title: Interaction between the second messengers cAMP and Ca2+ in mouse presynaptic taste cells.
abstract: The second messenger, 3',5'-cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), is known to be modulated in taste buds following exposure to gustatory and other stimuli. Which taste cell type(s) (Type I/glial-like cells, Type II/receptor cells, or Type III/presynaptic cells) undergo taste-evoked changes of cAMP and what the functional consequences of such changes are remain unknown. Using Fura-2 imaging of isolated mouse vallate taste cells, we explored how elevating cAMP alters Ca(2+) levels in identified taste cells. Stimulating taste buds with forskolin (Fsk; 1 microm) + isobutylmethylxanthine (IBMX; 100 microm), which elevates cellular cAMP, triggered Ca(2+) transients in 38% of presynaptic cells (n = 128). We used transgenic GAD-GFP mice to show that cAMP-triggered Ca(2+) responses occur only in the subset of presynaptic cells that lack glutamic acid decarboxylase 67 (GAD). We never observed cAMP-stimulated responses in receptor cells, glial-like cells or GAD-expressing presynaptic cells. The response to cAMP was blocked by the protein kinase A inhibitor H89 and by removing extracellular Ca(2+). Thus, the response to elevated cAMP is a PKA-dependent influx of Ca(2+). This Ca(2+) influx was blocked by nifedipine (an inhibitor of L-type voltage-gated Ca(2+) channels) but was unperturbed by omega-agatoxin IVA and omega-conotoxin GVIA (P/Q-type and N-type channel inhibitors, respectively). Single-cell RT-PCR on functionally identified presynaptic cells from GAD-GFP mice confirmed the pharmacological analyses: Ca(v)1.2 (an L-type subunit) is expressed in cells that display cAMP-triggered Ca(2+) influx, while Ca(v)2.1 (a P/Q subunit) is expressed in all presynaptic cells, and underlies depolarization-triggered Ca(2+) influx. Collectively, these data demonstrate cross-talk between cAMP and Ca(2+) signalling in a subclass of taste cells that form synapses with gustatory fibres and may integrate tastant-evoked signals.
authors.affiliation: Neuroscience Program, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA.
authors.forename: Craig D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.forename: Gennady
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dvoryanchikov
authors.forename: Stephen D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Roper
authors.forename: Nirupa
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Chaudhari
mesh_terms: D015056:1-Methyl-3-isobutylxanthine / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000494:pharmacology; D020746:Calcium Channels, L-Type / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D020865:Calcium Channels, P-Type / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D020907:Calcium Channels, Q-Type / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D020013:Calcium Signaling / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D005576:Colforsin / Q000494:pharmacology; D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000502:physiology*; D017868:Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D005968:Glutamate Decarboxylase / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D010726:Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / Q000502:physiology; D017661:Receptors, Presynaptic / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015290:Second Messenger Systems / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D013650:Taste Buds / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D020746:Calcium Channels, L-Type; D020865:Calcium Channels, P-Type; D020907:Calcium Channels, Q-Type; D010726:Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; D017661:Receptors, Presynaptic; D005576:Colforsin; D000242:Cyclic AMP; D017868:Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases; D005968:Glutamate Decarboxylase; D002118:Calcium; D015056:1-Methyl-3-isobutylxanthine