Calcium channel α₂δ subunits in epilepsy and as targets for antiepileptic drugs

Summary The α 2 δ proteins are auxiliary subunits of voltage‐gated calcium channels, but may also have other functions. Four mammalian α 2 δ genes have been cloned. There are several links between α 2 δ proteins and disease, including mice with mutated α 2 δ‐2, which exhibit spike‐wave epilepsy. Furthermore, the gabapentinoid drugs bind to α 2 δ‐1 and α 2 δ‐2. For an expanded treatment of this topic see Jasper’s basic mechanisms of the epilepsies. 4th ed. (Noebels JL, Avoli M, Rogawski MA, Olsen RW, Delgado‐Escueta AV, eds) published by Oxford University Press (available on the National Library of Medicine Bookshelf [NCBI] at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books ).