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Updated: Aug 29, 2026

Single-Cell Calcium Imaging for Studying the Activation of Calcium Ion Channels
Published on: December 13, 2024
Agonist-independent modulation of N-type calcium channels by ORL1 receptors
Aaron M Beedle1, John E McRory, Olivier Poirot
1Department of Physiology & Biophysics, Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology Research Group, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1, Canada.
Abstract:
We have investigated modulation of voltage-gated calcium channels by nociceptin (ORL1) receptors. In rat DRG neurons and in tsA-201 cells, nociceptin mediated a pronounced inhibition of N-type calcium channels, whereas other calcium channel subtypes were unaffected. In tsA-201 cells, expression of N-type channels with human ORL1 resulted in a voltage-dependent G-protein inhibition of the channel that occurred in the absence of nociceptin, the ORL1 receptor agonist. Consistent with this observation, native N-type channels of small nociceptive dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons also had tonic inhibition by G proteins. Biochemical characterization showed the existence of an N-type calcium channel-ORL1 receptor signaling complex, which efficiently exposes N-type channels to constitutive ORL1 receptor activity. Calcium channel activity is thus regulated by changes in ORL1 receptor expression, which provides a possible molecular mechanism for the development of tolerance to opioid receptor agonists.
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