title: Calcium dynamics of neocortical ventricular zone cells.
abstract: Cell-cell signaling within the neocortical ventricular zone (VZ) has been shown to influence the proliferation of VZ precursor cells and the subsequent differentiation and fate of postmitotic neurons. Calcium (Ca(2+)), a ubiquitous second messenger implicated in the regulation of many aspects of development, may play a role in these signaling events. Accordingly, we have examined the spatiotemporal patterns of spontaneous intracellular free Ca(2+) ([Ca(2+)](i)) fluctuations of cells within the intact neocortical VZ. Previous observations have demonstrated that similar patterns of spontaneous [Ca(2+)](i) increase occur in both proliferative and postmitotic cortical cells, suggesting that they may be mechanistically similar. Our results suggest that the changes in [Ca(2+)](i) in VZ cells and cortical plate neurons are likely triggered by different mechansims, and imply that similar changes in [Ca(2+)](i) may underlie different signaling events during distinct phases of neocortical development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, The Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University, New York, N.Y., USA.
authors.forename: D F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Owens
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Flint
authors.forename: R S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Dammerman
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Kriegstein
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D002552:Cerebral Ventricles / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology*; D003515:Cycloleucine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000378:metabolism; D005314:Embryonic and Fetal Development / Q000502:physiology; D007425:Intracellular Membranes / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D019579:Neocortex / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D009994:Osmolar Concentration; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D018094:Receptors, Metabotropic Glutamate / Q000819:agonists; D019837:Ryanodine Receptor Calcium Release Channel / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D018094:Receptors, Metabotropic Glutamate; D019837:Ryanodine Receptor Calcium Release Channel; D003515:Cycloleucine; C036361:1-amino-1,3-dicarboxycyclopentane; D002118:Calcium