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Genetics Library / Genes / CACNA1D

GENE REFERENCE / HGNC:1391

CACNA1D

calcium voltage-gated channel subunit alpha1 D

protein-coding gene3p21.1Gene information

What does this gene do?

The CACNA1D gene belongs to a family of genes that provide instructions for making calcium channels. These channels transport positively charged calcium atoms (calcium ions) across cell membranes. The CACNA1D gene provides instructions for making one part (the alpha-1 subunit) of a calcium channel called CaV1.3. This subunit forms the hole (pore) through which calcium ions can flow. CaV1.3 channels are found in many types of cells, although they play a particularly important role in the adrenal glands, which are small hormone-producing glands located on top of each kidney. In the adrenal glands, the flow of calcium through CaV1.3 channels appears to help regulate the production of the hormone aldosterone, which helps control blood pressure by maintaining proper salt and fluid levels in the body. CaV1.3 channels are also found in the brain, heart, and inner ear, although their roles in these tissues are not well understood.

Source: MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine. Source publication: 2023-03-13. Source review: 2017-07.

Related condition topics

MedlinePlus mentions this gene in the condition pages below. These links alone do not show that the gene causes a condition.

ClinGen reviews

ClinGen reviews the evidence linking a particular gene to a condition. Each rating below describes the strength of that link. It does not classify a variant in your DNA file.

ConditionInheritanceEvidence
sinoatrial node dysfunction and deafnessMONDO:0013960 · Evaluated 2024-04-17Autosomal recessiveModerateHearing Loss Gene Curation Expert Panel
complex neurodevelopmental disorderMONDO:0100038 · Evaluated 2024-09-04Autosomal dominantDefinitiveIntellectual Disability and Autism Gene Curation Expert Panel

ClinVar records

These numbers show what has been submitted to ClinVar. They cannot tell you how likely you are to have a condition.

Submitted alleles
2,757
Submissions for variants in or overlapping this gene
3,992
Submissions explicitly reporting this gene
3,915
Alleles reported pathogenic / likely pathogenic
23
VariationIDs with uncertain significance
1,349
VariationIDs with conflicting classifications
69

The rows count different things: alleles, submissions or VariationIDs. Their categories can overlap, so do not add them together. Pathogenic/likely pathogenic counts exclude structural variants that merely overlap a gene. A dash in the source means “not reported,” not zero.

NCBI produces the gene-summary file each week using counts recorded at the start of the month. The numbers may differ from those on the live ClinVar website. Read the field definitions ↗

View this gene in ClinVar ↗

YOUR DNA FILE

Can your DNA file tell you about CACNA1D?

From a DNA test kit (such as 23andMe, AncestryDNA or MyHeritage). These kits check a fixed list of about 600,000 to 700,000 positions across your whole genome. ClinVar lists 23 alleles in CACNA1D reported as pathogenic or likely pathogenic. A kit checks only some of these positions, and often none of them.

From whole genome sequencing (a VCF file). Sequencing reads most of your genome. Your file lists the places where your DNA differs from the reference genome. Some regions are hard to sequence, including parts of some genes that have near-identical copies elsewhere, and a VCF file does not record which positions were read well.

If a variant is not in your file, that does not mean you don’t have it.

What BioDecode checks

BioDecode compares every variant in your file with ClinVar, on your own computer. For each match, it shows the ClinVar classification, the review status and the condition it was reported for. Your file is not uploaded.

A ClinVar classification applies to one particular variant and the condition it was reported for. It does not tell you about other variants in CACNA1D.

BioDecode cannot fill gaps in your test, diagnose a condition or replace clinical testing.

Sources and dates

The source information on this page last changed on 2026-10-24.

HGNC Source details

Open source record ↗

Source release: Fri, 16 Oct 2026 13:36:12 GMT
Source record updated: 2023-01-20

SHA-256: 72bfe0c05800163c040a2cf663c70501f9ac9236469fbd0b552f2cd37a4d7f67

MedlinePlus Source details

Open source record ↗

Source release: Sat, 24 Oct 2026 05:15:45 GMT
Source publication: 2023-03-13
Source review: 2017-07

SHA-256: fdc8bd614310c12718379cef6569962e5d0e791cecabcc355b53a72816ac263a

ClinVar Source details

Open source record ↗

Source release: Mon, 19 Oct 2026 03:41:17 GMT

SHA-256: 9a8c00a7987db98812ad59025733fd9d491e66316267e09a482adcb8cce1d14e

ClinGen Source details

Open source record ↗

Source release: Sat, 24 Oct 2026 08:06:31 GMT

SHA-256: 80a5e6a08b5ae87f6bad38cb2df1564fae7e038c575918f122170235748c85a4

About the library sources · Latest validated release · Record ff51209e0803