What is the purpose of ionomycin in calcium flux flow assays?

Ionomycin serves as a positive control in experiments to generate the maximum calcium flux ratio. This ionophore has been utilized at concentrations between 10^(-7) to 10^(-5) M and also facilitates the movement of calcium from intracellular stores to the cytosol. More specifically, it enhances the entry of calcium (and manganese) by activating existing cellular pathways designed for this purpose, rather than by transporting these ions across the cell membrane. This increase in calcium through ionomycin may act as a trigger for inducing cell death processes, specifically apoptosis and autophagy. Ionomycin is also frequently utilized to validate and calibrate the analysis of changes in calcium levels.