title: Excitatory amino acid regulation of intracellular Ca2+ in isolated catfish cone horizontal cells measured under voltage- and concentration-clamp conditions.
abstract: [Ca2+]i was measured using fura-2-loaded isolated catfish horizontal cells in the presence of L-glutamate and the glutamate analogs kainate (KA), quisqualate (QA), and NMDA. Caffeine was used to release Ca2+ from intracellular stores. Cell membrane potential was controlled with a voltage clamp to prevent activation of voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels in the presence of agonist. All excitatory amino acid agonists produced a rapid and sustained rise in [Ca2+]i with the order of potency being QA greater than Glu greater than KA greater than NMDA. The agonist-induced [Ca2+]i increase was blocked in reduced [Ca2+]o and by 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione and 2-amino-5-phosphonopentanoate, which are specific blockers for QA/KA and NMDA receptors, respectively. The metabotropic receptor agonist trans-1-amino-1,3-cyclopentanedicarboxylic acid (ACPD; 10-200 microM) had no effect on [Ca2+]i. Hill coefficients from curves fitted to concentration-response data suggested an amplification of the Ca2+ signal that was interpreted as calcium-induced calcium release (CICR) from intracellular Ca2+ stores. Caffeine (10 mM) produced a rapid transient rise in [Ca2+]i, confirming the existence of a Ca(2+)-sensitive store. Following caffeine-induced depletion of Ca2+ from intracellular stores, agonists were still able to produce increases in [Ca2+]i, confirming Ca2+ influx through the agonist-gated channel. The agonist-induced increase in [Ca2+]i was decreased following caffeine-induced depletion, confirming a process of CICR. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that excitatory amino acids can produce direct modulation of [Ca2+]i by influx through the agonist-gated channel and by CICR from intracellular stores.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston 77550.
authors.forename: C P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Linn
authors.forename: B N
authors.initials: BN
authors.lastname: Christensen
mesh_terms: D000596:Amino Acids / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D002110:Caffeine / Q000494:pharmacology; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D002469:Cell Separation; D004594:Electrophysiology; D007059:Ictaluridae; D007425:Intracellular Membranes / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D015640:Ion Channel Gating; D009994:Osmolar Concentration; D010786:Photoreceptor Cells / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D002110:Caffeine; D002118:Calcium