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Estrogens directly potentiate neuronal L-type Ca2+ channels.

ABSTRACT: L-type voltage-gated Ca(2+)channels (VGCC) play an important role in dendritic development, neuronal survival, and synaptic plasticity. Recent studies have demonstrated that the gonadal steroid estrogen rapidly induces Ca(2+) influx in hippocampal neurons, which is required for neuroprotection and potentiation of LTP. The mechanism by which estrogen rapidly induces this Ca(2+) influx is not clearly understood. We show by electrophysiological studies that extremely low concentrations of estrogens acutely potentiate VGCC in hippocampal neurons, hippocampal slices, and HEK-293 cells transfected with neuronal L-type VGCC, in a manner that was estrogen receptor (ER)-independent. Equilibrium, competitive, and whole-cell binding assays indicate that estrogen directly interacts with the VGCC. Furthermore, a L-type VGCC antagonist to the dihydropyridine site displaced estrogen binding to neuronal membranes, and the effects of estrogen were markedly attenuated in a mutant, dihydropyridine-insensitive L-type VGCC, demonstrating a direct interaction of estrogens with L-type VGCC. Thus, estrogen-induced potentiation of calcium influx via L-type VGCC may link electrical events with rapid intracellular signaling seen with estrogen exposure leading to modulation of synaptic plasticity, neuroprotection, and memory formation.

SUBMITTER: Sarkar SN

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2575342 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Estrogens directly potentiate neuronal L-type Ca2+ channels.

Sarkar Saumyendra N SN Huang Ren-Qi RQ Logan Shaun M SM Yi Kun Don KD Dillon Glenn H GH Simpkins James W JW

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 20080924 39

L-type voltage-gated Ca(2+)channels (VGCC) play an important role in dendritic development, neuronal survival, and synaptic plasticity. Recent studies have demonstrated that the gonadal steroid estrogen rapidly induces Ca(2+) influx in hippocampal neurons, which is required for neuroprotection and potentiation of LTP. The mechanism by which estrogen rapidly induces this Ca(2+) influx is not clearly understood. We show by electrophysiological studies that extremely low concentrations of estrogens ...[more]

PMID: 18815371

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Project description:Stac protein (named for its SH3- and cysteine-rich domains) was first identified in brain 20 years ago and is currently known to have three isoforms. Stac2, Stac1, and Stac3 transcripts are found at high, modest, and very low levels, respectively, in the cerebellum and forebrain, but their neuronal functions have been little investigated. Here, we tested the effects of Stac proteins on neuronal, high-voltage-activated Ca2+ channels. Overexpression of the three Stac isoforms eliminated Ca2+-dependent inactivation (CDI) of l-type current in rat neonatal hippocampal neurons (sex unknown), but not CDI of non-l-type current. Using heterologous expression in tsA201 cells (together with ? and ?2-?1 auxiliary subunits), we found that CDI for CaV1.2 and CaV1.3 (the predominant, neuronal l-type Ca2+ channels) was suppressed by all three Stac isoforms, whereas CDI for the P/Q channel, CaV2.1, was not. For CaV1.2, the inhibition of CDI by the Stac proteins appeared to involve their direct interaction with the channel's C terminus. Within the Stac proteins, a weakly conserved segment containing ?100 residues and linking the structurally conserved PKC C1 and SH3_1 domains was sufficient to fully suppress CDI. The presence of CDI for l-type current in control neonatal neurons raised the possibility that endogenous Stac levels are low in these neurons and Western blotting indicated that the expression of Stac2 was substantially increased in adult forebrain and cerebellum compared with neonate. Together, our results indicate that one likely function of neuronal Stac proteins is to tune Ca2+ entry via neuronal l-type channels.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Stac protein, first identified 20 years ago in brain, has recently been found to be essential for proper trafficking and function of the skeletal muscle l-type Ca2+ channel and is the site of mutations causing a severe, inherited human myopathy. In neurons, however, functions for Stac protein have remained unexplored. Here, we report that one likely function of neuronal Stac proteins is tuning Ca2+ entry via l-type, but not that via non-l-type, Ca2+ channels. Moreover, there is a large postnatal increase in protein levels of the major neuronal isoform (Stac2) in forebrain and cerebellum, which could provide developmental regulation of l-type channel Ca2+ signaling in these brain regions.

Project description:Both intracellular calcium and transmembrane voltage cause inactivation, or spontaneous closure, of L-type (CaV1.2) calcium channels. Here we show that long-lasting elevations of intracellular calcium to the concentrations that are expected to be near an open channel (>/=100 microM) completely and reversibly blocked calcium current through L-type channels. Although charge movements associated with the opening (ON) motion of the channel's voltage sensor were not altered by high calcium, the closing (OFF) transition was impeded. In two-pulse experiments, the blockade of calcium current and the reduction of gating charge movements available for the second pulse developed in parallel during calcium load. The effect depended steeply on voltage and occurred only after a third of the total gating charge had moved. Based on that, we conclude that the calcium binding site is located either in the channel's central cavity behind the voltage-dependent gate, or it is formed de novo during depolarization through voltage-dependent rearrangements just preceding the opening of the gate. The reduction of the OFF charge was due to the negative shift in the voltage dependence of charge movement, as previously observed for voltage-dependent inactivation. Elevation of intracellular calcium concentration from approximately 0.1 to 100-300 microM sped up the conversion of the gating charge into the negatively distributed mode 10-100-fold. Since the "IQ-AA" mutant with disabled calcium/calmodulin regulation of inactivation was affected by intracellular calcium similarly to the wild-type, calcium/calmodulin binding to the "IQ" motif apparently is not involved in the observed changes of voltage-dependent gating. Although calcium influx through the wild-type open channels does not cause a detectable negative shift in the voltage dependence of their charge movement, the shift was readily observable in the Delta1733 carboxyl terminus deletion mutant, which produces fewer nonconducting channels. We propose that the opening movement of the voltage sensor exposes a novel calcium binding site that mediates inactivation.

Dataset Information

Estrogens directly potentiate neuronal L-type Ca2+ channels.

Publications

Estrogens directly potentiate neuronal L-type Ca2+ channels.

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