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Related Concept Videos

Feedback Regulation of Calcium Concentration01:27

Feedback Regulation of Calcium Concentration

Calcium is an essential signaling molecule required for various cellular functions. Calcium pumps and ion channels on cell and organellar membranes, such as those on the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), regulate calcium concentrations inside the cell. They remain closed, keeping the cytosolic calcium levels low at a resting state.
Various transmembrane receptors, such as G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), elicit a response to extracellular signals by increasing cytosolic calcium. Activated GPCRs...
Protein Translocation Machinery on the ER Membrane01:28

Protein Translocation Machinery on the ER Membrane

The translocon complex situated on the ER membrane is the main gateway for the protein secretory pathway. It facilitates the transport of nascent peptides into the ER lumen and their insertion into the ER membrane.
Sec61 protein conducting channel
In eukaryotes, the translocon complex comprises a core heterotrimeric translocator channel called the Sec61 complex. This channel includes three transmembrane proteins, Sec61α, Sec61β, and Sec61γ, and is the largest subunit of the translocon complex.
Non-gated Ion Channels01:24

Non-gated Ion Channels

Ion channels are specialized proteins on the plasma membrane that allow charged ions to pass down their electrochemical gradient. Their main function is to maintain the membrane potential which is critical for cell viability. These channels are either gated or non-gated and can transport more than a thousand ions within milliseconds for the cellular event to occur.
Compared to the gated ion channels, the non-gated channels, also known as leakage or passive channels, have no gating mechanism.
Non-gated Ion Channels01:24

Non-gated Ion Channels

Ion channels are specialized proteins on the plasma membrane that allow charged ions to pass down their electrochemical gradient. Their main function is to maintain the membrane potential which is critical for cell viability. These channels are either gated or non-gated and can transport more than a thousand ions within milliseconds for the cellular event to occur.
Compared to the gated ion channels, the non-gated channels, also known as leakage or passive channels, have no gating mechanism.
Gap Junctions01:37

Gap Junctions

Multicellular organisms employ a variety of ways for cells to communicate with each other. Gap junctions are specialized proteins that form pores between neighboring cells in animals, connecting the cytoplasm between the two, and allowing for the exchange of molecules and ions. They are found in a wide range of invertebrate and vertebrate species, mediate numerous functions including cell differentiation and development, and are associated with numerous human diseases, including cardiac and...
Gap Junctions01:27

Gap Junctions

The cytoplasm of adjacent animal cells can exchange small molecules, ions, and secondary messengers via the communication channels which form the gap junctions. These junctions comprise a few hundred to thousands of molecular channels, each made of two halves, called the connexon hemichannel. A connexon is a hexamer of six transmembrane connexin proteins, which assemble radially, thus forming a pore or channel in the center. One connexon hemichannel docks with a corresponding connexon on the...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 3, 2026

Live Cell Calcium Imaging Combined with siRNA Mediated Gene Silencing Identifies Ca2+ Leak Channels in the ER Membrane and their Regulatory Mechanisms
13:40

Live Cell Calcium Imaging Combined with siRNA Mediated Gene Silencing Identifies Ca2+ Leak Channels in the ER Membrane and their Regulatory Mechanisms

Published on: July 7, 2011

Sec61 complexes form ubiquitous ER Ca2+ leak channels.

Sven Lang1, Frank Erdmann, Martin Jung

  • 1Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Saarland University, Homburg, Germany.

Channels (Austin, Tex.)
|March 17, 2011
PubMed
Summary

The Sec61 complex in mammalian cells acts as a calcium leak channel, crucial for calcium homeostasis. Silencing the SEC61A1 gene reduced ER calcium leakage without affecting cell viability.

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Live Cell Calcium Imaging Combined with siRNA Mediated Gene Silencing Identifies Ca2+ Leak Channels in the ER Membrane and their Regulatory Mechanisms
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Mechanical Stimulation-induced Calcium Wave Propagation in Cell Monolayers: The Example of Bovine Corneal Endothelial Cells

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Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Biophysics

Background:

  • The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is vital for protein synthesis and calcium signaling in mammalian cells.
  • The Sec61 complex in the ER membrane facilitates protein translocation and may mediate calcium ion flux.
  • Understanding the role of Sec61 in calcium homeostasis is essential for cellular function.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of the Sec61 complex in calcium ion permeability across the ER membrane.
  • To determine the effect of SEC61A1 gene silencing on calcium leakage from the ER.
  • To elucidate the contribution of Sec61 to cellular calcium homeostasis.

Main Methods:

  • Planar lipid bilayer experiments to assess calcium ion permeability of the Sec61 complex.
  • Gene silencing of SEC61A1 in HeLa cells using small interfering RNA (siRNA).
  • Measurement of calcium leakage from the ER in control and SEC61A1-silenced cells.

Main Results:

  • Planar lipid bilayer experiments confirmed that the Sec61 complex is permeable to calcium ions.
  • Silencing the SEC61A1 gene in HeLa cells significantly decreased calcium leakage from the ER.
  • SEC61A1 gene silencing did not adversely affect cell growth or viability over 96 hours.

Conclusions:

  • Sec61 complexes in the ER membrane function as calcium leak channels in nucleated cells.
  • These Sec61-mediated calcium leak channels play a significant role in maintaining cellular calcium homeostasis.
  • Targeting Sec61 may offer new avenues for modulating calcium signaling pathways.