The Intricate Coupling Between STIM Proteins and Orai Channels.

Curr Opin Physiol

Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA 17033.

Published: October 2020

Store-operated Ca entry signals are critical for cellular regulation. This intricate signaling pathway involves coupling of proteins in two different membranes: the ER-resident Ca-sensing STIM proteins and the highly Ca-selective PM Orai channels. The molecular nature of the STIM-Orai coupling interface in ER-PM junctions and consequent Orai channel gating, are processes under intense study. We describe recent developments in determining the mechanism of Orai activation through the key STIM-Orai Activating Region (SOAR) of STIM1. We describe the unexpected unimolecular coupling of STIM with Orai and explain the observed variable stoichiometry of STIM-Orai interactions. We also define the discrete C-terminal regions in Orai channels that initially latch onto STIM proteins and mediate allosteric activation of the channel. A critical "nexus" region closely associated with the STIM-activated C-terminus of Orai1, propagates the STIM-binding signal through the four tightly-associated transmembrane helices of Orai1, finally to modify the pore-forming helices and effect channel opening.

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http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7491751PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cophys.2020.07.018DOI Listing

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