Developmental expression of voltage-dependent calcium currents in identified mouse motoneurons.

Previous work has shown that during chick embryonic development, large changes occur in the density of specific, motoneuronal calcium currents just prior to the period of naturally occurring motoneuron cell death. Here we report on calcium currents in mouse motoneurons isolated from embryos at the time of peak cell death and also during a subsequent developmental stage when supernumerary synapses are being eliminated. In mouse motoneurons, the density of high-voltage-activated calcium current increases significantly after the phase of cell death, during the period of synapse elimination.