Canonical transient receptor potential 5 channel in conjunction with Orai1 and STIM1 allows Sr2+ entry, optimal influx of Ca2+, and degranulation in a rat mast cell line

Degranulation of mast cells in response to Ag or the calcium mobilizing agent, thapsigargin, is dependent on emptying of intracellular stores of Ca2+ and the ensuing influx of external Ca2+, also referred to as store-operated calcium entry. However, it is unlikely that the calcium release-activated calcium channel is the sole mechanism for the entry of Ca2+ because Sr2+ and other 14 divalent cations also permeate and support degranulation in stimulated mast cells. In this study we show that influx of Ca2+ and Sr2+ as well as degranulation are dependent on the presence of the canonical transient receptor potential (TRPC) channel protein TRPC5, in addition to STIM1 and Orai1, as demonstrated by knock down of each of these proteins by inhibitory RNAs in a rat mast cell (RBL-2H3) line. Overexpression of STIM1 and Orai1, which are known to be essential components of calcium release-activated calcium channel, allows entry of Ca2+ but not Sr2+ whereas overexpression of STIM1 and TRPC5 allows entry of both Ca2+ and Sr2+. These and other observations suggest that the Sr2+-permeable TRPC5 associates with STIM1 and Orai1 in a stoichiometric manner to enhance entry of Ca2+ to generate a signal for degranulation.