Cardiomyocyte contraction relies on precisely regulated intracellular Ca2+ signaling through various Ca2+ channels and transporters. In this article, we will review the physiological regulation of Ca2+ handling and its role in maintaining normal cardiac rhythm and contractility. We discuss how inherited variants or acquired defects in Ca2+ channel subunits contribute to the development or progression of diseases of the heart. Moreover, we highlight recent insights into the role of protein phosphatase subunits and striated muscle preferentially expressed protein kinase (SPEG) in atrial fibrillation, heart failure, and cardiomyopathies. Finally, this review summarizes current drug therapies and new advances in genome editing as therapeutic strategies for the cardiac diseases caused by aberrant intracellular Ca2+ signaling.
Keywords: Arrhythmias; Atrial fibrillation; Ca2+; Excitation-contraction coupling; RyR2; Ryanodine receptor; SPEG; Striated muscle specific serine/threonine kinase.