Dear Colleagues,

The calcium ion (Ca²⁺) has been recognized as a key messenger and regulator in eukaryotic cells. Ca²⁺ signaling is well understood in mammals and regulates many vital processes ranging from fertilization to cell death. Many physiological responses depend on transient changes in intracellular Ca²⁺ concentrations, which are utilized by cells to transmit information. However, in prokaryotes, our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of cytosolic Ca²⁺ transients and Ca²⁺ signaling is very limited. Evidence that Ca²⁺ plays an important role in prokaryotic cells is growing. Ca²⁺ ions are implicated in a wide variety of bacterial processes, including cell ^{differentiation,} chemotaxis, transport, gene expression and virulence. Similar to eukaryotes, Ca²⁺-binding proteins have been identified, cytosolic Ca²⁺ transients occur in response to stimuli, and cytosolic Ca²⁺ homeostasis has been demonstrated in prokaryotes. It is crucial to understand the role of Ca²⁺ in bacterial cells, as this will impact bacterial pathogenesis, design of new therapeutics and further our knowledge in microbial physiology. We welcome original research papers or review articles on the role of Ca²⁺ in bacteria related but not limited to: transport mechanisms, host pathogen interactions, chemotaxis, infection, virulence, cell cycle, homeostasis, biofilm formation, Two-component regulatory systems, and Ca²⁺-binding proteins.

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Microorganisms is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• Ca2+ signaling
• Ca2+ transport
• Ca2+binding proteins
• Ca2+ homeostasis
• Ca2+ mediated regulation