Abstract
The inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor (InsP3R) operates as an intracellular ligand-gated Ca2+ channel and plays a pivotal role in cellular Ca2+ homeostasis across all living cells. It is activated following membrane receptor-ligand interactions and stimulation of subsequent signaling cascades involving the enzymatic breakdown of the membrane lipid phosphatidyl-4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) into the membrane-delimited second messenger diacylglycerol (DAG) and the diffusible second messenger inositol-1,4,5-trisphophate (InsP3). Modulation of InsP3R's activity is thus involved in a plethora of physiological and pathological processes. Here we combine membrane permeable photoactive caged-InsP3 with Ca2+ imaging techniques in living cells to study the channel's in vivo properties. Using UV-flashes of variable energy, the activity properties of InsP3R can be investigated in great detail in its native environment.
Published Version
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