title: Intercellular calcium waves in neurons.
abstract: Spontaneous intercellular Ca2+ waves were observed in groups of neurons in two different culture preparations: primary mouse cortical neurons and GT1-1 immortalized neurons. Waves of increased intracellular Ca2+ concentration propagated at rates of 100-200 microns/s over as many as 200 cells and were abolished by the removal of extracellular calcium, by nimodipine, by tetrodotoxin, and by the gap junction inhibitor octanol. A sister clone of the GT1 line, GT1-7 neurons, showed no intercellular Ca2+ waves and were found to have a significantly lower level of connexin26 mRNA than the GT1-1 line. Although we cannot definitively rule out a role for synaptic communication, we propose that intercellular Ca2+ waves in cultured neurons are generated by Ca2+ influx caused primarily by the propagation of depolarization via gap junctions. Intercellular Ca2+ signaling via gap junctions may represent an important mechanism for nonsynaptic neuronal signaling.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, UCLA School of Medicine, 90024, USA.
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Charles
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Kodali
authors.forename: R F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Tyndale
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D002461:Cell Line, Transformed / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D017630:Connexins / Q000235:genetics; D004563:Electrochemistry; D004594:Electrophysiology; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D017629:Gap Junctions / Q000502:physiology; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000166:cytology; D007546:Isoquinolines; D051379:Mice; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D000442:Octanols / Q000494:pharmacology; D010507:Periodicity; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D013314:Stress, Mechanical
chemical_list: D017630:Connexins; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D007546:Isoquinolines; D000442:Octanols; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C017475:lucifer yellow; D002118:Calcium