Molecular regulation of calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR)-mediated signaling

Abstract

Calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR), a family C G-protein-coupled receptor, plays a crucial role in regulating calcium homeostasis by sensing small concentration changes of extracellular Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, amino acids (e.g., L-Trp and L-Phe), small peptides, anions (e.g., HCO₃⁻ and PO₄³⁻), and pH. CaSR-mediated intracellular Ca²⁺ signaling regulates a diverse set of cellular processes including gene transcription, cell proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, muscle contraction, and neuronal transmission. Dysfunction of CaSR with mutations results in diseases such as autosomal dominant hypocalcemia, familial hypocalciuric hypercalcemia, and neonatal severe hyperparathyroidism. CaSR also influences calciotropic disorders, such as osteoporosis, and noncalciotropic disorders, such as cancer, Alzheimer's disease, and pulmonary arterial hypertension. This study first reviews recent advances in biochemical and structural determination of the framework of CaSR and its interaction sites with natural ligands, as well as exogenous positive allosteric modulators and negative allosteric modulators. The establishment of the first CaSR protein–protein interactome network revealed 94 novel players involved in protein processing in endoplasmic reticulum, trafficking, cell surface expression, endocytosis, degradation, and signaling pathways. The roles of these proteins in Ca²⁺-dependent cellular physiological processes and in CaSR-dependent cellular signaling provide new insights into the molecular basis of diseases caused by CaSR mutations and dysregulated CaSR activity caused by its protein interactors and facilitate the design of therapeutic agents that target CaSR and other family C G-protein-coupled receptors.