Ca2+-sensitive fluorescent dyes and intracellular Ca2+ imaging

Abstract

Imaging Ca2+-sensitive fluorescent indicators provides a common approach for studying Ca2+ signals in many contexts. Fluorescent indicators are particularly useful for measuring acute Ca2+ changes in a relatively noninvasive manner. The availability of indicators that can be targeted to specific cellular domains, coupled with variations in affinity, brightness or spectral characteristics, provides tools for exploring spatially and temporally diverse Ca2+ signals, and moreover, multiplexing the readout of Ca2+ with other cellular functions. This article aims to give the novice experimentalist some insight into the considerations and potential pitfalls that impinge on the use of fluorescent Ca2+ indicators. © 2013 Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press.