Intracellular calcium pools in neuroblastoma x glioma hybrid NG108-15 cells

Cyclic ADP-ribose enhances coupling between voltage-gated Ca2+ entry and intracellular Ca2+ release

Ca2+ release from intracellular stores can be activated in neurons by influx of Ca2+ through voltage-gated Ca2+ channels. This process, called Ca2+-induced Ca2+ release, relies on the properties of the ryanodine receptor and represents a mechanism by which Ca2+ influx during neuronal activity can be amplified into large intracellular Ca2+ signals. In a differentiated neuroblastoma cell line, we show that caffeine, a pharmacological activator of the ryanodine receptor, released Ca2+ from intracellular stores in a Ca2+-dependent and ryanodine-sensitive manner. The pyridine nucleotide, cyclic ADP-ribose, thought to be an endogenous modulator of ryanodine receptors also amplified Ca2+-induced Ca2+ release in these neurons. Cyclic ADP-ribose enhanced the total cytoplasmic Ca2+ levels during controlled Ca2+ influx through voltage gated channels, in a concentration-dependent and ryanodine-sensitive manner and also increased the sensitivity with which a small amount of Ca2+ influx could trigger additional release from the ryanodine-sensitive intracellular Ca2+ stores. Single cell imaging showed that following the Ca2+ influx, cyclic ADP-ribose enhanced the spatial spread of the Ca2+ signal from the edge of the cell into its center. These powerful actions suggest a role for cyclic ADP-ribose in the functional coupling of neuronal depolarization, Ca2+ entry, and global intracellular Ca2+ signaling.

Pharmacologic characterization of refilling inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate-sensitive Ca2+ stores in NG108-15 cells

Following mobilization with the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3)-generating agonist bradykinin, Ca2+ stores in neuroblastoma x glioma hybrid, NG108-15 cells require extracellular Ca2+ to refill. The process by which this store refills with Ca2+ was characterized by recording bradykinin-induced intracellular free Ca2+ concentration transients as an index of the degree of refilling of the store. Cyclopiazonic acid, a microsomal Ca2+ ATPase inhibitor, reversibly depleted intracellular Ca2+ stores in these cells, but did not recruit detectable Ca2+ influx, suggesting that these cells lack substantial capacitative Ca2+ entry. The paucity of voltage-sensitive Ca2+ channels in undifferentiated NG108-15 cells, suggested that a channel analogous to that proposed to mediate capacitative Ca2+ entry in nonexcitable cells might assist refilling IP3-sensitive Ca2+ stores in these cells. The possibility that compounds shown previously to inhibit capacitative Ca2+ entry in nonexcitable cells might inhibit the refilling of the IP3-sensitive store in NG108-15 cells was explored. The IP3-sensitive store was depleted by exposure to bradykinin, allowed to refill briefly in the presence of the test compound and then challenged again with bradykinin to evaluate the degree of refilling of the store. The imidazole derivatives, econazole (10 microM), L-651582 (10 microM) and SKF 96365 (20 microM), all completely blocked the bradykinin-induced Ca2+ response. Calmodulin antagonists, W-7 (100 microM) and trifluoperazine (10 microM), were also effective, although at concentrations well above those required to inhibit calmodulin. Because of the high concentrations required to inhibit bradykinin responses, the possibility that these agents might have additional effects was explored. Compounds were tested in a paradigm in which the store was preloaded with Ca2+ before treatment. All of these agents depleted, at least partially, the preloaded store. Econazole was the least effective of the compounds tested for releasing stores, although it was comparable to the other compounds for inhibition of refilling. Although NG108-15 cells refill intracellular Ca2+ stores by a plasmalemmal Ca2+ leak, this leak shares a pharmacology similar to the capacitative Ca2+ entry pathway described for nonexcitable cells.

Enhanced calcium signalling events in neuroblastoma x glioma hybrid NG108-15 cells after treatment with dibutyryl cyclic AMP

The effects of dibutyryl cyclic AMP (dbcAMP) treatment on Ca2+ channel activities, Ca2+ accumulation by intracellular Ca2+ pools, and sizes of IP3- and GTP-releasable pools in neuroblastoma x glioma hybrid NG108-15 cells were studied. High extracellular K+ induced a greater rise in intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) in dbcAMP-treated cells than in control cells. In dbcAMP-treated cells, the initial phase of the high K(+)-induced [Ca2+]i rise displayed a much higher sensitivity to omega-conotoxin than it did in control cells, whereas the plateau phase of the [Ca2+]i rise was sensitive only to nifedipine. These results indicate that predominantly L-type Ca2+ channels exist in control cells, and that N-type channels develop only after dbcAMP treatment. In dbcAMP-treated cells, mitochondria showed an increased Ca2+ uptake capacity (5.3 nmol Ca2+/mg protein) compared with that in control cells (4.2 nmol Ca2+/mg protein). However, dbcAMP treatment did not cause significant change in the affinity for Ca2+. Dibutyryl cAMP treatment enhanced the Ca2+ accumulation activity by nonmitochondrial pools (from 0.84 to 0.97 nmol Ca2+/mg protein) and increased the affinity for Ca2+ (EC50 for Ca2+ decreased from 0.146 microM to 0.063 microM). Our data also indicate that the pool that is sensitive to both IP3 and GTP was enlarged. The affinities for IP3 and GTP in causing Ca2+ release remained the same before or after dbcAMP treatment.

Effect of bradykinin on cytosolic calcium in neuroblastoma cells using the fluorescent indicator fluo-3

Neuroblastoma cells were used to examine the effect of chronic exposure to increased concentrations of glucose, galactose, or L-fucose on bradykinin-stimulated intracellular calcium release using the calcium indicator fluo-3. Bradykinin caused a concentration dependent increase in the intracellular calcium concentration and phosphoinositide hydrolysis in neuroblastoma cells. Norepinephrine, carbachol, serotonin, and thapsigargin also increased the calcium concentration. Treatment of the cells with 10(-6) M bradykinin exhausts calcium release such that the successive treatment of the cells with norepinephrine, carbachol, or serotonin results in no secondary response. In contrast, bradykinin treatment of the cells following exposure to norepinephrine, carbachol, or serotonin caused a secondary increase in calcium release. These results suggest that several hormone responsive calcium pools may exist in neuroblastoma cells or that norepinephrine, carbachol, or serotonin may not fully stimulate calcium release. Bradykinin-stimulated calcium release is not effected by chronic exposure of the cells to increased concentrations of glucose, galactose, or L-fucose. Suggesting that hormone-stimulated calcium release is not an abnormality that develops in neural cells exposed to conditions that mimic the diabetic milieu. In addition, these studies provide evidence that fluo-3 is a good fluorescent indicator for the study of calcium mobilization in cultured neuroblastoma cells.

Intracellular Mg2+ inhibits the IP3-activated IK(Ca) in NG108-15 cells. [Why intracellular citrate can be useful for recording IK(Ca)]

Receptor-mediated formation of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) can induce an outward Ca(2+)-activated K+ current [IK(Ca)] in some neural cells. We have investigated IK(Ca) activated by intracellular injections of IP3 in whole-cell patch-clamped neuroblastoma x glioma hybrid cells. The current could only be recorded reliably using citrate as the anion in the pipette, but not using acetate, aspartate, chloride, fluoride, gluconate or methylsulphate. This could be attributed to buffering of intracellular Mg2+ by citrate. Theoretical calculations suggested free [Mg2+] of 1.0 and 0.07 mM respectively in the acetate- and citrate-based recording solutions. Further, IP3-activated IK(Ca) could be recorded when the free Mg2+ level in the acetate, chloride or methylsulphate solutions was lowered to the range (0.05 mM) calculated for the citrate solution. Thus, raised [Mg2+] blocks IK(Ca). This appeared to be due to inhibition of the response to released Ca2+, since high [Mg2+] also blocked the response to intracellular injections of Ca2+ ions. Mean Mg2+ levels in intact neuroblastoma x glioma hybrid cells measured by Mag-Indo-1/AM fluorescence were estimated to be less than 0.14 mM. We therefore conclude that IP3-induced IK(Ca) is expressed under normal conditions, but may be subject to regulation by intracellular Mg2+.

Characteristics and function of Ca(2+)- and inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate-releasable stores of Ca2+ in neurons

Molecular, biochemical and physiological evidence for the existence of releasable Ca2+ stores in neurons is strong. There are two separate molecules that function as release channels from those Ca2+ stores, the RyanR and InsP3R, and both have multiple regulatory sites for positive and negative control. Perhaps most intriguing is the biphasic, concentration-dependent action of cytosolic Ca2+ on both channels, first to stimulate release then, at higher concentration, to depress release. Whether the InsP3R and RyanR channels regulate Ca2+ release from different or identical functional compartments will need to be defined for each neuron type and perhaps even for each intracellular region within neurons since the evidence for functional separation of stores is mixed. The identification of Ca2+ storage and releasing capacity throughout all subcellular regions of neurons and the increasing evidence for a role for Ca2+ stores in neuronal plasticity suggests that the further characterization of the functional properties of Ca2+ stores will be an increasingly important and expanding area of interest in neurobiology.

The thapsigargin-sensitive intracellular Ca2+ pool is more important in plasma membrane Ca2+ entry than the IP3-sensitive intracellular Ca2+ pool in neuronal cell lines

In NG108-15 cells, bradykinin (BK) and thapsigargin (TG) caused transient increases in a cytosolic free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i), after which [Ca2+]i elevated by TG only declined to a higher, sustained level than an unstimulated level. In PC12 cells, carbachol (CCh) evoked a transient increase in [Ca2+]i followed by a sustained rise of [Ca2+]i, whereas [Ca2+]i elevated by TG almost maintained its higher level. In the absence of extracellular Ca2+, the sustained elevation of [Ca2+]i induced by each drug we used was abolished. In addition, the rise in [Ca2+]i stimulated by TG was less affected after CCh or BK, whereas CCh or BK caused no increase in [Ca2+]i after TG. TG neither increased cellular inositol phosphates nor modified the inositol phosphates format on stimulated by CCh or BK. We conclude that TG may release Ca2+ from both IP3-sensitive and -insensitive intracellular pools and that some kinds of signalling to link the intracellular Ca2+ pools and Ca2+ entry seem to exist in neuronal cells.