title: Altered intracellular calcium homeostasis in cerebellar granule cells of prion protein-deficient mice.
abstract: Previous studies have indicated that recombinant cellular prion protein (PrP(C)), as well as a synthetic peptide of PrP(C), affects intracellular calcium homeostasis. To analyze whether calcium homeostasis in neurons is also affected by a loss of PrP(C), we performed microfluorometric calcium measurements on cultured cerebellar granule cells derived from prion protein-deficient (Prnp(0/0)) mice. The resting concentration of intracellular free calcium [Ca(2+)](i) was found to be slightly, but significantly, reduced in Prnp(0/0) mouse granule cell neurites. Moreover, we observed a highly significant reduction in the [Ca(2+)](i) increase after high potassium depolarization. Pharmacological studies further revealed that the L-type specific blocker nifedipine, which reduces the depolarization-induced [Ca(2+)](i) increase by 66% in wild-type granule cell somas, has no effect on [Ca(2+)](i) in Prnp(0/0) mouse granule cells. Patch-clamp measurements, however, did not reveal a reduced calcium influx through voltage-gated calcium channels in Prnp(0/0) mice. These data clearly indicate that loss of PrP(C) alters the intracellular calcium homeostasis of cultured cerebellar granule cells. There is no evidence, though, that this change is due to a direct alteration of voltage-gated calcium channels.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropathology, Georg-August Universität Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Herms
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Korte
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gall
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dunker
authors.forename: H A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Kretzschmar
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002110:Caffeine / Q000494:pharmacology; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000494:pharmacology; D020746:Calcium Channels, L-Type / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D003433:Crosses, Genetic; D006706:Homeostasis; D007424:Intracellular Fluid / Q000378:metabolism*; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D016501:Neurites / Q000378:metabolism; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D011188:Potassium / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D018621:PrPC Proteins / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D020746:Calcium Channels, L-Type; D018621:PrPC Proteins; D002110:Caffeine; D011188:Potassium; D002118:Calcium