title: Molecular and functional profiling of histamine receptor-mediated calcium ion signals in different cell lines.
abstract: Calcium ions (Ca(2+)) play a pivotal role in cellular physiology. Often Ca(2+)-dependent processes are studied in commonly available cell lines. To induce Ca(2+) signals on demand, cells may need to be equipped with additional proteins. A prominent group of membrane proteins evoking Ca(2+) signals are G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs). These proteins register external signals such as photons, odorants, and neurotransmitters and convey ligand recognition into cellular responses, one of which is Ca(2+) signaling. To avoid receptor cross-talk or cross-activation with introduced proteins, the repertoire of cell-endogenous receptors must be known. Here we examined the presence of histamine receptors in six cell lines frequently used as hosts to study cellular signaling processes. In a concentration-dependent manner, histamine caused a rise in intracellular Ca(2+) in HeLa, HEK 293, and COS-1 cells. The concentration for half-maximal activation (EC50) was in the low micromolar range. In individual cells, transient Ca(2+) signals and Ca(2+) oscillations were uncovered. The results show that (i) HeLa, HEK 293, and COS-1 cells express sufficient amounts of endogenous receptors to study cellular Ca(2+) signaling processes directly and (ii) these cell lines are suitable for calibrating Ca(2+) biosensors in situ based on histamine receptor evoked responses.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Complex Systems, Cellular Biophysics (ICS-4), Forschungszentrum Jülich, D-52425 Jülich, Germany.
authors.forename: Annika
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Meisenberg
authors.affiliation: Institute of Complex Systems, Cellular Biophysics (ICS-4), Forschungszentrum Jülich, D-52425 Jülich, Germany.
authors.forename: Dagmar
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kaschuba
authors.affiliation: Institute of Complex Systems, Cellular Biophysics (ICS-4), Forschungszentrum Jülich, D-52425 Jülich, Germany.
authors.forename: Sabine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Balfanz
authors.affiliation: Institute of Complex Systems, Cellular Biophysics (ICS-4), Forschungszentrum Jülich, D-52425 Jülich, Germany.
authors.forename: Nadine
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Jordan
authors.affiliation: Institute of Complex Systems, Cellular Biophysics (ICS-4), Forschungszentrum Jülich, D-52425 Jülich, Germany. Electronic address: a.baumann@fz-juelich.de.
authors.forename: Arnd
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Baumann
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D020013:Calcium Signaling / Q000187:drug effects; D002460:Cell Line; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D006632:Histamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D042541:Intracellular Space / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D011968:Receptors, Histamine / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D059010:Single-Cell Analysis
chemical_list: D011968:Receptors, Histamine; D006632:Histamine; D002118:Calcium
keywords: Biosensors; Cellular signaling; GPCR; Oscillation; Second messenger