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

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.

Ion channels are proteins that make pores in the membranes of excitable cells present both in the brain and the body. These cells are not only responsible for converting chemical and mechanical stimuli into the electrical signals but are also liable for monitoring vital functions. All our activities, from the blinking of our eyes to the beating of our heart and all our senses from smell to sight, touch, taste and hearing are regulated by the ion channels. This book will take us on an expedition describing the role of ion channels in congenital and acquired diseases and the challenges and limitations scientist are facing in the development of drugs targeting these membrane proteins.

This book covers the tremendous progress in the current understanding of the molecular physiology of voltage-gated calcium channels. This book includes unparalleled insights into structural features of calcium channels due to X-ray crystallography and cryo-EM, which in turn yielded critical information into how these channels function under normal and pathophysiological conditions, and how they interact with calcium channel therapeutics. The chapters investigate how, with the advent of high throughput genome sequencing, numerous mutations in various calcium channel genes have been identified in patients with neurological, cardiovascular, neuropsychiatric and other disorders. This is further complemented through a much larger in vivo toolkit such as knock-out and knock-in mice. The chapters further discuss the increased complexity of calcium channel physiology that arises from mRNA editing and splicing. Finally, the book also provides an overview of the updated research on calcium channel inhibitors that can be used both in vivo and in vitro, and which may serve as a spring board for new calcium channel therapeutics for human disease. Voltage-Gated Calcium Channels is useful for academic researchers at all levels in neuroscience, biophysics, cell biology and drug discovery.

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.

T-type calcium channels are prevalent in every organ of the body, and are believed to play a part in a variety of physiological processes, including contraction, shape change, secretion, endo- and exocytosis, cell proliferation and differentiation, modulation of enzyme function, and cell cycle progression. As such, research on the roles of these channels in a wide range of diseases has attracted increasing attention in recent years. The purpose of this book is to present a series of unique and comprehensive reviews of our current understanding of T-type calcium channels at the level of the basic sciences as well as the clinical sciences. For key organ systems, information is provided on the correlation between the molecular, biophysical and pharmacological properties of the channels, their cellular mechanisms, and their potential roles in the pathogenesis of various diseases. The compilation presents both commonplace and less well-known findings on these channels in a format designed to appeal to both casual readers and specialists in basic and clinical research on these transporters.​