The enhanced entry of extracellular Ca2+ is a major component of cellular Ca2+ signals generated by a variety of hormones and neurotransmitters acting on receptors coupled to phospholipase C (PLC). The focus of our research is to understand the nature of this Ca2+ entry, and its roles in overall intracellular signaling mechanisms. Interest in this field has been largely dominated by so-called store- operated Ca2+ channels (e.g. the CRAC channels) whose gating is entirely dependent on, and subsequent to, the depletion of intracellular Ca2+ stores. More recently however, other store- independent pathways have been shown to play a key role - particularly at lower, more physiologically relevant, levels of stimulation. Of these, the arachidonic acid-regulated Ca2+-selective (ARC) channels, that we first described some 8 years ago, remain the most thoroughly characterized. A major impediment to study of both the CRAC channels and the ARC channels has been the lack of any information regarding the molecular nature of these channels. In the past 2-3 years, this situation has been fundamentally transformed by the discovery of the STIM and Orai proteins. Thus, it has been shown that STIM1 located in the membrane of the endoplasmic reticulum, senses the depletion of intracellular Ca2+ stores, and activates the CRAC channels whose pore is comprised of a homotetramer of Orai1 subunits. Surprisingly, we have recently shown that STIM and Orai proteins also function in parallel, yet entirely distinct, ways to affect ARC channel activity. ARC channel activity is regulated by STIM1, but it is the pool of this protein that is resident in the plasma membrane that is responsible, and the ARC channel pore is comprised of a heteromeric complex of both Orai1 and Orai3 subunits. These close molecular relationships indicate that the store-operated CRAC channels and the store-independent ARC channels represent the founding members of an entirely new family of channels - the """"""""Orai-based channels"""""""". However, our functional studies have demonstrated that these two channels evolved to operate under distinct conditions of stimulation and to serve unique roles in the regulation of agonist-activated Ca2+ signals. Importantly, these new molecular insights have created a wealth of novel tools and approaches that we now propose to use to determine the detailed molecular organization of the ARC channel pore (Aim 1), the molecular mechanisms underlying activation of the channels by arachidonic acid (Aim 2), the molecular basis for their regulation by PKA-dependent phosphorylation (Aim 3), and the mechanisms by which their activity acts to modulate the oscillatory Ca2+ signals generated in cells stimulated with low agonist concentrations (Aim 4).

Public Health Relevance

The receptor-activated entry of calcium ions into cells represents a key component in the generation of intracellular calcium signals that are known to regulate a host of different cellular functions - including cell division and proliferation, secretion, motility, and cell death. Misregulation, or errors in these signals underlie a variety of different disease states including cancer, immunodeficiency, pancreatitis, and various muscular and neuronal diseases. Defining the molecular bases of the relevant entry pathways and their regulation, will undoubtedly help elucidate the critical mechanisms involved in their activity, and identify potential targets for their clinical manipulation.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01GM040457-23
Application #
8446336
Study Section
Membrane Biology and Protein Processing (MBPP)
Program Officer
Nie, Zhongzhen
Project Start
1988-07-01
Project End
2014-03-31
Budget Start
2013-04-01
Budget End
2014-03-31
Support Year
23
Fiscal Year
2013
Total Cost
$312,481
Indirect Cost
$110,228
Name
University of Rochester
Department
Pharmacology
Type
Schools of Dentistry
DUNS #
041294109
City
Rochester
State
NY
Country
United States
Zip Code
14627
Thompson, Jill L; Zhao, Yue; Stathopulos, Peter B et al. (2018) Phosphorylation-mediated structural changes within the SOAR domain of stromal interaction molecule 1 enable specific activation of distinct Orai channels. J Biol Chem 293:3145-3155
Shuttleworth, Trevor J (2017) Selective activation of distinct Orai channels by STIM1. Cell Calcium 63:40-42
Thompson, Jill L; Shuttleworth, Trevor J (2015) Anchoring protein AKAP79-mediated PKA phosphorylation of STIM1 determines selective activation of the ARC channel, a store-independent Orai channel. J Physiol 593:559-72
Duquette, Mark; Nadler, Monica; Okuhara, Dayne et al. (2014) Members of the thrombospondin gene family bind stromal interaction molecule 1 and regulate calcium channel activity. Matrix Biol 37:15-24
Thompson, Jill L; Shuttleworth, Trevor J (2013) How many Orai's does it take to make a CRAC channel? Sci Rep 3:1961
Thompson, Jill L; Shuttleworth, Trevor J (2013) Molecular basis of activation of the arachidonate-regulated Ca2+ (ARC) channel, a store-independent Orai channel, by plasma membrane STIM1. J Physiol 591:3507-23
Thompson, Jill L; Shuttleworth, Trevor J (2013) Exploring the unique features of the ARC channel, a store-independent Orai channel. Channels (Austin) 7:364-73
Shuttleworth, Trevor J (2012) Orai3--the 'exceptional' Orai? J Physiol 590:241-57
Shuttleworth, Trevor J (2012) Orai channels - new insights, new ideas. J Physiol 590:4155-6
Shuttleworth, Trevor J (2012) STIM and Orai proteins and the non-capacitative ARC channels. Front Biosci (Landmark Ed) 17:847-60

Showing the most recent 10 out of 20 publications