Kinetics of Ca2+ release evoked by photolysis of caged InsP3 in rat submandibular cells

The 2-aminoethoxydiphenyl borate analog, DPB161 blocks store-operated Ca2+ entry in acutely dissociated rat submandibular cells

Cellular Ca²⁺ signals play a critical role in cell physiology and pathology. In most non-excitable cells, store-operated Ca²⁺ entry (SOCE) is an important mechanism by which intracellular Ca²⁺ signaling is regulated. However, few drugs can selectively modulate SOCE. 2-Aminoethoxydiphenyl borate (2APB) and its analogs (DPB162 and DPB163) have been reported to inhibit SOCE. Here, we examined the effects of another 2-APB analog, DPB161 on SOCE in acutely-isolated rat submandibular cells. Both patch-clamp recordings and Ca²⁺ imaging showed that upon removal of extracellular Ca²⁺ ([Ca²⁺]_o=0), rat submandibular cells were unable to maintain ACh-induced Ca²⁺ oscillations, but restoration of [Ca²⁺]_o to refill Ca²⁺ stores enable recovery of these Ca²⁺ oscillations. However, addition of 50 μM DPB161 with [Ca²⁺]_o to extracellular solution prevented the refilling of Ca²⁺ store. Fura-2 Ca²⁺ imaging showed that DPB161 inhibited SOCE in a concentration-dependent manner. After depleting Ca²⁺ stores by thapsigargin treatment, bath perfusion of 1 mM Ca²⁺ induced [Ca²⁺]_i elevation in a manner that was prevented by DPB161. Collectively, these results show that the 2-APB analog DPB161 blocks SOCE in rat submandibular cells, suggesting that this compound can be developed as a pharmacological tool for the study of SOCE function and as a new therapeutic agent for treating SOCE-associated disorders.

Calcium mobilizations in response to changes in the gravity vector in Arabidopsis seedlings: possible cellular mechanisms

Gravity influences the growth direction of higher plants. Changes in the gravity vector (gravistimulation) immediately promote the increase in the cytoplasmic free calcium ion concentration ([Ca(2+)]c) in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) seedlings. When the seedlings are gravistimulated by reorientation at 180°, a transient two peaked (biphasic) [Ca(2+)]c-increase arises in their hypocotyl and petioles. Parabolic flights (PFs) can generate a variety of gravity-stimuli, and enables us to measure gravity-induced [Ca(2+)]c-increases without specimen rotation, which demonstrate that Arabidopsis seedlings possess a rapid gravity-sensing mechanism linearly transducing a wide range of gravitational changes into Ca(2+) signals on a sub-second timescale. Hypergravity by centrifugation (20 g or 300 g) also induces similar transient [Ca(2+)]c-increases. In this review, we propose models for possible cellular processes of the garavi-stimulus-induced [Ca(2+)]c-increase, and evaluate those by examining whether the model fits well with the kinetic parameters derived from the [Ca(2+)]c-increases obtained by applying gravistimulus with different amplitudes and time sequences.

Ca2+ dynamics in salivary acinar cells: distinct morphology of the acinar lumen underlies near-synchronous global Ca2+ responses

In salivary acinar cells, the pattern of the Ca2+ signals that regulates fluid and enzyme secretion has yet to be resolved, as there are conflicting reports in the literature. We have used a two-photon technique to directly visualize the acinar cell lumen in living fragments of exocrine tissue and simultaneously recorded agonist-induced changes in intracellular Ca2+. We show near-synchronous global Ca2+ responses in submandibular acinar cells, distinct from the typical apical to basal Ca2+ wave usually seen in rodent pancreatic acinar cells. In an effort to explain the basis of these near-synchronous global Ca2+ responses we used immunocytochemical experiments to localize luminal proteins and inositol trisphosphate receptors (InsP3Rs) in tissue fragments. Zona occludens 1 (ZO-1), a tight junction protein, shows that individual submandibular acinar cells are often nearly completely encircled by a narrow luminal structure. By contrast, in pancreatic fragments, ZO-1 staining shows short luminal branches terminating abruptly at the apical pole of single acinar cells. Co-immunostaining of InsP3Rs type 2 and type 3 showed them in the same region as ZO-1 in both exocrine tissues. Functional experiments showed that the near-synchronous global Ca2+ responses were still observed in the absence of extracellular Ca2+ and also in the presence of ryanodine. We conclude that the elaborate luminal region of submandibular cells leads to a hitherto unrecognized extensive distribution of InsP3Rs in a band around the cell and that this underlies the near-synchronous global Ca2+ response to agonists. We suggest that this may be a structural adaptation in submandibular cells to support the copious amounts of fluid secreted.

2-Aminoethoxydiphenyl borate modulates kinetics of intracellular Ca(2+) signals mediated by inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate-sensitive Ca(2+) stores in single pancreatic acinar cells of mouse

Regulation of the kinetics of intracellular Ca(2+) signals with a novel, membrane-penetrable, inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (InsP(3)) receptor/Ca(2+) channel modulator, 2-amino-ethoxydiphenyl borate (2APB), has been investigated using patch-clamp, whole-cell recording to monitor Ca(2+)-activated Cl(-) currents in single isolated pancreatic acinar cells. 2APB itself fails to evoke a detectable current response but it dramatically changes the kinetics of agonist-induced Ca(2+) release from pulsatile spikes to long-lasting, huge Ca(2+) waves, suggesting that 2APB coordinates local Ca(2+) release to generate global Ca(2+) signals. The regulation by 2APB can be elicited by internal perfusion of InsP(3) in a concentration-dependent manner, indicating that this regulation is not mediated through membrane receptors or G protein signal transduction. The InsP(3) receptor blocker heparin, but not the ryanodine-sensitive receptor blockers ruthenium red or ryanodine, abolishes 2APB-mediated regulation of Ca(2+) release. This results also suggest that 2APB effects are mediated through InsP(3) receptors. 2APB substantially modifies single inward Cl(-) current pulse evoked by the photolytic release of caged InsP(3) but not by caged Ca(2+). These data indicate that 2APB-induced regulation is mediated neither by Ca(2+)-induced Ca(2+) release nor by affecting Cl(-) channel activity directly. We conclude that 2APB regulates the kinetics of intracellular Ca(2+) signals, represented as the change in the Ca(2+) oscillation patterns from brief pulsatile spikes to huge, long-lasting Ca(2+) waves. Moreover, this regulation seems to be mediated through InsP(3)-sensitive Ca(2+) pools. 2APB may act as a novel, useful pharmacological tool to study the genesis of intracellular Ca(2+) signals.