, including cell growth and proliferation, energy metabolism, information transfer, cell death, and immune response. Ca(2+) channels or pumps in plasma and organelle membranes and Ca(2+)-related proteins maintain Ca(2+) homeostasis by regulating Ca(2+) inflow, outflow and buffering to avoid any adverse effects caused by Ca(2+) overload or depletion. Thus, Ca(2+) signaling also provides a target for virus invasion, replication, proliferation and release. After hijacking the host cell, viruses exploit Ca(2+) signaling to regulate apoptosis and resist host immunity to establish persistent infection. In this review, we discuss cellular Ca(2+) signaling and channels, interaction of calcium-associated proteins with viruses, and host cell fate, as well as the role of Ca(2+) in cell death and antiviral response during viral infection.