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Updated: Jul 29, 2026

Patch Clamp and Perfusion Techniques for Studying Ion Channels Expressed in Xenopus oocytes
Published on: January 10, 2011
[Genetic diversity of voltage-gated calcium channels]
1Equipe Physiopathologie des Canaux Ioniques, Laboratoire de génomique fonctionnelle - CNRS UPR 2580, institut de génétique humaine, 141, rue de la Cardonille, 34094 Montpellier cedex 05, France.
Abstract:
Understanding of the properties of normal and diseased voltage-dependent calcium channels has greatly improved these last Years after the extensive development of the patch-clamp and molecular biology studies and the functional expression strategies. The calcium channel diversity is based on the expression of numerous genes that encode pore channel subunits (10 genes) and auxiliary/regulatory subunits (16 genes). In addition, most of these genes are subject to alternative splicing. The study of calcium channels has also benefited from the discovery of genetic diseases linked to calcium channel mutations: the calcium channelopathies. The review describes the recent data and working hypothesis that address the challenging question of how the calcium channel diversity occurs and how alterations in channel function lead to selective cellular dysfunction.
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