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Updated: Sep 24, 2025

Determination of the Relative Cell Surface and Total Expression of Recombinant Ion Channels Using Flow Cytometry
Published on: September 28, 2016
CaVβ-subunit dependence of forward and reverse trafficking of CaV1.2 calcium channels
Laurent Ferron1, Sydney D Guderyan1, Ethan J Smith1
1Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
Abstract:
Auxiliary CaVβ subunits interact with the pore forming CaVα1 subunit to promote the plasma membrane expression of high voltage-activated calcium channels and to modulate the biophysical properties of Ca2+ currents. However, the effect of CaVβ subunits on channel trafficking to and from the plasma membrane is still controversial. Here, we have investigated the impact of CaVβ1b and CaVβ2a subunits on plasma membrane trafficking of CaV1.2 using a live-labeling strategy. We show that the CaVβ1b subunit is more potent in increasing CaV1.2 expression at the plasma membrane than the CaVβ2a subunit and that this effect is not related to modification of intracellular trafficking of the channel (i.e. neither forward trafficking, nor recycling, nor endocytosis). We conclude that the differential effect of CaVβ subunit subtypes on CaV1.2 surface expression is likely due to their differential ability to protect CaV1.2 from degradation.
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