Understanding how calcium channels keep the heartbeat in sync

Palmitoylation of the L-type Ca channel pore-forming subunit

Dr William Fuller and his colleagues at the University of Dundee are studying calcium channels, which are tiny pores on the surface of heart muscle cells. They are essential for the heart to contract in response to electrical stimulation during a normal heartbeat. For the heart muscle cells to beat in synchrony, an electrical stimulation causes calcium channels to open at the same time, releasing calcium ions into the cell. These calcium ions trigger the heart cells to contract, which results in the heart muscle contracting and pumping blood round the body. Dr Fuller has discovered that within the ventricles of the heart, parts of the calcium channel have undergone a chemical change called palmitoylation. Palmitoylation is known to affect where proteins are found in the cell. In this project, Dr Fuller will study the importance of palmitoylation in calcium channels within the heart. He will find out how cells control calcium channel palmitoylation, how this chemical change alters the way calcium channels work, and what other proteins are involved. This research will improve our understanding of how calcium channels work, and may uncover new ways to treat cardiovascular diseases such as abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias).