pH Sensing, Signaling, and Regulation in Cellular Processes
A special issue of Cells (ISSN 2073-4409). This special issue belongs to the section "Cell Signaling".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 April 2026 | Viewed by 744
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The proton concentrations in extracellular and intracellular compartments are tightly regulated to maintain the overall extra- and intracellular pH within a range that is conducive to proper protein, and therefore cell, function. However, the intra- and extracellular pH can fluctuate both acutely and chronically (e.g., during neuronal activity), and the extracellular pH in some tissues can be significantly more acidic than in others to support physiological processes (e.g., the olfactory epithelium and epididymis), suggesting that protons may also have signaling functions beyond their impact on protein function and membrane potential. Critically, changes in pH regulation and, hence, the signaling activity of pH-sensing receptors accompany healthy aging, as well as virtually all pathologies, ranging from cancer and inflammatory diseases to traumatic injuries and stroke. Importantly, it is thought that altered pH signaling does not simply accompany disease progression but actually facilitates it. Hence, pH sensors likely play a crucial role both in physiological processes (including aging) and pathology development. A better understanding of pH-dependent receptors and signaling cascades would aid our understanding of these processes and facilitate the identification of novel therapeutic strategies and targets.
The goal of this Special Issue is to provide an overview of the plethora of processes involving pH-sensing receptors, as well as the receptors themselves, ranging from ion channels and G-protein-coupled receptors to inflammatory processes and malignant transformation in cells, tissues, and whole animals. This will provide an exciting insight into the diversity of processes that pH and changes in pH can accompany and trigger.
Prof. Dr. Maike Glitsch
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- extra- and intracellular pH
- pH sensing, signaling, and regulation
- pH-dependent receptors
- proton signaling
- ion channels
- G-protein-coupled receptors
- cell biology and function
- physiological and pathological processes
- aging, cancer, inflammation, and so on
- novel therapeutic strategies and targets
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