Ca2+ mobilization assays in GPCR drug discovery.

Intracellular calcium mobilization can be measured using several methods varying in indicator dyes and devices used. In this chapter, we describe the fluorescence-based method (FLIPR Calcium 4 Assay) developed by Molecular Devices for a FlexStation and routinely used in our laboratory for detecting intracellular calcium changes. The assay is designed to study calcium mobilization induced by majority of GPCRs and calcium channels and allows for simultaneous concentration-dependent analysis of several receptor agonists and antagonists, useful in receptor characterization and drug discovery projects.