Figure 4

Caspofungin does not liberate Ca²⁺ ions from mitochondrial Ca²⁺ stores. (A) In a Ca²⁺-free buffer solution, mitochondrial Ca²⁺ stores were depleted by DNP (25 µM). DNP application resulted in a transient increase in [Ca²⁺]_i before returning to the baseline level. Nevertheless, when in the presence of DNP, caspofungin induced a rapid transient rise in [Ca²⁺]_i without a prolonged elevation. (B) The amplitude of the rise in [Ca²⁺]_i induced by caspofungin in the presence of DNP was lower than the elevation of [Ca²⁺]_i triggered by caspofungin without any depletion of mitochondrial Ca²⁺ stores (the horizontal bars in the experimental recordings depict the exposure periods of defined pharmacological agents. n = number of individual investigated cells, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001, Mann–Whitney U test).