Author:

Abstract:

Ca2+ is an important ion that controls almost every function in a cell. Activator Ca2+ can be released from intracellular Ca2+ stores, and there are various ways to study this release. Here, we introduce a technique that uses radioactive 45Ca2+ to quantitatively measure the unidirectional release of Ca2+ from the nonmitochondrial Ca2+ stores in monolayers of cultured cells. This technique can be used in cells with an intact plasma membrane as well as in cells in which the plasma membrane has been permeabilized.