title: Activation of Ca(2+)-dependent currents in cultured rat dorsal root ganglion neurones by a sperm factor and cyclic ADP-ribose.
abstract: The effects of intracellular application of two novel Ca2+ releasing agents have been studied in cultured rat dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurones by monitoring Ca(2+)-dependent currents as a physiological index of raised free cytosolic Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i). A protein based sperm factor (SF) extracted from mammalian sperm, has been found to trigger Ca2+ oscillations and to sensitize unfertilized mammalian eggs to calcium induced calcium release (CICR). In this study intracellular application of SF activated Ca(2+)-dependent currents in approximately two-thirds of DRG neurones. The SF induced activity was abolished by heat treatment, attenuated by increasing the intracellular Ca2+ buffering capacity of the cells and persisted when extracellular Ca2+ was replaced by Ba2+. In addition, activity could be triggered or potentiated by loading the cells with Ca2+ by activating a series of voltage-gated Ca2+ currents. Ca(2+)-activated inward current activity was also generated by intracellular application of cyclic ADP-ribose (cADPR), a metabolite of NAD+, which causes Ca2+ release in sea urchin eggs. This activity could also be enhanced by loading the cells with Ca2+. The cADPR induced activity, but not the SF induced activity, was abolished by depleting the caffeine sensitive Ca2+ store. Ruthenium red markedly attenuated SF induced activity but had little action on cADPR induced activity or caffeine induced activity. Our results indicate that both SF and cADPR release intracellular Ca2+ pools in DRG neurones and that they appear to act on subtly distinct stores or distinct intracellular Ca2+ release mechanisms, possibly by modulating CICR.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, St. George's Hospital Medical School, London, UK.
authors.forename: K P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Currie
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Swann
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Galione
authors.forename: R H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Scott
mesh_terms: D000246:Adenosine Diphosphate Ribose / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001464:Barium / Q000494:pharmacology; D002110:Caffeine / Q000494:pharmacology; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D015220:Calcium Channels / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006224:Cricetinae; D036563:Cyclic ADP-Ribose; D005727:Ganglia, Spinal / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D011506:Proteins / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012430:Ruthenium Red / Q000494:pharmacology; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D013552:Swine; D014020:Tissue Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D015220:Calcium Channels; D011506:Proteins; D014020:Tissue Extracts; D012430:Ruthenium Red; D036563:Cyclic ADP-Ribose; D000246:Adenosine Diphosphate Ribose; D001464:Barium; D002110:Caffeine; D002118:Calcium