title: Calcium influx alters actin bundle dynamics and retrograde flow in Helisoma growth cones.
abstract: The ability of calcium (Ca(2+)) to effect changes in growth cone motility requires remodeling of the actin cytoskeleton. To understand the mechanisms involved, we evaluated the effect of elevated intracellular calcium ([Ca(2+)](i)) on actin bundle dynamics, organization, and retrograde flow in the large growth cones of identified Helisoma neurons. Depolarization with 15 mM KCl (high K(+)) for 30 min caused a rapid and sustained increase in [Ca(2+)](i) and resulted in longer filopodia, shorter actin ribs, and a decrease in lamellipodia width. Time-lapse microscopy revealed that increasing [Ca(2+)](i) affected actin bundle dynamics differently at the proximal and distal ends. Filopodial lengthening resulted from assembly-driven elongation of actin bundles whereas actin rib shortening resulted from a distal shift in the location of breakage. Buckling of ribs occurred before breakage, suggesting nonuniform forces were applied to ribs before shortening. Calcium (Ca(2+)) influx also resulted in a decrease in density of F-actin in bundles, as determined by contrast changes in ribs imaged by differential interference contrast microscopy and fluorescent intensity changes in rhodamine-labeled ribs. The velocity of retrograde flow decreased by 50% after elevation of [Ca(2+)](i). However, no significant change in retrograde flow occurred when the majority of changes in actin bundles were blocked by phalloidin. This suggests that inhibition of retrograde flow resulted from Ca(2+)-induced changes in the actin cytoskeleton. These results implicate Ca(2+) as a regulator of actin dynamics and, as such, provide a mechanism by which Ca(2+) can influence growth cone motility and behavior.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, New York 14214, USA.
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Welnhofer
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Cohan
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000187:drug effects / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002118:Calcium / Q000502:physiology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D017952:Ganglia, Invertebrate / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D018715:Microscopy, Video; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D011189:Potassium Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology; D011554:Pseudopodia / Q000187:drug effects / Q000648:ultrastructure; D012908:Snails
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D011189:Potassium Chloride; D002118:Calcium