Store-operated calcium entry machinery (SOCE)

Store-operated calcium entry (SOCE) is a critical mechanism in smooth muscle cells that regulates the influx of extracellular calcium following the depletion of intracellular calcium stores in the sarcoplasmic reticulum. The machinery primarily consists of the calcium sensor Stromal Interaction Molecule 1 (STIM1) and the pore-forming subunit Calcium Release-Activated Calcium Channel Protein 1 (Orai1), often supplemented by Transient Receptor Potential Canonical (TRPC) channels. In smooth muscle, SOCE is essential for maintaining long-term calcium signaling, which drives sustained contraction, cell proliferation, and phenotypic switching. Dysregulation of this machinery is strongly linked to vascular diseases such as hypertension and pulmonary arterial hypertension, as well as airway hyperresponsiveness in asthma. Consequently, the SOCE components are viewed as promising therapeutic targets for treating cardiovascular and respiratory disorders by modulating smooth muscle tone and remodeling.

Other names

Capacitative calcium entryCalcium release-activated calcium channelCRAC channel complexSTIM-Orai complexStore-operated Ca2+ influx

Inhibition of Orai1 pore-forming subunits or interference with STIM1-Orai1 coupling to prevent calcium influx following endoplasmic reticulum store depletion.