title: Role of STIM and Orai proteins in the store-operated calcium signaling pathway.
abstract: Ca(2+) signals are universal among cells in regulating a spectrum of cellular responses. Phospholipase C-coupled receptors activate two components of Ca(2+) signals--rapid Ca(2+) release from ER stores, followed by slower Ca(2+) entry from outside the cell. The coupling process between ER and PM to mediate this "store-operated" Ca(2+) entry process remained until recently a molecular mystery. The recent discovery of the necessity for STIM1 and Orai proteins in this process has provided crucial information on the coupling mechanism between stores and PM Ca(2+) entry. STIM1 is a single spanning membrane protein with an unpaired Ca(2+) binding EF-hand and appears to function as the sensor of ER luminal Ca(2+), and, through redistribution in the ER, transduces information directly to the PM. Orai1 is a tetra-spanning PM protein and functions as the highly Ca(2+)-selective channel in the PM that is gated through interactions with the store-activated ER Ca(2+) sensor. Recent evidence shows the two proteins together are necessary and sufficient for the function of store-operated Ca(2+) entry. However, many questions arise about how and where the interactions of the STIM1 and Orai1 proteins occur within cells. Here we discuss recent information and ideas about the coupling between these proteins that leads to store-operated channel activation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 108 North Greene Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, United States.
authors.forename: Thamara
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hewavitharana
authors.forename: Xiaoxiang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Soboloff
authors.forename: Donald L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Gill
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D015220:Calcium Channels / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D020013:Calcium Signaling; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000502:physiology; D004721:Endoplasmic Reticulum / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D000071740:ORAI1 Protein; D000071737:Stromal Interaction Molecule 1; D000071738:Stromal Interaction Molecule 2
chemical_list: D015220:Calcium Channels; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D000071740:ORAI1 Protein; C510746:ORAI1 protein, human; C103530:STIM1 protein, human; C513279:STIM2 protein, human; D000071737:Stromal Interaction Molecule 1; D000071738:Stromal Interaction Molecule 2; D002118:Calcium