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Synaptically Activated Ca2+ Release From Internal Stores in CNS Neurons

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Abstract

Synaptically activated postsynaptic [Ca2+] i increases occur through three main pathways: Ca2+ entry through voltage-gated Ca2+ channels, Ca2+ entry through ligand-gated channels, and Ca2+ release from internal stores. The first two pathways have been studied intensively; release from stores has been the subject of more recent investigations.

Ca2+ release from stores in CNS neurons primarily occurs as a result of IP3 mobilized by activation of metabotropic glutamatergic and/or cholingergic receptors coupled to PLC. Ca2+ release is localized near spines in Purkinje cells and occurs as a wave in the primary apical dendrites of pyramidal cells in the hippocampus and cortex. The amplitude of the [Ca2+] i increase can reach several micromolar, significantly larger than the increase due to backpropagating spikes.

The large amplitude, long duration, and unique location of the [Ca2+] i increases due to Ca2+ release from stores suggests that these increases can affect specific downstream signaling mechanisms in neurons.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physiology, New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York

    William N. Ross, Shigeo Watanabe & Nechama Lasser-Ross

  2. Division of Molecular Neurobiology, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan

    Takeshi Nakamura

  3. Institute of Physiology, Bern, CH-3012, Switzerland

    William N. Ross & Matthew Larkum

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  1. William N. Ross
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  2. Takeshi Nakamura
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  3. Shigeo Watanabe
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  5. Nechama Lasser-Ross
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Correspondence to William N. Ross.

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Ross, W.N., Nakamura, T., Watanabe, S. et al. Synaptically Activated Ca2+ Release From Internal Stores in CNS Neurons. Cell Mol Neurobiol 25, 283–295 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10571-005-3060-0

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