A, representative Western blot showing the expression of the concatenated pentameric constructs in STIM1-stable cells. The gel shows lanes obtained from STIM1-stable cells transfected with the empty vector as a control (lane C), and from the same cells transfected with either the FLAG-tagged 31113 pentamer construct (lane 1), or the FLAG-tagged 31311 pentamer construct (lane 2). All lysates were treated identically and probed with anti-FLAG antibody. Gels were stripped and reprobed with β-actin as a loading control, as indicated. The prominent band running at approximately 200 kDa (indicated by the arrow) in the lanes transfected with the concatenated pentamers corresponds to the predicted molecular mass of the Orai1/Orai3 pentamer. Importantly, there was no obvious indication of breakdown of the pentameric constructs to smaller forms. B, mean ±s.e.m. inward arachidonic acid activated currents measured at −40 mV in cells transfected with the indicated pentameric construct alone, or the equivalent construct containing a single dominant-negative E81QOrai3 subunit. Also shown for the 31311 pentamer are the corresponding currents on expression of a pentamer containing a single dominant-negative E106QOrai1 subunit, or co-expression of the normal pentamer with either the E81QOrai3 or E106Q dominant-negative monomers. Values of n shown in parentheses. C, representative traces showing the activation of inward currents in STIM1-stable cells expressing either the 31311 pentamer (open circles) or the 31113 pentamer (filled circles) following exogenous addition of arachidonic acid (8 μm, added at arrow). Currents were measured at −40 mV. D, representative current–voltage relationships (between −100 mV and +100 mV) of the arachidonic acid activated currents recorded on expression of either the 31113 pentamer, or the 31311 pentamer.