STIM proteins: dynamic calcium signal transducers

J Soboloff, BS Rothberg, M Madesh… - Nature reviews Molecular …, 2012 - nature.com
Nature reviews Molecular cell biology, 2012nature.com
Stromal interaction molecule (STIM) proteins function in cells as dynamic coordinators of
cellular calcium (Ca2+) signals. Spanning the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane, they
sense tiny changes in the levels of Ca2+ stored within the ER lumen. As ER Ca2+ is
released to generate primary Ca2+ signals, STIM proteins undergo an intricate activation
reaction and rapidly translocate into junctions formed between the ER and the plasma
membrane. There, STIM proteins tether and activate the highly Ca2+-selective Orai …
Abstract
Stromal interaction molecule (STIM) proteins function in cells as dynamic coordinators of cellular calcium (Ca2+) signals. Spanning the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane, they sense tiny changes in the levels of Ca2+ stored within the ER lumen. As ER Ca2+ is released to generate primary Ca2+ signals, STIM proteins undergo an intricate activation reaction and rapidly translocate into junctions formed between the ER and the plasma membrane. There, STIM proteins tether and activate the highly Ca2+-selective Orai channels to mediate finely controlled Ca2+ signals and to homeostatically balance cellular Ca2+. Details are emerging on the remarkable organization within these STIM-induced junctional microdomains and the identification of new regulators and alternative target proteins for STIM.
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