Abstract
Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the molecular structure and regulation of muscular calcium channels. It outlines the basic properties of vertebrate voltage-activated calcium channels. It refers to the dihydropyridine receptor as calcium channel blockers (CaCB) receptor or calcium channel because the purified receptor has multiple sites for structurally different drugs and has the properties of a calcium channel. Its regulation, subunit structure, biochemistry, and function are similar but not identical with the cardiac, brain, and smooth muscle L-type calcium channel. The chapter reviews the composition of the skeletal muscle CaCB receptor/ calcium channel and the reconstitution of the calcium channel receptor complex and its physiological function. It also explains the structure of nonskeletal muscle L-Type calcium channel. Calcium channels are regulated in vivo by three mechanisms: the membrane potential, protein kinases, and G proteins. The latter two mechanisms are of interest because they allow hormonal regulation of channel opening and closing. Cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase increases the open probability of the cardiac and some neuronal L-type channels in vivo .
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