Publication Date:
1993-04-09
Description:
Calcium ions (Ca2+) act as an intracellular second messenger and can enter neurons through various ion channels. Influx of Ca2+ through distinct types of Ca2+ channels may differentially activate biochemical processes. N-Methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors and L-type Ca2+ channels, two major sites of Ca2+ entry into hippocampal neurons, were found to transmit signals to the nucleus and regulated gene transcription through two distinct Ca2+ signaling pathways. Activation of the multifunctional Ca(2+)-calmodulin-dependent protein kinase (CaM kinase) was evoked by stimulation of either NMDA receptors or L-type Ca2+ channels; however, activation of CaM kinase appeared to be critical only for propagating the L-type Ca2+ channel signal to the nucleus. Also, the NMDA receptor and L-type Ca2+ channel pathways activated transcription by means of different cis-acting regulatory elements in the c-fos promoter. These results indicate that Ca2+, depending on its mode of entry into neurons, can activate two distinct signaling pathways. Differential signal processing may provide a mechanism by which Ca2+ controls diverse cellular functions.〈br /〉〈span class="detail_caption"〉Notes: 〈/span〉Bading, H -- Ginty, D D -- Greenberg, M E -- 2F32 NS 08764/NS/NINDS NIH HHS/ -- NS28829/NS/NINDS NIH HHS/ -- New York, N.Y. -- Science. 1993 Apr 9;260(5105):181-6.〈br /〉〈span class="detail_caption"〉Author address: 〈/span〉Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115.〈br /〉〈span class="detail_caption"〉Record origin:〈/span〉 〈a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8097060" target="_blank"〉PubMed〈/a〉
Keywords:
Animals
;
Calcium/*metabolism
;
Calcium Channels/metabolism
;
Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases
;
Cells, Cultured
;
DNA-Binding Proteins/genetics
;
*Gene Expression Regulation
;
Genes, fos
;
Glutamates/pharmacology
;
Glutamic Acid
;
Hippocampus/*metabolism
;
Neurons/*metabolism
;
Nuclear Proteins/genetics
;
Protein Kinases/metabolism
;
Rats
;
Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate/metabolism
;
Regulatory Sequences, Nucleic Acid
;
Second Messenger Systems
;
Serum Response Factor
;
*Signal Transduction
;
Transcription Factors/genetics
;
Transfection
Print ISSN:
0036-8075
Electronic ISSN:
1095-9203
Topics:
Biology
,
Chemistry and Pharmacology
,
Computer Science
,
Medicine
,
Natural Sciences in General
,
Physics
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