Glutamate-Induced Increase in Intracellular Ca2+ in Cerebral Cortex Neurons Is Transient in Immature Cells but Permanent in Mature Cells

The free cytosolic Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) of cultured cerebral cortex neurons was determined using a fluorescent Ca2+ chelator (Fluo-3) after exposure of the neurons to glutamate. Mature neurons (8 days in culture) responded within 45 s to 100 microM glutamate by an increase in [Ca2+]i from 75 to 340 nM, an increase that during the following 6 min of exposure reached 400 nM. This increase in [Ca2+]i could not be reversed by removal of glutamate. In the absence of extracellular CaCl2, only part of the initial, rapid, glutamate-induced increase in [Ca2+]i was observed in these neurons. In contrast to these findings, neurons cultured for only 2 days (immature neurons) exhibited only a small (from 75 to 173 nM) increase in [Ca2+]i after exposure to 100 microM glutamate, and this rapid increase in [Ca2+]i tended to decline on prolonged exposure to glutamate. Moreover, after removal of glutamate, the increase in [Ca2+]i was fully reversible. Pharmacological characterization of the response to glutamate in mature neurons showed that the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonists phencyclidine and D-2-amino-5-phosphonovalerate phosphonovalerate blocked 75 and 90%, respectively, of the response, whereas the non-NMDA antagonist 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione had little effect.     

Opioid Effects on 45Ca2+ Uptake and Glutamate Release in Rat Cerebral Cortex in Primary Culture

Abstract: Primary cultures of rat cortex, conveniently prepared from newborn animals, were used to study opioid effects on ⁴⁵Ca²⁺ uptake and glutamate release. ⁴⁵Ca²⁺ uptake, induced by treatment with glutamate or NMDA, was largely blocked by the NMDA antagonist MK-801. K⁺ depolarization-induced ⁴⁵Ca²⁺ uptake was also reduced by MK-801, indicating that the effect was mediated by glutamate release. Direct analysis verified that glutamate, and aspartate, were indeed released. Opioid peptides of the prodynorphin system were also released and these, or other peptides, were functionally active, because naloxone treatment increased glutamate release, as well as the ⁴⁵Ca²⁺ uptake induced by depolarization. Opioid agonists, selective for μ-, κ-, and δ-receptors, inhibited the ⁴⁵Ca²⁺ uptake induced by K⁺ depolarization. The combination of low concentrations of MK-801 and opioid agonists resulted in additive inhibition of K⁺- induced ⁴⁵Ca²⁺ uptake. The results indicate that this system may be useful as an in vitro CNS model for studying modulation by opioids of glutamate release and Ca²⁺ uptake under acute, and perhaps also chronic, opiate treatment.     

Effects of Substance P on Carbachol-Stimulated 45Ca2+ Uptake into Cultured Adrenal Chromaffin Cells

Substance P is known to modulate acetylcholine-induced catecholamine release from adrenal chromaffin cells. To investigate the mechanisms involved in this modulation, the present study examined the effects of substance P on net 45Ca2+ fluxes in cultures of bovine adrenal chromaffin cells. Two effects of substance P were observed: (1) Substance P inhibited carbachol-induced 45Ca2+ uptake and 45Ca2+ efflux and (2) substance P protected against desensitization of carbachol-induced 45Ca2+ uptake and 45Ca2+ efflux. Thus substance P modulates two other cholinergic responses, 45Ca2+ uptake and 45Ca2+ efflux, in a manner similar to its modulation of catecholamine release. The results also indicate that substance P's inhibition of net carbachol-induced 45Ca2+ uptake is due to inhibition of 45Ca2+ uptake rather than enhancement of 45Ca2+ efflux. Substance P almost completely inhibited carbachol-induced 45Ca2+ uptake in both Na+-containing and Na+-free media, suggesting that substance P can inhibit the uptake of 45Ca2+ induced by carbachol regardless of whether 45Ca2+ is taken up through voltage-sensitive or acetylcholine receptor-linked channels. However, substance P produced only a small inhibition of K+-induced 45Ca2+ uptake, indicating that substance P does not interact directly with voltage-sensitive Ca2+ channels. In addition, substance P's inhibition of carbachol-induced 45Ca2+ uptake was noncompetitive with respect to Ca2+, were unable to overcome substance P's inhibition of [3H]-norepinephrine ( [3H]NE) release. It is concluded that substance P does not interact directly with Ca2+ channels in bovine adrenal chromaffin cells.     

45Ca2+ Uptake into Rat Whole Brain Synaptosomes Unaltered by Dihydropyridine Calcium Antagonists

Abstract: Voltage-dependent ⁴⁵Ca²⁺ uptake into rat whole brain synaptosomes was measured after 3-s KCl-induced depolarization to investigate possible inhibitory effects of calcium antagonists, nitrendipine, nimodipine, and nisoldipine. At a Ca²⁺ concentration of 1.2 m M , nitrendipine, in concentrations ranging from 0.1 n M to 10 μ M , had no effect on ⁴⁵Ca²⁺ uptake. When the Ca²⁺ concentration was lowered to 0.06 and 0.12 m M , nitrendipine, 10 μ M , inhibited ⁴⁵Ca²⁺ uptake in response to 109 m M KCl depolarization. However, in a separate concentration response study, nitrendipine, nimodipine, and nisoldipine, 0.1 n M to 10 μ M , failed to alter the uptake of ⁴⁵Ca²⁺ (0.06 m M Ca²⁺) into 30 m M KCl-depolarized synaptosomes. The high concentrations of these agents required to depress ⁴⁵Ca²⁺ uptake indicate that the dihydropyridine calcium antagonists are considerably less potent in brain tissue than in peripheral tissue.     

Trifluoperazine Inhibits 45Ca2+ Uptake and Catecholamine Secretion and Synthesis in Adrenal Medullary Cells

Abstract: In isolated adrenal medullary cells, carbamyl-choline and high K⁺ cause the calcium-dependent secretion of catecholamines with a simultaneous increase in the synthesis of ¹⁴C-catecholamines from [¹⁴C]tyrosine. In these cells, trifluoperazine, a selective antagonist of calmodulin, inhibited both the secretion and synthesis of catecholamines. The stimulatory effect of carbamyl-choline was inhibited to a greater extent than that of high K⁺. The inhibitory effect of trifluoperazine on carbamylcholine-evoked secretion of catecholamines was not overcome by an increase in either carbamylcholine or calcium concentration, showing that inhibition by trifluoperazine occurs by a mechanism distinct from competitive antagonism at the cholinergic receptor and from direct inactivation of calcium channels. Doses of trifluoperazine that inhibited catecholamine secretion and synthesis also inhibited the uptake of radioactive calcium by the cells. These results suggest that trifluoperazine inhibits the secretion and synthesis of catecholamines mainly due to its inhibition of calcium uptake. Trifluoperazine seems to inhibit calcium uptake by uncoupling the linkage between cholinergic receptor stimulation and calcium channel activation.     

Modulation of 45Ca2+ Influx into Cells Stably Expressing Recombinant Human NMDA Receptors by Ligands Acting at Distinct Recognition Sites

Abstract: A ⁴⁵Ca²⁺ influx assay has been used to investigate the pharmacology of stably expressed recombinant human NR1a/NR2A and NR1a/NR2B N -methyl- d -aspartate (NMDA) receptors. Inhibition of glutamate-stimulated ⁴⁵Ca²⁺ influx by six glycine-site antagonists and inhibition of glycine-stimulated ⁴⁵Ca²⁺ influx by five glutamate-site antagonists revealed no significant differences between affinity values obtained for NR1a/NR2A and NR1a/NR2B receptors. The polyamine site agonist spermine showed differential modulation of glutamate- and glycine-stimulated ⁴⁵Ca²⁺ influx for recombinant NMDA receptors, inhibiting and stimulating ⁴⁵Ca²⁺ influx into cells expressing NR1a/NR2A receptors (IC₅₀ = 408 µ M ) and NR1a/NR2B receptors (EC₅₀ = 37.3 µ M ), respectively. The antagonist ifenprodil was selective for NR1a/NR2B receptors (IC₅₀ = 0.099 µ M ) compared with NR1a/NR2A receptors (IC₅₀ = 164 µ M ). The effects of putative polyamine site antagonists, redox agents, ethanol, and Mg²⁺ and Zn²⁺ ions were also compared between NR1a/NR2A and NR1a/NR2B receptors. This study demonstrates the use of ⁴⁵Ca²⁺ influx as a method for investigating the pharmacology of the numerous modulatory sites that regulate the function of recombinant human NMDA receptors stably expressed in L(tk-) cells.     

Relation of Acetylcholine Release to Ca2+ Uptake and Intraterminal Ca2+ Concentration in Guinea-Pig Cortex Synaptosomes

[14C]Acetylcholine (ACh) release and parallel alterations in 45Ca2+ uptake and intrasynaptosomal free CA2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) were measured in guinea-pig brain cortex synaptosomes. Depolarization by high K+ concentrations caused a rapid transient increase in Ca2+ uptake, terminating within 60 s (rate constant = 0.060 s-1; t1/2 = 11.6 s). This resulted in a rapid increase (within 1 s) in [Ca2+1]i, which then fell to a maintained but still-elevated plateau level (t1/2 for the decline was 15 s). Peaks of [Ca2+]i showed a sigmoidal dependence on depolarization, contrasting with the simple linear dependence of plateau levels of [Ca2+]i. The K+-evoked ACh release also had two phases: a fast initial increase (t1/2 = 11.3 s), which terminated within 60 s, was followed by a slow additional increase during sustained depolarizations of up to 10 min. Depolarization by veratridine led to a slow gradual increase in Ca2+ uptake (t1/2 = 130 s) over a 10-min incubation period, whereas an elevated plateau level of [Ca2+]i was achieved within 2 min (without a rapid peak elevation). The Ca2+-dependent fraction of the veratridine-evoked ACh release correlated with the increase in [Ca2+]i rather than with Ca2+ uptake. Using two different methods of depolarization partially circumvented the time limitations imposed by a buffering Ca2+ indicator and we suggest that, in the main, ACh is released in bursts associated with [Ca2+]i transients.     

Enhancement of 45Ca2+ Binding to Acidic Lipids by Barbiturates, Diphenylhydantoin, and Ethanol

Abstract: Effects of barbiturates, diphenylhydantoin, and ethanol on ⁴⁵Ca²⁺ binding to acidic lipids have been examined in an organic solvent-aqueous partition system. Hexobarbital, pentobarbital, and phenobarbital, at concentrations of 0.3 and/or 0.6 mM, enhanced the binding of ⁴⁵Ca²⁺ to phosphatidic acid, phosphatidylserine, and sulfatide but not to phosphatidylinositol or cardiolipin. Diphenylhydantoin, 0.3 mM, enhanced ⁴⁵Ca²⁺ binding to phosphatidic acid and phosphatidylserine but not to sulfatide. Ethanol at 80 mM did not enhance ⁴⁵Ca²⁺ binding to phosphatidic acid, but ethanol decreased the binding to cardiolipin and increased it to sulfatide.     

Comparison of Voltage-Dependent 45Ca2+ Uptake Rates by Synaptosomes Isolated from Rat Brain Regions

Abstract: ⁴⁵Ca²⁺ uptake by synaptosomes isolated from cerebral cortex, cerebellum, midbrain, and brain stem of male Sprague-Dawley rats was measured at 1-, 3-, 5-, 15-, 30-, and 60-s time periods. The fastest rate of depolarization-dependent calcium uptake occurred in each brain region between 0 and 1 s. Uptake rates dropped off quickly with 3–5-s rates at approximately 15–20% of those observed at 0–1 s in cerebral cortex, cerebellum, and midbrain. Uptake rates at the 1–3-s interval were maintained at a relatively high rate in these three brain regions suggesting mixed fast- and slow-phase processes. The magnitude and rate of ⁴⁵Ca²⁺ uptake were similar in synaptosomes from cerebral cortex, cerebellum, and midbrain but were significantly less in brain stem synaptosomes. These results suggest a fast and a slow component to voltage-dependent ⁴⁵Ca²⁺ uptake by presynaptic nerve terminals from various brain regions.     

Glutamate-Induced Loss of Ca2+/Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase II Activity in Cultured Rat Hippocampal Neurons

Abstract: The exposure of cultured rat hippocampal neurons to 500 µ M glutamate for 20 min induced a 55% decrease in the total Ca²⁺/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaM kinase II) activity. The Ca²⁺-independent activity and autophosphorylation of CaM kinase II decreased to the same extent as the changes observed in total CaM kinase II activity, and these decreases in activities were prevented by pretreatment with MK-801, an N -methyl- d -aspartate (NMDA)-type receptor antagonist, and the removal of extracellular calcium but not by antagonists against other types of glutamate receptors and protease inhibitors. Similarly, the decrease in the CaM kinase II activity was induced by a Ca²⁺ ionophore, ionomycin. Immunoblot analysis with the anti-CaM kinase II antibody revealed a significant decrease in the amount of the enzyme in the soluble fraction, in contrast with the inverse increase in the insoluble fraction; thus, the translocation was probably induced during treatment of the cells with glutamate. These results suggest that glutamate released during brain ischemia induces a loss of CaM kinase II activity in hippocampal neurons, by stimulation of the NMDA receptor, and that inactivation of the enzyme may possibly be involved in the cascade of the glutamate neurotoxicity following brain ischemia.     

Excitatory Amino Acid Receptors and Depolarization-Induced Ca2+ Influx into Hippocampal Slices

Hippocampal brain slices were incubated with depolarizing agents or excitatory amino acids either alone or in the presence of excitatory amino acid antagonists [omega-phosphonic alpha-aminocarboxylic acids--2-amino-4-phosphonobutyric acid (AP4), 2-amino-5-phosphonovaleric acid (AP5), or 2-amino-7-phosphonoheptanoic acid (AP7)--or gamma-D-glutamylaminomethylsulphonic acid (GAMS)] or a calcium-channel blocker, (S)-1-(3-methoxyphenyl)-3-methylaza-7-cyano-7-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl )-8-methyl- nonane hydrochloride [(-)-D888]. The uptake of 45Ca2+ and the efflux of glutamate or aspartate induced by veratrine or high K+ was blocked (54-76%) by AP7 (IC50 46-250 microM). AP5 and AP4 were less effective. (-)-D888 (10 microM) caused 100% block of evoked 45Ca2+ uptake. Uptake of 45Ca2+ induced by exogenous glutamate, aspartate, and N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) was also inhibited by AP7, whereas GAMS completely blocked the action of kainate and partially blocked that of glutamate. The action of NMDA in stimulating 45Ca2+ uptake was Mg2+-sensitive, low Mg2+ levels in the incubation medium selectively enhancing the response. It is concluded that Ca2+ uptake evoked by excitatory amino acids is receptor-mediated, and that released excitatory amino acids are responsible for a large part of the action of veratrine and high K+ in stimulating 45Ca2+ uptake.     

Ca2+ Release from Inositol 1,4,5-Trisphosphate-Sensitive Ca2+ Store by Antidepressant Drugs in Cultured Neurons of Rat Frontal Cortex

Abstract: The ability of antidepressant drugs (ADs) to increase the concentration of intracellular Ca²⁺ ([Ca²⁺]_i) was examined in primary cultured neurons from rat frontal cortices using the Ca²⁺-sensitive fluorescent indicator fura-2. Amitriptyline, imipramine, desipramine, and mianserin elicited transient increases in [Ca²⁺]_i in a concentration-dependent manner (100 μM to 1 mM). These four AD-induced [Ca²⁺]_i increases were not altered by the absence of external Ca²⁺ or by the presence of La³⁺ (30 μM), suggesting that these ADs provoked intracellular Ca²⁺ mobilization rather than Ca²⁺ influx. All four ADs increased inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP₃) contents by 20–60% in the cultured cells. The potency of the IP₃ production by these ADs closely correlated with the AD-induced [Ca²⁺]_i responses. Pretreatment with neomycin, an inhibitor of IP₃ generation, significantly inhibited amitriptyline- and imipramine-induced [Ca²⁺]_i increases. In addition, by initially perfusing with bradykinin (10 μM) or acetylcholine (10 μM), which can stimulate the IP₃ generation and mobilize the intracellular Ca²⁺, the amitriptyline responses were decreased by 76% and 69%, respectively. The amitriptyline-induced [Ca²⁺]_i increases were unaffected by treatment with pertussis toxin. We conclude that high concentrations of amitriptyline and three other ADs mobilize Ca²⁺ from IP₃-sensitive Ca²⁺ stores and that the responses are pertussis toxin-insensitive. However, it seems unlikely that the effects requiring high concentrations of ADs are related to the therapeutic action.     

Allosteric Activation off Brain Mitochondrial Ca2+ Uptake by Spermine and by Ca2+: Developmental Changes

Kinetic analysis of 45Ca2+ uptake by rat brain mitochondria in Ca2+ - 1,2-bis(o-aminophenoxy)ethane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid buffers indicated that spermine both increased the apparent affinity for Ca2+ and decreased the cooperativity of uptake. Both effects are consistent with an allosteric activation of uptake by spermine. The stimulating effect of spermine on 45Ca2+ uptake was maximal with mitochondria from postnatal day 10 animals and then steadily decreased with increasing age to reach adult values by approximately 30 postnatal days; this was observed independently of the substrates used to fuel mitochondria. Mitochondrial Ca2+ buffering was also analyzed by use of a Ca2+-selective electrode. Addition of a large bolus of Ca2+ produced a decrease in the subsequent equilibrium extramitochondrial Ca2+ concentration (or a "rebound overshoot") under some conditions. It is proposed that this effect is the result of an allosteric activation of Ca2+ uptake by Ca2+. This effect was slowly reversible, or hysteretic, and was blocked by spermine. The overshoot was increased in the presence of higher concentrations of Mg2+ and was absent when mitochondria were incubated with 0.3 mM Mg2+. It was maximal in mitochondria prepared from early postnatal brain, and changes in the magnitude of the effect during development paralleled those obtained with spermine stimulation of 45Ca2+ uptake. The data suggest that spermine produces an allosteric activation of Ca2+ uptake by binding to the same regulatory sites that are involved in the Ca2+-induced activation. The results as a whole suggest that spermine could modulate mitochondrial buffering of the intracellular Ca2+ concentration in brain, particularly during the early postnatal period.     

Allosteric Activation of Brain Mitochondrial Ca2+ Uptake by Spermine and ty Ca2+: Brain Regional Differences

Analysis of the initial rates of 45Ca2+ uptake by rat brain mitochondria in Ca2+-1,2-bis(o-aminophenoxy)ethane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid buffers indicated that nontelencephalic mitochondria exhibited both a much less pronounced stimulatory effect of spermine and significantly more hyperbolic kinetics of Ca2+ uptake than telencephalic mitochondria. Nontelencephalic mitochondria were also markedly less susceptible to a Ca2+-induced hysteretic allosteric activation of the Ca2+ uniporter. A new Ca2+ loading procedure, which strikingly illustrates differences in mitochondrial Ca2+ buffering characteristics, is also described. In this procedure, low concentrations of Ca2+ (1, 2, or 5 microM) were repetitively added to mitochondria every 30 s while changes in free Ca2+ concentration were recorded. Spermine induced a marked attenuation of the rise in free Ca2+ level under these conditions. Steady-state rates of Ca2+ uptake were determined by a quantitative analysis of the buffering of repetitive Ca2+ additions, and, again, brain regional differences were qualitatively similar to those observed in the initial rate kinetics; Ca2+ uptake by nontelencephalic mitochondria in the steady state was markedly less responsive to stimulation by spermine and appeared to have a more hyperbolic dependence on Ca2+ in the absence of spermine. These results also suggest that there is a lag time in the activation of the uniporter by Ca2+, in addition to the hysteresis that has previously been observed in the deactivation of the uniporter.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Inhibition by K+ of Na+-Dependent D-Aspartate Uptake into Brain Membrane Saccules

Na+-dependent uptake of dicarboxylic amino acids in membrane saccules, due to exchange diffusion and independent of ion gradients, was highly sensitive to inhibition by K+. The IC50 was 1-2 mM under a variety of conditions (i.e., whole tissue or synaptic membranes, frozen/thawed or fresh, D-[3H]aspartate (10-1000 nM) or L-[3H]glutamate (100 nM), phosphate or Tris buffer, NaCl or Na acetate, presence or absence of Ca2+ and Mg2+). The degree of inhibition by K+ was also not affected on removal of ion gradients by ionophores, or by extensive washing with H2O and reloading of membrane saccules with glutamate and incubation medium in the presence or absence of K+ (3 mM, i.e., IC70). Rb+, NH4+, and, to a lesser degree Cs+, but not Li+, could substitute for K+. [K+] showed a competitive relationship to [Na+]2. Incubation with K+ before or after uptake suggested that the ion acts in part by allowing net efflux, thus reducing the internal pool of amino acid against which D-[3H]aspartate exchanges, and in part by inhibiting the interaction of Na+ and D-[3H]aspartate with the transporter. The current model of the Na+-dependent high-affinity acidic amino acid transport carrier allows the observations to be explained and reconciled with previous seemingly conflicting reports on stimulation of acidic amino acid uptake by low concentrations of K+. The findings correct the interpretation of recent reports on a K+-induced inhibition of Na+-dependent "binding" of glutamate and aspartate, and partly elucidate the mechanism of action.     

Alteration of Ca2+ Fluxes in Brain Microsomes by K+ and Na+: Modulation by Sulfated Polysaccharides and Trifluoperazine

Abstract: Rat brain microsomes accumulate Ca²⁺ at the expense of ATP hydrolysis. The rate of transport is not modulated by the monovalent cations K⁺, Na⁺, or Li⁺. Both the Ca²⁺ uptake and the Ca²⁺-dependent ATPase activity of microsomes are inhibited by the sulfated polysaccharides heparin, fucosylated chondroitin sulfate, and dextran sulfate. Half-maximal inhibition is observed with sulfated polysaccharide concentrations ranging from 0.5 to 8.0 µg/ml. The inhibition is antagonized by KCl and NaCl but not by LiCl. As a result, Ca²⁺ transport by the native vesicles, which in the absence of polysaccharides is not modulated by monovalent cations, becomes highly sensitive to these ions. Trifluoperazine has a dual effect on the Ca²⁺ pump of brain microsomes. At low concentrations (20–80 µM) it stimulates the rate of Ca²⁺ influx, and at concentrations >100 µM it inhibits both the Ca²⁺ uptake and the ATPase activity. The activation observed at low trifluoperazine concentrations is specific for the brain Ca²⁺-ATPase; for the Ca²⁺-ATPases found in blood platelets and in the sarcoplasmic reticulum of skeletal muscle, trifluoperazine causes only a concentration-dependent inhibition of Ca²⁺ uptake. Passive Ca²⁺ efflux from brain microsomes preloaded with Ca²⁺ is increased by trifluoperazine (50–150 µM), and this effect is potentiated by heparin (10 µg/ml), even in the presence of KCl. It is proposed that the Ca²⁺-ATPase isoform from brain microsomes is modulated differently by polysaccharides and trifluoperazine when compared with skeletal muscle and platelet isoforms.     

Alkalinization Prolongs Recovery from Glutamate-Induced Increases in Intracellular Ca2+ Concentration by Enhancing Ca2+ Efflux Through the Mitochondrial Na+/Ca2+ Exchanger in Cultured Rat Forebrain Neurons

Abstract: Increasing extracellular pH from 7.4 to 8.5 caused a dramatic increase in the time required to recover from a glutamate (3 µ M , for 15 s)-induced increase in intracellular Ca²⁺ concentration ([Ca²⁺]_i) in indo-1-loaded cultured cortical neurons. Recovery time in pH 7.4 HEPES-buffered saline solution (HBSS) was 126 ± 30 s, whereas recovery time was 216 ± 19 s when the pH was increased to 8.5. Removal of extracellular Ca²⁺ did not inhibit the prolongation of recovery caused by increasing pH. Extracellular alkalinization caused rapid intracellular alkalinization following glutamate exposure, suggesting that pH 8.5 HBSS may delay Ca²⁺ recovery by affecting intraneuronal Ca²⁺ buffering mechanisms, rather than an exclusively extracellular effect. The effect of pH 8.5 HBSS on Ca²⁺ recovery was similar to the effect of the mitochondrial uncoupler carbonyl cyanide p -(trifluoromethoxyphenyl)hydrazone (FCCP; 750 n M ). However, pH 8.5 HBSS did not have a quantitative effect on mitochondrial membrane potential comparable to that of FCCP in neurons loaded with a potential-sensitive fluorescent indicator, 5,5',6,6'-tetrachloro-1,1',3,3'-tetraethylbenzimidazolocarbocyanine iodide (JC-1). We found that the effect of pH 8.5 HBSS on Ca²⁺ recovery was completely inhibited by the mitochondrial Na⁺/Ca²⁺ exchange inhibitor CGP-37157 (25 µ M ). This suggests that increased mitochondrial Ca²⁺ efflux via the mitochondrial Na²⁺/Ca²⁺ exchanger is responsible for the prolongation of [Ca²⁺]_i recovery caused by alkaline pH following glutamate exposure.     

Calmodulin Stimulation of Ca2+-Dependent ATP Hydrolysis and ATP-Dependent Ca2+ Transport in Synaptic Membranes

We report here characterization of calmodulin-stimulated Ca2+ transport activities in synaptic plasma membranes (SPM). The calcium transport activity consists of a Ca2+-stimulated, Mg2+-dependent ATP hydrolysis coupled with ATP-dependent Ca2+ uptake into membraneous sacs on the cytosolic face of the synaptosomal membrane. These transport activities have been found in synaptosomal subfractions to be located primarily in SPM-1 and SPM-2. Both Ca2+-ATPase and ATP-dependent Ca2+ uptake require calmodulin for maximal activity (KCm for ATPase = 60 nM; KCm for uptake = 50 nM). In the reconstituted membrane system, KCa was found to be 0.8 microM for Ca2+-ATPase and 0.4 microM for Ca2+ uptake. These results demonstrate for the first time the calmodulin requirements for the Ca2+ pump in SPM when Ca2+ ATPase and Ca2+ uptake are assayed under functionally coupled conditions. They suggest that calmodulin association with the membrane calcium pump is regulated by the level of free Ca2+ in the cytoplasm. The activation by calmodulin, in turn, regulates the cytosolic Ca2+ levels in a feedback process. These studies expand the calmodulin hypothesis of synaptic transmission to include activation of a high-affinity Ca2+ + Mg2+ ATPase as a regulator for cytosolic Ca2+.     

Kinetic Characterization of Ca2+ Transport in Synaptic Membranes

Lysed synaptosomal membranes were prepared from brain cortices of HA/ICR Swiss mice, and the ATP-stimulated Ca2+ uptake, Ca2+-stimulated Mg2+-dependent ATPase activity, and the Ca2+-stimulated acyl phosphorylation of these membranes were studied. The Km values for free calcium concentrations ([Ca2+]f) for these processes were 0.50 microM, 0.40 microM, and 0.31 microM, respectively. Two kinetically distinct binding sites for ATP were observed for the ATP-stimulated Ca2+ uptake and the Ca2+-stimulated Mg2+-ATPase activity. The high-affinity Km values for ATP for these two processes were 16.3 microM and 28 microM, respectively. These results indicate that the processes studied operate in similar physiological concentration ranges for the substrates [Ca2+]f and ATP under identical assay conditions and, further, that these processes may be functionally coupled in the membrane.     

Regulation of 109Cd2+ Uptake into Isolated Neurohypophysial Peptidergic Nerve Terminals

Cadmium (109Cd2+) uptake was studied in a preparation of isolated neurohypophysial nerve terminals. By use of a filter separation method, together with a permeabilizing agent (Triton X-100), two cellular Cd2+ pools have been distinguished. The uptake into the intraterminal pool was governed mainly by a process that displayed saturable kinetics, with a Vmax of 0.15 nmol of Cd2+/mg of protein/min and a Km of 0.18 mM, consistent with a transport system. The superficially bound Cd2+ pool (Triton insensitive), which represented 30-50% of the total Cd2+ bound to the cellular system, was very sensitive to the ionic composition of the incubation medium. Reducing the extracellular Ca2+ or Na+ concentration caused a significant increase in the size of the Triton-insensitive Cd2+ pool. Whereas Na+ did not affect Cd2+ uptake, Ca2+ induced a small, but significant, increase of Cd2+ uptake into the terminals. It is concluded that there is a significant intraterminal uptake of Cd2+, which could explain several physiological effects of this ion.