Molecular pathways underlying the modulation of T-type calcium channels by neurotransmitters and hormones

Low-voltage-activated T-type calcium channels are expressed in various tissues, especially in the brain, where they promote neuronal firing and are involved in slow wave sleep and absence epilepsy. While the transduction pathways by which hormones and neurotransmitters modulate high-voltage-activated calcium channels are beginning to be unraveled, those implicated in T-type calcium channel regulation remain obscure. Several neurotransmitters and hormones regulate native T-type calcium channels, although some contradictory data have been reported depending on the cell type studied. This review focuses on the short-term (minutes range) modulation of T-type calcium channels by neurotransmitters and hormones and on the roles of G proteins and protein kinases in these modulatory effects. Results obtained in different native tissues are discussed and compared with the more recent studies of the three cloned T-type calcium channels CaV3.1, CaV3.2 and CaV3.3 in expression systems.