ORAI Calcium Release Activated Calcium Modulator 3 (ORAI3)

By database analysis, Feske et al. (2006) identified human ORAI1, ORAI2, and ORAI3 as homologs of a Drosophila gene, Orai, that they identified through an RNA interference screen for regulators of store-operated calcium entry and nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT) nuclear import. In Greek mythology, the Orai are the keepers of the gates of heaven: Eunomia (Order or Harmony), Dike (Justice), and Eirene (Peace).

Mercer et al. (2006) showed that coexpression of STIM1 with ORAI3 did not augment store-operated Ca(2+) entry, unlike coexpression of STIM1 with ORAI1 or ORAI2. However, ORAI3 could rescue ORAI1 function that had been inhibited by RNA interference.