Altered Organelle Calcium Transport in Ovarian Physiology and Cancer

• Main Authors: Laura Caravia, Cristina Elena Staicu, Beatrice Mihaela Radu, Carmen Elena Condrat, Dragoș Crețoiu, Nicolae Bacalbașa, Nicolae Suciu, Sanda Maria Crețoiu, Silviu Cristian Voinea
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2020-08-01
• Series: Cancers
• Subjects: ovarian cancer; organelles; calcium signaling; drug resistance
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/12/8/2232

Calcium levels have a huge impact on the physiology of the female reproductive system, in particular, of the ovaries. Cytosolic calcium levels are influenced by regulatory proteins (i.e., ion channels and pumps) localized in the plasmalemma and/or in the endomembranes of membrane-bound organelles. Imbalances between plasma membrane and organelle-based mechanisms for calcium regulation in different ovarian cell subtypes are contributing to ovarian pathologies, including ovarian cancer. In this review, we focused our attention on altered calcium transport and its role as a contributor to tumor progression in ovarian cancer. The most important proteins described as contributing to ovarian cancer progression are inositol trisphosphate receptors, ryanodine receptors, transient receptor potential channels, calcium ATPases, hormone receptors, G-protein-coupled receptors, and/or mitochondrial calcium uniporters. The involvement of mitochondrial and/or endoplasmic reticulum calcium imbalance in the development of resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs in ovarian cancer is also discussed, since Ca²⁺ channels and/or pumps are nowadays regarded as potential therapeutic targets and are even correlated with prognosis.