Voltage-Gated Calcium Channels

The voltage-gated calcium channel (VGCC) is a key sensor that converts membrane potential into intracellular Ca²⁺ transients and can be excited in the membrane of cells, such as muscles, glial cells, and neurons. At physiological or resting membrane potential, VGCC is usually turned off. They open channels under depolarized membrane potential and allow calcium ions to flow into the cell. Calcium channels mediate calcium influx in response to membrane depolarization, triggering many physiological events in many different cell types, such as contraction, secretion, neurotransmission, and gene expression. Their activity is essential for coupling electrical signals on the cell surface with physiological events of the cell. Excessive activation of VGCC is a major component of excitotoxicity, where a serious increase in intracellular calcium levels will activate the respective enzymes, which, in response, will degrade the necessary cellular structure at a level above thresholds.

Fig.1 Voltage-gated calcium channels mediate numerous physiological functions. (Yuen, 2017)

Creative Biolabs provides a variety of calcium channel blockers, which can prevent calcium ions from passing through the channels on the cell membrane, and are used to treat hypertension and epilepsy. Our product portfolio also includes a series of products for calcium channel receptors research, including monoclonal antibodies, labeled antibodies, proteins, assay kits, and small molecule activators and inhibitors.

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Reference

1. Yuen, S.; et al. Structural insights into binding of STAC proteins to voltage-gated calcium channels. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 2017, 114(45), E9520-E9528.