title: Mechanisms of spontaneous cytosolic Ca2+ transients in differentiated human neuronal cells.
abstract: We have studied Ca2+ homeostasis in a unique model of human neurons, the NT2N cell, which differentiates from a human teratocarcinoma cell line, NTera2/C1.D1 by retinoic acid treatment. When perifused with Krebs-HEPES buffer containing 2.5 mM CaCl2, fura-2 loaded NT2N cells produced spontaneous cytosolic Ca2+ oscillations, or Ca2+ transients. These cytosolic Ca2+ transients were not blocked by antagonists of glutamate (6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione and D(-)-2-amino-5-phosphonopentanoic acid) or muscarinic (atropine) receptors. Omission of extracellular Ca2+ completely abolished Ca2+ oscillations and decreased the average Ca2+ level from 106 +/- 14 nM to 59 +/- 8 nM. Addition of the L-type Ca2+ channel blocker nifedipine (1 or 10 microM) or of the N-type inhibitor omega-conotoxin GVIA (5 microM) significantly, although incompletely, suppressed Ca2+ oscillations, while omega-conotoxin MVIIC (5 microM), a selective antagonist of P- and Q-channels, had no effect. Ni2+, at 100 microM, a concentration selective for T-type channels, did not inhibit Ca2+ transients. Non-specific blockage of Ca2+ channels by higher concentrations of Ni2+ (2-5 mM) or Co2+ (1 mM) abolished Ca2+ oscillations completely. The endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase inhibitor, thapsigargin (1 microM), slightly decreased Ca2+ oscillation frequency, and induced a small transitory increase in the average cytosolic Ca2+ concentration. The mRNAs of L- (alpha1D subunit) and N-type (alpha1B subunit) Ca2+ channel were present in NT2N cells, while that of a T-type Ca2+ channel (alpha1-subunit) was not present in the NT2N cells as shown by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. In conclusion, NT2N neuronal cells generate cytosolic Ca2+ oscillations mainly by influx of extracellular Ca2+ through multiple channels, which include L- and N-type channels, and do not require activation of glutamate or muscarinic receptors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia 19104, USA.
authors.forename: Z Y
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: H W
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Collins
authors.forename: F M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Matschinsky
authors.forename: V M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Wolf
mesh_terms: D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D015220:Calcium Channels / Q000235:genetics; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003600:Cytosol / Q000378:metabolism*; D004594:Electrophysiology; D006801:Humans; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D009991:Oscillometry; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015220:Calcium Channels; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D002118:Calcium