The extracellular calcium-sensing receptor (CaR) is a multimodal sensor for several key nutrients, notably Ca2+ions and l-amino acids, and is expressed abundantly throughout the gastrointestinal tract. While its role as a Ca2+ion sensor is well recognized, its physiological significance as an l-amino acid sensor and thus, in the gastrointestinal tract, as a sensor of protein ingestion is only now coming to light. This review focuses on the CaR’s amino acid sensing properties at both the molecular and cellular levels and considers new and putative physiological roles for the CaR in the amino acid-dependent regulation of gut hormone secretion, epithelial transport, and satiety.
