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Calretinin modifies presynaptic calcium signaling in frog saccular hair cells

Nature Neuroscience volume 3, pages 786–790 (2000)Cite this article

Abstract

To determine whether the concentrations of calcium-binding proteins present in some neurons and sensory cells are sufficient to influence presynaptic calcium signaling, we studied the predominant calcium-binding protein in a class of sensory hair cells in the frog ear. Based on antibody affinity and molecular weight, we identified this protein as calretinin. We measured its cytoplasmic concentration to be ∼1.2 mM, sufficient to bind ∼6 mM Ca2+. Calcium signaling was altered when the diffusible cytoplasmic components were replaced by an intracellular solution lacking any fast calcium buffer, and was restored by the addition of 1.2 mM exogenous calretinin to the intracellular solution. We conclude that calretinin, when present at millimolar concentration, can serve as a diffusionally mobile calcium buffer/transporter capable of regulating calcium signaling over nanometer distances at presynaptic sites.

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Figure 1: Antibody labeling in sacculus and cerebellum.
Figure 2: Western blots of proteins from cerebellum and sacculus.
Figure 3: The calretinin content of individual hair cells.
Figure 4: Exogenous calretinin mimics the native Ca2+ buffer in suppressing the KCa current.

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Acknowledgements

We thank M. Celio for providing antibodies and recombinant protein, L. Hansen, P. Gillespie and D. Rivers and for technical advice and D. Lenzi for commenting on the manuscript.

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Author notes

  1. Brian Edmonds

    Present address: Department of Neurobiology, UCLA Medical Center, 650 Charles E. Young Drive South, Los Angeles, California, 90095-1763, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon,, Eugene, 97403, Oregon, USA

    Brian Edmonds, Rosario Reyes & William M. Roberts

  2. Institute of Histology and General Embryology, University of Fribourg,, Pérolles, CH-1705, Fribourg , Switzerland

    Beat Schwaller

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  1. Brian Edmonds
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Correspondence to Brian Edmonds.

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Edmonds, B., Reyes, R., Schwaller, B. et al. Calretinin modifies presynaptic calcium signaling in frog saccular hair cells. Nat Neurosci 3, 786–790 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1038/77687

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