The R-type calcium channel is a type of
voltage-dependent calcium channel
Voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCCs), also known as voltage-dependent calcium channels (VDCCs), are a group of voltage-gated ion channels found in the membrane of excitable cells (''e.g.'', muscle, glial cells, neurons, etc.) with a permeabi ...
. Like the others of this class, the α
1 subunit forms the pore through which calcium enters the cell and determines most of the channel's properties. This α
1 subunit is also known as the calcium channel, voltage-dependent, R type, alpha 1E subunit (
CACNA1E) or Cav
2.3 which in humans is encoded by the ''CACNA1E''
gene
In biology, the word gene (from , ; "...Wilhelm Johannsen coined the word gene to describe the Mendelian units of heredity..." meaning ''generation'' or ''birth'' or ''gender'') can have several different meanings. The Mendelian gene is a ba ...
.
They are strongly expressed in cortex, hippocampus, striatum, amygdala and interpeduncular nucleus.
They are poorly understood, but like
Q-type calcium channel
The Q-type calcium channel is a type of voltage-dependent calcium channel. Like the others of this class, the α1 subunit is the one that determines most of the channel's properties.
They are poorly understood, but like R-type calcium channels, t ...
s, they appear to be present in
cerebellar
The cerebellum (Latin for "little brain") is a major feature of the hindbrain of all vertebrates. Although usually smaller than the cerebrum, in some animals such as the mormyrid fishes it may be as large as or even larger. In humans, the cerebel ...
granule cells. They have a high threshold of activation and relatively slow kinetics.
References
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External links
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{{Ion channels, g1
Ion channels
Electrophysiology
Integral membrane proteins
Calcium channels