A. Ca2+ Channels
Ca
2+ is a potent second messenger that controls a variety of cellular functions (
44,
66,
137). As a major source of Ca
2+ influx, voltage-gated Ca
2+ channels fulfill critical roles in Ca
2+ signaling. L-type Ca
2+ channels regulate muscle contraction, hormone secretion, neuronal excitability, and gene expression. P/Q-, N-, and to some degree R- and L-type Ca
2+ channels trigger neurotransmitter release at nerve terminals and other locations. T-type channels support neuronal burst firing and relaxation in coronary smooth muscle (
56,
98,
134,
143,
248,
264,
383,
447) (see
Refs. 52,
313 for most recent reviews). Ca
2+ channels consist of a central
α1 subunit, which forms the ion-conducting pore and defines the channel type (see below). The
α1 subunit has four homologous domains, I-IV, each consisting of six transmembrane segments and a P-loop between segments 5 and 6 (). The auxiliary subunits
α2-
δ, β, and
γ directly interact with
α1 They modulate surface expression and biophysical properties such as channel activation and inactivation (
6,
52,
83). The
α2-
δ subunit is created from a single transcript by proteolytic cleavage of the original polypeptide into two fragments. Four distinct genes encode
α2-
δ-1 through
α2-
δ-4, which are further diversified by differential splicing (
83). The
δ subunit consists of a short cytosolic COOH terminus, a single transmembrane segment, and a short extracellular domain, which is linked via a disulfide bridge to the heavily glycosylated and much larger (~200 kDa)
α2 polypeptide. The intracellular COOH terminus of
δ is 1–15 residues long (
83) and is unlikely to be phosphorylated by protein kinases. Coexpression of
α2-δ generally increases surface expression of Ca
2+ channels and influences to some degree their biophysical properties (
83).
In contrast to
α2-δ, β is localized exclusively at the cytosolic face of the channel. The existence of four different
β genes
(β1-
β4) and extensive differential splicing, especially of
β1 and
β2 transcripts, give rise to multiple isoforms (
120). Recent structural studies demonstrate that
β subunits consist of two protein-protein interaction domains, an SH3 domain, and a GK domain (
62,
308,
402). Five sequential
β strands constitute the core of the
β SH3 domain analogous to canonical SH3 domains. However, the loops between strands 1 and 2 and strands 4 and 5 are much longer than in classic SH3 domains, in which the first loop contains several residues that form contacts with proline-rich domains. This arrangement is similar to the SH3-HOOK-GK motif in PSD-95 and its homologs (
272,
389). The HOOK domain in PSD-95 corresponds to the large loop between strands 4 and 5 of the SH3 domain of
β and has been suggested to obstruct access of proline-rich sequences to the unconventional SH3 domain (
272).
The main interaction site on
α1 for
β subunits is a sequence of 18 residues in the loop between domain I and II (loop I/II) called the
α interaction domain or AID, which binds to a hydrophobic grove in the GK domain of
β (
62,
308,
402). Additional interaction sites for
β subunits have been identified in the NH
2- and COOH-terminal regions of different
α1 subunits (
87,
407). The GK domain is important for Ca
2+ channel trafficking to the cell surface likely by masking an ER retention signal in loop I/II (
26,
238). Recent evidence, however, indicates that the SH3 domain mediates other functional effects of
β subunits on channel activity including channel gating. The SH3 domain can act independently of the GK domain by binding to loop I/II (residues 520-532 in
α11.2) downstream of AID (residues 458–475 in
α11.2) (
69,
238,
259,
273). Splice variants that mainly consist of the SH3 domain and lack the GK domain have been described for all four
β isoforms (
120,
174,
191,
286). The respective SH3 splice variant of the
β1 subunit (
β1d) does not support surface trafficking of
α11.2 but increases mean open probability of the limited number of channels that is present at the surface in the absence of a GK-containing
β subunit (
69). PKA, PKC, and CaMKII can regulate Ca
2+ channel activity at least in part via mechanisms that involve
β subunits (see sects.
iiiB2d,
ivB, and
vA).
Eight genes encode
γ1-
γ8, which share four putative transmembrane segments (NH
2 and COOH termini are intracellular) and a signature motif (GLWXXC) as well as a pair of conserved cysteine residues in the first extracellular loop (reviewed in
Ref. 213). These features are also characteristic for the otherwise more distantly related claudin family members, which are critical for formation of tight junctions (
213,
397). The
γ2,
γ3,
γ4, and
γ8 subunits are more closely related to themselves than to the other family members, including the original
γ subunit,
γ1. In contrast to the other
γ isoforms,
γ2-
γ4 and
γ8 (as well as claudins) possess a PDZ domain binding consensus sequence at their very COOH termini that mediates interaction with PSD-95 and its homologs. Although interactions between the
γ2 subfamily members and Ca
2+ channels have been observed (
213), their most prominent role is to support surface expression of AMPARs (see sect.
iiiB4b and ).
As
γ2-
γ4 and
γ8 are critical for postsynaptic targeting of AMPARs, they may also steer Ca
2+ channels to this location, thereby fostering the colocalization and perhaps functional interaction of glutamate receptors and Ca
2+ channels (
215). Like glutamate receptors, L-type Ca
2+ channels are clustered at dendritic spines, which constitute the postsynaptic sites of excitatory synapses (
78,
163,
303). In fact, inhibition of L-type channels reduces maintenance, though not necessarily initial induction, of LTP (Lim and Hell, unpublished results). LTP refers to a stable increase in synaptic transmission that is at least in part mediated by a lasting elevation of glutamate receptor activity (
31,
256–
258). Back-propagating and locally generated dendritic action potentials contribute to LTP induction when occurring shortly after (10–50 ms) an excitatory postsynaptic potential (EPSP) at a given synapse. They do so by promoting Ca
2+ influx through voltage-gated Ca
2+ channels, including L-type channels, into dendritic spines (
139,
262,
449). However, no
γ subunits have been detected yet in the neuronal L-type channel complex (
6,
52), although
γ2 has been observed to coimmunoprecipitate with neuronal Ca
v2.1 and Ca
v2.2 and to affect channel activity in heterologous expression systems (
213,
214).
Ca
2+ channels are divided into high- and low-voltage-activated channels (HVA and LVA, respectively). LVA channels require less depolarization for activation and subsequent inactivation than HVA channels. L-type channels are HVA channels and are pharmacologically defined by their sensitivity to dihydropyridines and other so-called organic Ca
2+ channel blockers. The four L-type channels Ca
v1.1-1.4 incorporate
α11.1-1.4 (previously
α1S,
α1C,
α1D, and
α1F; for nomenclature, see
Refs. 54,
55,
110). The other HVA family contains the P/Q-, N-, and R-type channels (Ca
v2.1-2.3 consisting of
α12.1–2.3 also known as
α1A,
α1B, and
α1E). P- and Q-type channels are created from
α12.1 transcripts by differential splicing (
35). They are selectively, but with different potency, inhibited by the funnel web spider toxin
ω-AgaIVA and the cone snail toxin
ω-CTx-MVIIC (
35). N-type currents are quasi-irreversibly blocked by the cone snail toxin
ω-CTx-GVIA and some, though not all, R-type currents are inhibited by the tarantula toxin SNX482. Ca
v2.3, which is selectively affected by SNX482, underlies a portion of the R-type current (
295,
317,
430). LVA currents are mediated by the three T-type channels Ca
v3.1-3.3, which are formed by the related
α13.1–3.3 subunits, (
α1G,
α1H, and
α1I).