Calcium/Calmodulin-dependent Kinase II Regulation of Cardiac Ion Channels

Calcium/calmodulin-dependent kinase II (CaMKII) is a multifunctional serine/threonine kinase expressed abundantly in the heart. CaMKII targets numerous proteins involved in excitation-contraction coupling and excitability, and its activation may simultaneously contribute to heart failure and cardiac arrhythmias. In this review, we summarize the modulatory effects of CaMKII on cardiac ion channel function and expression and illustrate potential implications in the onset of arrhythmias via a computer model.