Calcium signalling and control of cell proliferation by tyrosine kinase receptors (review)

Most peptidic growth factors (GFs) that act as mitogens for different cell types bind to tyrosine kinase receptors (RTKs) and trigger complex intracellular signal transduction pathways finally leading to cell proliferation. Among the early events induced by GFs, cytosolic calcium increase plays a key role, and in particular calcium entry from extracellular medium appears to be a widespread signal. Even if a great amount of data has been provided during the last decades, several issues remain to be fully clarified: the nature of the calcium-permeable channels involved, their regulation by intracellular messengers, and the mechanisms underlying calcium-dependent cell proliferation. This review focuses on the relationship between calcium signals and angiogenesis, a process in which endothelial cell proliferation, mainly triggered by basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), is a critical step.