Recent structural and functional insights into the family of sodium calcium exchangers

摘要: Summary Maintenance of calcium homeostasis is necessary for the development and survival all animals. Calcium ions modulate excitability bind effectors capable initiating many processes such as muscular contraction neurotransmission. However, excessive amounts in cytosol or within intracellular stores can trigger apoptotic pathways cells that have been implicated cardiac neuronal pathologies. Accordingly, it critical to rapidly effectively regulate levels. The Na+/Ca2+ exchangers (NCX), Na+/Ca2+/K+ (NCKX), Ca2+/Cation (CCX) are three classes sodium antiporters found These exchanger proteins utilize an electrochemical gradient extrude calcium. Although they studied decades, much still unknown about these proteins. In this review, we examine current knowledge structure, function, physiology also discuss their implication various developmental disorders. Finally, highlight recent data characterizing family model system, Caenorhabditis elegans, propose C. elegans may be ideal complement other systems help fill gaps our exchange biology. genesis 52:93–109. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.