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The activity of many ion channels is calcium dependent, the ion flow through these channels being regulated by the concentration of intracellular free calcium. In turn, the calcium regulation of many ion channels is mediated by the calcium sensor protein, calmodulin. In his Perspective, Levitan discusses new work (Mori et al.) in L-type calcium channels showing that there is a marked enrichment of calmodulin molecules close to the mouth of the channel. The local calmodulin molecules are poised to respond to calcium ions as they flow through the open channel.
The author is in the Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. E-mail: levitani{at}mail.med.upenn.edu
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