Ca2+ channels and skeletal muscle diseases

When observed under a microscope, skeletal muscle exhibits striations due to the highly organized arrangement of muscle proteins that interact with one another to induce muscle contraction. Muscle contraction requires transient increases in intracellular ‘Ca2+’ concentration. In this review, Ca2+ channels contributing to the functional integrity of intracellular Ca2+-release and extracellular Ca2+-entry during skeletal muscle contraction are reviewed in terms of their properties, newly emerging ancillary proteins to them, and their abnormalities related to human skeletal muscle diseases. Finally, the aim of this review is to show the big picture of the correlation among Ca2+ channels that participate in the Ca2+ homeostasis in skeletal muscle.