Rotavirus induces intercellular calcium waves through ADP signaling

Abstract

Riding the calcium waves Rotavirus causes severe diarrhea and vomiting in children worldwide, yet how infection causes these diseases remains poorly understood. A leading theory is that virus-infected cells secrete paracrine signaling molecules that dysregulate epithelial cells. Chang-Graham et al. found that rotavirus-infected cells trigger cell-to-cell signaling that manifests as intercellular calcium waves (see the Perspective by Stanifer and Boulant). This signal results from the repeated release of adenosine 5′-diphosphate by rotavirus-infected cells. This release activates receptors on nearby uninfected cells, resulting in a calcium signal. The intercellular calcium waves activate chloride and serotonin secretion, which contributes to diarrhea and vomiting. Blocking this paracrine signal could represent a target for antidiarrheal pharmacotherapy. Science , this issue p. eabc3621 ; see also p. 909