Calcium ions are released from intracellular stores in response to agonist-stimulated production of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (InsP3), a second messenger generated at the cell membrane. Depletion of Ca2+ from internal stores triggers a capacitative influx of extracellular Ca2+ across the plasma membrane. The influx of Ca2+ can be recorded as store-operated channels (SOC) in the plasma membrane or as a current known as the Ca2+-release-activated current (I(crac)). A critical question in cell signalling is how SOC and I(crac) sense and respond to Ca2+-store depletion: in one model, a messenger molecule is generated that activates Ca2+ entry in response to store depletion; in an alternative model, InsP3 receptors in the stores are coupled to SOC and I(crac). The mammalian Htrp3 protein forms a well defined store-operated channel and so provides a suitable system for studying the effect of Ca2+-store depletion on SOC and I(crac). We show here that Htrp3 channels stably expressed in HEK293 cells are in a tight functional interaction with the InsP3 receptors. Htrp3 channels present in the same plasma membrane patch can be activated by Ca2+ mobilization in intact cells and by InsP3 in excised patches. This activation of Htrp3 by InsP3 is lost on extensive washing of excised patches but is restored by addition of native or recombinant InsP3-bound InsP3 receptors. Our results provide evidence for the coupling hypothesis, in which InsP3 receptors activated by InsP3 interact with SOC and regulate I(crac).

Receptor signaling at the plasma membrane often releases calcium from intracellular stores. For example, inositol triphosphate (IP3) produced by receptor-coupled phospholipase C activates an intracellular store calcium channel, the IP(3)R. Conversely, stores can induce extracellular calcium to enter the cell through plasma membrane channels, too. How this "reverse" coupling works was unclear, but store IP(3)Rs were proposed to bind and regulate plasma membrane TRP cation channels. Here, we demonstrate that the adaptor protein, termed Homer, facilitates a physical association between TRPC1 and the IP(3)R that is required for the TRP channel to respond to signals. The TRPC1-Homer-IP(3)R complex is dynamic and its disassembly parallels TRPC1 channel activation. Homer's action depends on its ability to crosslink and is blocked by the dominant-negative immediate early gene form, H1a. Since H1a is transcriptionally regulated by cellular activity, this mechanism can affect both short and long-term regulation of TRPC1 function.

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a disease caused by mutations in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR). Initially, Cl- conductance in the sweat duct was discovered to be impaired in CF, a finding that has been extended to all CFTR-expressing cells. Subsequent cloning of the gene showed that CFTR functions as a cyclic-AMP-regulated Cl- channel; and some CF-causing mutations inhibit CFTR Cl- channel activity. The identification of additional CF-causing mutants with normal Cl- channel activity indicates, however, that other CFTR-dependent processes contribute to the disease. Indeed, CFTR regulates other transporters, including Cl(-)-coupled HCO3- transport. Alkaline fluids are secreted by normal tissues, whereas acidic fluids are secreted by mutant CFTR-expressing tissues, indicating the importance of this activity. HCO3- and pH affect mucin viscosity and bacterial binding. We have examined Cl(-)-coupled HCO3- transport by CFTR mutants that retain substantial or normal Cl- channel activity. Here we show that mutants reported to be associated with CF with pancreatic insufficiency do not support HCO3- transport, and those associated with pancreatic sufficiency show reduced HCO3- transport. Our findings demonstrate the importance of HCO3- transport in the function of secretory epithelia and in CF.

Mutations in the gene Mucolipidosis type IV (MLIV)2 is a lipid storage disorder characterized by an abnormal accumulation of membranous lipids in patients' cells (reviewed in Refs. 1 and 2). Clinically, the disease manifests as corneal clouding, degeneration of the retina, and severe psychomotor retardation (1-6). MLIV is associated with mutations in MCOLN1 (TRP-ML1), a member of the TRP (transient receptor potential) family of ion channels (7-9). The TRP family includes several members that are implicated in human diseases, such as TRPP2 (10), TRPM1 (11), and TRPV6 (12). A critical question in MLIV pathogenesis is why do mutations in TRP-ML1 lead to the cellular phenotype of MLIV?Previous work on the ion selectivity and permeation of TRP-ML1 produced conflicting results. Thus, transient expression in Xenopus oocytes and in fibroblasts suggests that TRP-ML1 is targeted to the lysosomes and functions as a Ca 2ϩ -permeable channel that may regulate lysosomal Ca 2ϩ release and consequently agonist-evoked Ca 2ϩ signals (13,14). On the other hand, TRP-ML1 synthesized in cell-free system and reconstituted into planar lipid bilayers behaves as a monovalent cations permeable, outwardly rectifying channel (15). The outward rectification indicates that when present in lysosomes, TRP-ML1 primarily moves ions into the lysosomal lumen. The outward rectification makes it unlikely that in vivo TRP-ML1 would function as a lysosomal Ca 2ϩ release channel, which suggested an alternative role of TRP-ML1 in lysosomal and cellular functions.In the present report we analyzed the expression pattern and channel properties of TRP-ML1 and several disease-associated mutants. We report that TRP-ML1 is an outwardly rectifying monovalent cationpermeable channel that is primarily expressed in the lysosomes. In the lysosomes, TRP-ML1 is inactivated by proteolytic cleavage. These findings suggest a novel mechanism of regulating TRP-ML1 function.

In the present work, we studied the interaction and effect of several IP3 receptor (IP3R) constructs on the gating of the store-operated (SOC) hTrp3 channel. Full-length IP3R coupled to silent hTrp3 channels in intact cells but did not activate them until stores were depleted of Ca2+. By contrast, constructs containing the IP3-binding domain activated silent hTrp3 channels in unstimulated cells and restored gating of hTrp3 by IP3 in excised plasma membrane patches. We conclude that the N-terminal domain of the IP3R functions as a gate and is sufficient for activation of SOCs. The sensing and transduction domains of the IP3R are required to maintain SOCs in an inactive state.