文章基本信息

标题：Drosophila Voltage-Gated Calcium Channel α1-Subunits Regulate Cardiac Function in the Aging Heart
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作者：Alexander Lam ; Priyanka Karekar ; Kajol Shah 等
期刊名称：Scientific Reports
电子版ISSN：2045-2322
出版年度：2018
卷号：8
期号：1
页码：6910
DOI：10.1038/s41598-018-25195-0
语种：English
出版社：Springer Nature
摘要：Ion channels maintain numerous physiological functions and regulate signaling pathways. They are the key targets for cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), acting as signaling switches between ROS and ionic homeostasis. We have carried out a paraquat (PQ) screen in Drosophila to identify ion channels regulating the ROS handling and survival in Drosophila melanogaster. Our screen has revealed that α1-subunits (D-type, T-type, and cacophony) of voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCCs) handle PQ-mediated ROS stress differentially in a gender-based manner. Since ROS are also involved in determining the lifespan, we discovered that the absence of T-type and cacophony decreased the lifespan while the absence of D-type maintained a similar lifespan to that of the wild-type strain. VGCCs are also responsible for electrical signaling in cardiac cells. The cardiac function of each mutant was evaluated through optical coherence tomography (OCT), which revealed that α1-subunits of VGCCs are essential in maintaining cardiac rhythmicity and cardiac function in an age-dependent manner. Our results establish specific roles of α1-subunits of VGCCs in the functioning of the aging heart.