Calcium Entry Channels in Non-Excitable Cells focuses on methods of investigating the structure and function of non-voltage gated calcium channels. Each chapter presents important discoveries in calcium entry pathways, specifically dealing with the molecular identification of store-operated calcium channels which were reviewed by earlier volumes in the Methods in Signal Transduction series. Crystallographic and pharmacological approaches to the study of calcium channels of epithelial cells are also discussed. Calcium ion is a messenger in most cell types. Whereas voltage gated calcium channels have been studied extensively, the non-voltage gated calcium entry channel genes have only been identified relatively recently. The book will fill this important niche.

Store-operated calcium channels are found in most animal cells and regulate many cellular functions including cell division, growth, differentiation, and cell death. This volume provides a concise and informative overview of the principles of store-operated calcium entry and the key developments in the field from researchers who have led these advances. The overall goal of the volume is to provide interested students and investigators with sufficient information to enable a broad understanding of the progress and current excitement in the field. The volume contains a wealth of information that even experienced investigators in the field will find useful. - The volume provides a comprehensive overview of the mechanisms and functions of store-operated calcium channels - Contributors are authoritative researchers who have produced important advances in the field - The volume is well-illustrated with cartoons and data to facilitate easy comprehension of the subject

The most comprehensive compendium of information available on calcium channels Calcium channels are a common component of the membranes of a wide range of excitable cells, and their presence is crucial to the functioning of these cells. This book presents a current review of the biophysics, physiology, pharmacology, and clinical role of calcium channels. Chapters discussing the biophysics of calcium channels include topics in ion permeation, channel activation, channel inactivation, and second messenger modulation. The chapters on physiology cover excitation-contraction coupling, excitation-secretion coupling, sensory transduction, regulation of electrical activity, and the regulation of cell growth and development. Issues discussed in the pharmacology chapters of the book include the effects of permeant and inhibitory inorganic ions, blocking and activating effects of organic ions, and the regulatory effects of naturally occurring compounds. The chapters exploring the clinical aspects of calcium channels examine topics such as the modulation of calcium channels in the treatment of ischemic heart disease, cardiomyopathies, hypertension, cardiac arrhythmias, peripheral vascular diseases, platelet-related disorders, neurological disorders, and psychiatric disorders. Physicians neuroscientists, and pharmacologists should consider this book essential to their reference collections.

Voltage-gated calcium channels are critical regulators of cytoplasmic levels of calcium, the universal signaling ion. As such, calcium channels trigger a wide range of cellular functions, from muscle contraction to neurotransmitter secretion, and are important players in human disease. Prominent in the nervous, cardiovascular, and endocrine systems, members of the calcium channel family are targets for existing antihypertensive and anticonvulsant drugs. In addition, they are emerging targets for drugs to treat an extraordinarily diverse group of disorders, including pain, cerebral ischemia, cardiac arrhythmia, and migraine. This book reviews the compounds that target individual calcium channel subtypes and the cellular and behavioral functions governed by each different channel. It contains information for basic scientists using calcium channel antagonists as experimental tools, for behavioralists studying animal models of human disease, and for pharmaceutical scientists interested in creating the next generation of calcium channel-targeted drugs. Several factors make an entire book on calcium channel pharmacology timely.

The aim of this volume is to summarize novel findings on the function, pathophysiology, and regulation of voltage-gated Ca2+ channels and on novel concepts of their pharmacological modulation. Impressive insights into the role of channel function and regulation have come from Ca2+ channelopathies affecting the pore-forming as well as accessory subunits and channel-interacting proteins. Moreover, the long-sought molecular basis for key regulatory pathways have been discovered as well as exciting concepts of their subtype-selective pharmacological modulation.