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Regulation of cytoplasmic calcium is crucial both for proper neuronal function and cell survival. The concentration of Ca2+ in cytoplasm of a neuron at rest is >10,000 times lower than in the extracellular space, pointing to the importance of the transporters that extrude intracellular Ca2+. The family of plasma membrane calcium-dependent ATPases (PMCAs) represent a major component of the Ca2+ regulatory system. However, little information is available on the regional and cellular distribution of these calcium pumps. We used immunohistochemistry to investigate the distribution of each of the four PMCA isoforms in the rat brain.