AUTHOR=Nohara Lilian L. , Stanwood Shawna R. , Omilusik Kyla D. , Jefferies Wilfred A. TITLE=Tweeters, Woofers and Horns: The Complex Orchestration of Calcium Currents in T Lymphocytes JOURNAL=Frontiers in Immunology VOLUME=6 YEAR=2015 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/immunology/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2015.00234 DOI=10.3389/fimmu.2015.00234 ISSN=1664-3224 ABSTRACT=

Elevation of intracellular calcium ion (Ca2+) levels is a vital event that regulates T lymphocyte homeostasis, activation, proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. The mechanisms that regulate intracellular Ca2+ signaling in lymphocytes involve tightly controlled concinnity of multiple ion channels, membrane receptors, and signaling molecules. T cell receptor (TCR) engagement results in depletion of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) Ca2+ stores and subsequent sustained influx of extracellular Ca2+ through Ca2+ release-activated Ca2+ (CRAC) channels in the plasma membrane. This process termed store-operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE) involves the ER Ca2+ sensing molecule, STIM1, and a pore-forming plasma membrane protein, ORAI1. However, several other important Ca2+ channels that are instrumental in T cell function also exist. In this review, we discuss the role of additional Ca2+ channel families expressed on the plasma membrane of T cells that likely contribute to Ca2+ influx following TCR engagement, which include the TRP channels, the NMDA receptors, the P2X receptors, and the IP3 receptors, with a focus on the voltage-dependent Ca2+ (CaV) channels.