The Sarco(endo)plasmic Reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPases in the Cardiovascular System During Growth and Proliferation

The sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase is present in all cell types and is essential in restoring a low cytosolic Ca(2+) concentration after cell activation. In the past years, six different isoforms encoded by three genes have been identified by cDNA cloning. Some of these isoforms are expressed in the cardiovascular system, and their expression is regulated during proliferation that occurs during ontogenic development as well as in pathological cell growth. This article reviews the new features concerning isoform diversity of the sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase and modulation of expression of these isoforms in cardiac and vascular cells.