The Role of the Calcium Sensing Receptor in Regulating Intracellular Calcium Handling in Human Epidermal Keratinocytes

Calcium is critical for controlling the balance of proliferation and differentiation in epidermal keratinocytes. We previously reported that the calcium sensing receptor (CaR) is required for mediating Ca2+ signaling and extracellular Ca2+ (Ca2+o)-induced differentiation. In this study, we investigated the mechanism by which CaR regulates intracellular Ca2+ (Ca2+i) and its role in differentiation. Membrane fractionation, fluorescence immunolocalization, and co-immunoprecipitation studies were performed to assess potential interactions between CaR and other regulators of Ca2+ stores and channels. We found that the glycosylated form of CaR forms a complex with phospholipase C γ1, IP3 receptor (IP3R), and the Golgi Ca2+-ATPase, secretory pathway Ca2+-ATPase 1, in the trans-Golgi. Inactivation of the endogenous CaR gene by adenoviral expression of a CaR antisense cDNA inhibited Ca2+i response to Ca2+o, decreased Ca2+i stores, decreased Ca2+o-induced differentiation, but augmented store-operated channel activity and Ca2+ uptake by intracellular organelles. Our results indicate that CaR regulates keratinocyte differentiation in part by modulating Ca2+i stores via interactions with Ca2+ pumps and channels that regulate those stores.