ARC Channels: A Novel Pathway for Receptor-Activated Calcium Entry

In many nonexcitable cells, stimulation with low agonist concentrations specifically activates Ca2+ entry via arachidonic acid-regulated, highly Ca2+-selective ARC channels. Only at high agonist concentrations are the more widely studied store-operated channels activated, producing sustained elevated cytosolic Ca2+ concentration signals. These signals activate calcineurin, which in turn inhibits the ARC channels, resulting in a "reciprocal regulation" of these two distinct Ca2+-entry pathways that may have important functional implications for the cell.