Store-operated Ca(2+) channels in airway epithelial cell function and implications for asthma

The epithelial cells of the lung are at the interface of a host and its environment and are therefore directly exposed to the inhaled air-borne particles. Rather than serving as a simple physical barrier, airway epithelia detect allergens and other irritants and then help organize the subsequent immune response through release of a plethora of secreted signals. Many of these signals are generated in response to opening of store-operated Ca(2+) channels in the plasma membrane. In this review, we describe the properties of airway store-operated channels and their role in regulating airway epithelial cell function. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Evolution brings Ca(2+) and ATP together to control life and death’.