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Calcium

InsP3 hosts a receptor get-together

Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology volume 10, pages 238–239 (2009)Cite this article

InsP3R activity was studied in patches of outer nuclear envelope membranes. At resting Ca2+ concentrations, InsP3 treatment caused InsP3Rs to assemble reversibly into clusters of about four InsP3Rs. However, these clusters exhibited decreased channel activity and were open for half as long as single InsP3Rs. The reduced activity of clustered InsP3Rs was not due to Ca2+ passing through active neighbours, suggesting that InsP3 brings InsP3Rs into physical contact, which attenuates their responses to InsP3. Clustering decreased the distance between InsP3Rs from an average of 1 μm to 20 nm — whereas single InsP3Rs are insulated from neighbouring channel activity, clustered InsP3Rs are immediately exposed to the Ca2+ that is released by their neighbours. It remains to be determined whether the biochemical properties of InsP3 binding are different for single channels compared with clusters of channels.

...clustering ensures that InsP3Rs are more likely to be exposed to Ca2+...

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ORIGINAL RESEARCH PAPER

  1. Taufiq-Ur-Rahman et al. Clustering of InsP3 receptors by InsP3 retunes their regulation by InsP3 and Ca2+. Nature 25 Feb 2009 (doi:10.1038/nature07763)

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  1. Associate Editor, UCSD–Nature Signaling Gateway,

    Emily J. Chenette

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  1. Emily J. Chenette
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Chenette, E. InsP3 hosts a receptor get-together. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 10, 238–239 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrm2660

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