Structure of the voltage-gated calcium channel Ca_v1.1 at 3.6 Å resolution

The voltage-gated calcium (Ca_v) channels convert membrane electrical signals to intracellular Ca²⁺-mediated events. Among the ten subtypes of Ca_v channel in mammals, Ca_v 1.1 is specified for the excitation-contraction coupling of skeletal muscles. Here we present the cryo-electron microscopy structure of the rabbit Ca_v 1.1 complex at a nominal resolution of 3.6 Å. The inner gate of the ion-conducting α1-subunit is closed and all four voltage-sensing domains adopt an up conformation, suggesting a potentially inactivated state. The extended extracellular loops of the pore domain, which are stabilized by multiple disulfide bonds, form a windowed dome above the selectivity filter. One side of the dome provides the docking site for the α2-1-subunit, while the other side may attract cations through its negative surface potential. The intracellular I-II and III-IV linker helices interact with the β_1a-subunit and the carboxy-terminal domain of α1, respectively. Classification of the particles yielded two additional reconstructions that reveal pronounced displacement of β_1a and adjacent elements in α1. The atomic model of the Ca_v 1.1 complex establishes a foundation for mechanistic understanding of excitation-contraction coupling and provides a three-dimensional template for molecular interpretations of the functions and disease mechanisms of Ca_v and Na_v channels.