The R-type calcium channel is a type of voltage-dependent calcium channel

Voltage-dependent calcium channel

Voltage-dependent calcium channels are a group of voltage-gated ion channels found in excitable cells with a permeability to the ion Ca2+...

. Like the others of this class, the α₁ subunit forms the pore through which calcium enters the cell and determines most of the channel's properties. This α₁ subunit is also known as the calcium channel, voltage-dependent, R type, alpha 1E subunit (CACNA1E) or Cav_2.3 which in humans is encoded by the CACNA1E gene

Gene

A gene is a molecular unit of heredity of a living organism. It is a name given to some stretches of DNA and RNA that code for a type of protein or for an RNA chain that has a function in the organism. Living beings depend on genes, as they specify all proteins and functional RNA chains...

.

They are poorly understood, but like Q-type calcium channel

Q-type calcium channel

The Q-type calcium channel is a type of voltage-dependent calcium channel. Like the others of this class, the α1 subunit is the one that determines most of the channel's properties....

s, they appear to be present in cerebellar

Cerebellum

The cerebellum is a region of the brain that plays an important role in motor control. It may also be involved in some cognitive functions such as attention and language, and in regulating fear and pleasure responses, but its movement-related functions are the most solidly established...

granule cells. They have a high threshold of activation and relatively slow kinetics.