title: L-type voltage-gated calcium channels: understanding function through structure.
abstract: L-type voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCCs) are multisubunit membrane proteins that regulate calcium influx into excitable cells. Within the last two years there have been four separate reports describing the structure of the skeletal muscle VGCC determined by electron microscopy and single particle analysis methods. There are some discrepancies between the structures, as well as reports for both monomeric and dimeric forms of the channel. This article considers each of the VGCC structures in terms of similarities and differences with an emphasis upon translation of data into a biological context.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomolecular Sciences, University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology, Manchester M60 1QD, UK.
authors.forename: Ming-Chuan
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Annette
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dolphin
authors.forename: Ashraf
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kitmitto
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D020746:Calcium Channels, L-Type / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D008958:Models, Molecular; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000378:metabolism; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism; D011487:Protein Conformation; D019837:Ryanodine Receptor Calcium Release Channel / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D020746:Calcium Channels, L-Type; D019837:Ryanodine Receptor Calcium Release Channel; D002118:Calcium