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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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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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10571-005-3060-0