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Epithelial calcium channels: from identification to function and regulation
Joost G J Hoenderop1, Bernd Nilius, René J M Bindels
1Department of Cell Physiology, Nijmegen Centre for Molecular Life Sciences, University Medical Centre Nijmegen, P.O. Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Abstract:
The epithelial calcium channels TRPV5 and TRPV6 have been studied extensively in the epithelial tissues controlling Ca(2+) homeostasis and exhibit a range of distinctive properties that distinguish them from other transient receptor potential (TRP) channels. These two novel members of the superfamily of TRP channels were cloned from vitamin D-responsive epithelia: kidney, small intestine and placenta, and identified subsequently in tissues like pancreas, bone and prostate. This review addresses the unique properties of these highly Ca(2+)-selective channels and highlights their implications for the process of transepithelial Ca(2+) transport.