title: ATP-evoked calcium responses of radial glial (Müller) cells in the postnatal rabbit retina.
abstract: Here we show that rabbit Müller cell differentiation from radial glial progenitor cells is accompanied by a decreasing capability to respond to specific stimuli (depolarization and extracellular adenosine 5'-triphosphate [ATP]) with an elevation of intracellular calcium. Intracellular free calcium was recorded in retinal wholemounts from young (postnatal days [P] 2 to 31) and adult rabbits. Images were taken from the nerve fiber/ganglion cell layers where the endfeet of radial glial/ Müller cells can be identified after selective uptake of calcium-sensitive dyes. The area of responding endfeet was determined as the percentage of the total area occupied by Müller cell endfeet, as an estimate of the percentage of responding cells. In response to depolarization (50 mM potassium), an increase of intracellular free calcium occurred in 19% of cells from young postnatal retinae (P2-31) but only in 2% from adults. This depolarization-induced calcium rise was caused both by a calcium influx from extracellular space and by an intracellular calcium release. The latter response was inhibited by the P2 receptor blocker pyridoxal phosphate 6-azophenyl-2',4'-disulfonic acid (PPADS), indicating that extracellular calcium-independent ATP release into the extracellular space occurs during retinal depolarization. When extracellular ATP (200 microM) was applied, calcium responses were recorded in 83% of cells from young postnatal retinae (P2-6); in the course of further development, both the percentage of responding cells (7% in retinae from adult rabbits) and the amplitude of the calcium responses decreased. It is concluded that during the differentiation of immature radial glia into mature Müller cells, stimulus-evoked intracellular calcium signaling mechanisms change.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurophysiology, Paul Flechsig Institute of Brain Research, Leipzig, Federal Republic of Germany.
authors.forename: Ortrud
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Uckermann
authors.forename: Jens
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Grosche
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Reichenbach
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bringmann
mesh_terms: D000241:Adenosine / Q000494:pharmacology; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001572:Benzofurans; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D020013:Calcium Signaling / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D002452:Cell Count; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology; D048429:Cell Size; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D007093:Imidazoles; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008274:Magnesium / Q000494:pharmacology; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D011188:Potassium / Q000494:pharmacology; D011732:Pyridoxal Phosphate / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D011817:Rabbits; D012160:Retina / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D001572:Benzofurans; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D007093:Imidazoles; C077792:pyridoxal phosphate-6-azophenyl-2',4'-disulfonic acid; C082877:fura red; D011732:Pyridoxal Phosphate; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D008274:Magnesium; D000241:Adenosine; D011188:Potassium; D002118:Calcium