Novel functions of Cavβ-subunits

We want to study functions of Cavβ-proteins, which are independent of their role as subunits of voltage-dependent calcium channels and which may have an impact on cellular calcium homeostasis.

We can show that Cavβ proteins are expressed in fibroblasts (Cavβ2, Cavβ3) and immune cells (Cavβ2, Cavβ3, Cavβ4) - cells in which the typical voltage-dependent calcium currents are hardly detectable and which therefore appear most suit-able as model systems to characterize calcium channel independent functions of Cavβ-proteins also in terms of their roles in the whole organism.