Different α2δ Accessory Subunits Regulate Distinctly Different Aspects of Calcium Channel Function in the Same Drosophila Neurons

AbstractVoltage gated calcium channels (VGCCs) regulate neuronal excitability and translate activity into calcium dependent intracellular signaling. The pore forming α1subunit of high voltage activated (HVA) VGCCs operates not in isolation but associates with α2δ accessory subunits. α2δ subunits can affect calcium channel biophysical properties, surfacing, localization and transport, but theirin vivofunctions are incompletely understood. In vertebrates, it is largely unknown whether different combinations of the four α2δ and the 7 α1subunits mediate different or partially redundant functions or whether different α1/α2δ combinations regulate different aspects of VGCC function. This study cap…