Receptor-activated Ca2+ influx: how many mechanisms for how many channels?
Receptors that are coupled to the production of inositol (1,4,5)-trisphosphate cause an increase in cytosolic free Ca2+ concentration as a consequence of both Ca2+ mobilization from intracellular stores and Ca2+ influx through the plasma membrane. Although this latter phenomenon appears attributable to the activation of a number of Ca(2+)-permeable channels, the channels that are controlled by the Ca2+ content of the intracellular stores have recently received much attention. In this review, Cristina Fasolato, Barbara Innocenti and Tullio Pozzan summarize the characteristics of this Ca(2+)-influx pathway and discuss the hypotheses about its mechanism of activation and its relationship with other receptor-activated Ca2+ channels.
Fasolato
C
C
Department of Biomedical Sciences, CNR Centre for the Study of Mitochondrial Physiology, University of Padova, Italy.
Innocenti
B
B
Pozzan
T
T
D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D015220:Calcium Channels / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D003600:Cytosol / Q000378:metabolism; D004594:Electrophysiology; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D015290:Second Messenger Systems / Q000502:physiology*
D015220:Calcium Channels; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins; D002118:Calcium