title: Glia-neuron intercellular calcium signaling.
abstract: There is increasing evidence for bidirectional communication between glial cells and neurons. In this study, calcium signaling in primary glia/neuron cultures was investigated using video fluorescence imaging and fura-2. Glial cells in culture without neurons showed occasional spontaneous intracellular Ca2+ oscillations but not intercellular Ca2+ waves. By contrast, glial cells in culture with neurons showed frequent spontaneous Ca2+ oscillations as well as propagated intercellular Ca2+ waves. These spontaneous glial intercellular Ca2+ waves often emanated from sites of contact with neurons, but were only occasionally associated with increases in neuronal Ca2+. Mechanical stimulation of a single glial cell induced a glial intercellular Ca2+ wave which was similar in its temporal and spatial characteristics to spontaneous glial Ca2+ waves. Mechanically induced glial Ca2+ waves, but not spontaneous Ca2+ waves, evoked a transient increase in [Ca2+]i or a change in the pattern of spontaneous Ca2+ oscillations in a small percentage (< 10%) of neighboring neurons. Mechanical stimulation of a single neuron consistently evoked an intercellular Ca2+ wave in neighboring glial cells. These results suggest distinct mechanisms for direct glial-neuronal and neuronal-glial communication. These signaling pathways may play important roles in both function and pathology in the central nervous system.
authors.affiliation: UCLA Department of Neurology 90024.
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Charles
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000166:cytology; D002118:Calcium / Q000502:physiology*; D002450:Cell Communication / Q000502:physiology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D016257:Fura-2; D051379:Mice; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000502:physiology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D010812:Physical Stimulation; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D002118:Calcium; D016257:Fura-2