Résumé
P-type and Q-type calcium channels mediate neurotransmitter release at many synapses in the mammalian nervous system. The α
1A
calcium channel has been implicated in the etiologies of conditions such as episodic ataxia, epilepsy and familial migraine, and shares several properties with native P- and Q-type channels. However, the exact relationship between α
1A
and P- and Q-type channels is unknown. Here we report that alternative splicing of the α
1A
subunit gene results in channels with distinct kinetic, pharmacological and modulatory properties. Overall, the results indicate that alternative splicing of the α
1A
gene generates P-type and Q-type channels as well as multiple phenotypic variants.