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.