Review
The functions of store-operated calcium channels

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Highlights

  • Store-operated calcium entry is a calcium entry mechanism activated when endoplasmic reticulum calcium stores are reduced.

  • The players in store-operated calcium entry are the calcium sensors, STIM1 and 2, and the channel proteins, Orai1, 2 and 3.

  • Use of genetically modified mice has revealed multiple physiological roles for store-operated channels.

Abstract

Store-operated calcium channels provide calcium signals to the cytoplasm of a wide variety of cell types. The basic components of this signaling mechanism include a mechanism for discharging Ca2 + stores (commonly but not exclusively phospholipase C and inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate), a sensor in the endoplasmic reticulum that also serves as an activator of the plasma membrane channel (STIM1 and STIM2), and the store-operated channel (Orai1, 2 or 3). The advent of mice genetically altered to reduce store-operated calcium entry globally or in specific cell types has provided important tools to understand the functions of these widely encountered channels in specific and clinically important physiological systems. This review briefly discusses the history and cellular properties of store-operated calcium channels, and summarizes selected studies of their physiological functions in specific physiological or pathological contexts. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: ECS Meeting edited by Claus Heizmann, Joachim Krebs and Jacques Haiech.

Keywords

Store-operated calcium channels
Calcium signaling
Mouse models
Exocrine glands
Neutrophils
Keratinocytes

Cited by (0)

This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: ECS Meeting edited by Claus Heizmann, Joachim Krebs and Jacques Haiech.

1

Present address: Division of cardiocirculatory signaling, Okazaki institute for integrative bioscience (National institute for physiological science) National institutes of natural sciences, Okazaki, Aichi, Japan.

2

Present address: School of Pharmacy, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.