About this Research Topic
Since the pivotal discovery of Calcium as the only ion able to produce muscle contraction by Lewis Victor Heilbrunn in 1947, several generations of scientists have sought to understand how this bivalent ion is able to produce movement. In recent decades, the role of calcium in the skeletal muscle has been expanded and clarified as the essential protagonist in the intracellular signaling activity, metabolism, tissue formation, maturation and regeneration. Pathological conditions alter Calcium’s physiological role, making Calcium a central target of therapeutic strategies. Although general knowledge of skeletal muscle Calcium homeostasis and function is established, there are still unknown details of how Calcium influences muscle function. For instance, there are open questions regarding physiological and patho-physiological aspects of Calcium's roles in the excitation-contraction coupling, maximum capacity of force production, mitochondrial activity during regeneration and exercise, Calcium-dependent signaling pathways and muscle adaptation. New discoveries of the role of Calcium in the muscle field depends on new ideas, hypotheses and techniques capable of supporting innovative therapeutic strategies.
This Research Topic seeks to collect new and relevant information regarding the direct and indirect role of Calcium in the physiological and patho-physiological condition of the skeletal muscle. The last two decades, several techniques have been developed, improved and adapted to the skeletal muscle. The consequence of this is an increase in knowledge on the function of several signaling pathways, structural proteins and a better understanding of pathological conditions. Calcium is the central station of most patho-physiological feature of the skeletal muscle; thus, it is relevant to focus research on how Calcium regulation and its action are modulating muscular function. Therefore, the ultimate aim of this Research Topic is to establish a new point of reference for future research in the skeletal muscle.
Since our aim is to set a new foundation for Calcium’s complex and diverse role in the skeletal muscle, gathering state of art techniques and interpretations, we are open to receiving manuscripts addressing the following aspects:
• New discoveries of Calcium function during excitation-contraction coupling.
• New insights of Calcium on mitochondrial function in the skeletal muscle.
• New evidence of the function of Calcium and associated signaling pathways during exercise.
• New techniques to evaluate the role of Calcium in skeletal muscle.
• New indications of myofilament sensitivity to Calcium.
• New clues of Calcium signaling during muscle development and muscle plasticity.
• New clues of the influence of oxidative stress in the muscular Calcium homeostasis.
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
