title: Glutamate receptor-mediated calcium surges in neurons derived from P19 cells.
abstract: Retinoic acid-treated murine P19 embryonal carcinoma cells differentiate into cells with neuronal morphology that display typical neuronal markers. In this study, the presence of glutamate receptors linked to Ca(2+)-signaling mechanisms on these neurons was demonstrated by testing the effects of glutamate agonists and antagonists on the intracellular calcium ion concentration ([Ca2+]i). Glutamate (1 mM) induced either sustained or transient increases in [Ca2+]i. The sustained glutamate-induced increase in [Ca2+]i was mimicked by NMDA (40 microM). The NMDA-triggered [Ca2+]i response was abolished by incubating the cells in Ca(2+)-free medium or by pretreating them with Mg2+ (2 mM) or MK-801 (0.1 microM). These responses were unaffected by the non-NMDA antagonist CNQX (10 microM), but they required glycine (3-30 microM). Kainate (40 microM) and AMPA (40 microM) did not affect [Ca2+]i. Without external Ca2+, glutamate triggered transient, sometimes oscillating, increases in [Ca2+]i. These responses were mimicked by the metabotropic agonist trans-(1S, 3R)-1-amino-1,3-cyclopentanedicarboxylic acid (300 microM). These results suggest that neurons derived from P19 embryonal carcinoma cells have NMDA and metabotropic, but not AMPA/kainate receptors, which are linked to Ca(2+)-signaling mechanisms. These cells could provide a consistent and reproducible model with which to study neuronal differentiation, neurotoxicity, and glutamate receptor-signaling mechanisms.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Biological Sciences, National Research Council of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Morley
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: MacPherson
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Whitfield
authors.forename: E W
authors.initials: EW
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.forename: M W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: McBurney
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000378:metabolism*; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D016291:Dizocilpine Maleate / Q000494:pharmacology; D004533:Egtazic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D054278:Embryonal Carcinoma Stem Cells; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D005998:Glycine / Q000494:pharmacology; D007608:Kainic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D008274:Magnesium / Q000494:pharmacology; D051379:Mice; D016202:N-Methylaspartate / Q000494:pharmacology; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D017470:Receptors, Glutamate / Q000502:physiology*; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014212:Tretinoin / Q000494:pharmacology; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D017470:Receptors, Glutamate; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D004533:Egtazic Acid; D014212:Tretinoin; D016202:N-Methylaspartate; D016291:Dizocilpine Maleate; D008274:Magnesium; D007608:Kainic Acid; D002118:Calcium; D005998:Glycine