| Summary: | Resveratrol (RES), a naturally occurring polyphenol found in grapes, peanuts, and berries, selectively facilitates apoptosis in cancer cells. The apoptotic activity of RES in tumor cells is, in part, due to a large, sustained increase in cytosolic calcium ion concentration ([Ca 2+ ] i ). Via live cell fluorescence imaging, RES was previously shown to inhibit the plasma membrane Ca 2+ ‐ATPase (PMCA) as a potential part of the apoptotic mechanism in MDA‐MB‐231 human breast cancer cells. The RES‐mediated modulation of [Ca 2+ ] i in cancer cells may also impact other pumps and channels associated with [Ca 2+ ] i homeostasis. The mechanism of action by which RES induces PMCA inhibition is currently unknown. We recently synthesized several charged RES derivatives that allowed us to more thoroughly study the interaction between RES, PMCA and calcium signaling. The membrane‐impermeable, charged RES derivatives are unlikely to be metabolized into a membrane‐permeable RES derivative due to the lack of membrane‐bound esterases in the cancer cell line that we studied. Utilizing live cell microscopy, we were able to determine the extracellular effects of charged RES derivatives on calcium signaling and PMCA inhibition in cancer cells. Support or Funding Information This research was funded by a BYU Life Sciences Startup Grant and a BYU Office of Research and Creative Activities (ORCA) Undergraduate Research Grant.
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