L-Type Cav Channel Antibody Explorer Kit,Alomone Labs,AK-215_KIT

Voltage-gated Ca 2+ channels (Ca V ), enable the passage of Ca 2+ ions in a voltage dependent manner. These heteromeric entities are formed in part by the pore-forming α1 subunit which determines the biophysical and pharmacological properties of the channel 1 . L-type Ca 2+ channels make up one of three voltage-gated Ca 2+ channel families. Four different α1 isoforms (Ca V 1.1 to Ca V 1.4) belong to the L-type subfamily. Structurally, each α1 subunit has four homologous domains (I-IV) and each domain has a six transmembrane section. Like many other voltage-gated channels, L-type Ca 2+ channels have auxiliary subunits which are responsible for modulating the surface expression and properties of the channels 2-5 . Ca V 1.1 is mostly expressed in the skeletal muscle, while Ca V 1.4 is mainly detected in the retina. The expression of both Ca V 1.2 and Ca V 1.3 is more extensive and includes neurons, heart, smooth muscle, inner ear, retina and pancreas 6 . L-type Ca 2+ channels are involved in and modulate a variety of physiological functions such as muscle contraction, hormone secretion, neuronal excitability and gene expression 5 .