1. Purinergic signaling in the cerebellum: Bergmann glial cells express functional ionotropic P2X7 receptors
- Author
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Micaela Galante, Samia Habbas, Fabrice Ango, Hervé Daniel, Institut de biochimie et biophysique moléculaire et cellulaire (IBBMC), Université Paris-Sud - Paris 11 (UP11)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle (IGF), Université de Montpellier (UM)-Université Montpellier 1 (UM1)-Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM)-Université Montpellier 2 - Sciences et Techniques (UM2)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencia y Tecnologia de Materiales [Mar del Plata] (INTEMA), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas [Buenos Aires] (CONICET)-Facultad de Ingeniería [Mar del Plata], and Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata [Mar del Plata] (UNMdP)-Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata [Mar del Plata] (UNMdP)
- Subjects
MESH: Signal Transduction ,Cerebellum ,P2Y receptor ,[SDV.NEU.NB]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Neurons and Cognition [q-bio.NC]/Neurobiology ,Purkinje cell ,Biology ,MESH: Calcium Signaling ,Mice ,03 medical and health sciences ,Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience ,Organ Culture Techniques ,0302 clinical medicine ,Calcium imaging ,MESH: Mice, Inbred C57BL ,Neural Pathways ,medicine ,Animals ,MESH: Animals ,Calcium Signaling ,MESH: Mice ,030304 developmental biology ,0303 health sciences ,MESH: Receptors, Purinergic P2X7 ,[SDV.NEU.PC]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Neurons and Cognition [q-bio.NC]/Psychology and behavior ,MESH: Neural Pathways ,Purinergic receptor ,[SDV.NEU.SC]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Neurons and Cognition [q-bio.NC]/Cognitive Sciences ,Purinergic signalling ,MESH: Gene Expression Regulation ,MESH: Cerebellum ,MESH: Organ Culture Techniques ,Cell biology ,Mice, Inbred C57BL ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,Gene Expression Regulation ,nervous system ,Neurology ,Cerebellar cortex ,MESH: Neuroglia ,Receptors, Purinergic P2X7 ,Neuroglia ,Neuroscience ,030217 neurology & neurosurgery ,Signal Transduction ,Astrocyte - Abstract
International audience; Astrocytes constitute active networks of intercommunicating cells that support the metabolism and the development of neurons and affect synaptic functions via multiple pathways. ATP is one of the major neurotransmitters mediating signaling between neurons and astrocytes. Potentially acting through both purinergic metabotropic P2Y receptors (P2YRs) and ionotropic P2X receptors (P2XRs), up until now ATP has only been shown to activate P2YRs in Bergmann cells, the radial glia of the cerebellar cortex that envelopes Purkinje cell afferent synapses. In this study, using multiple experimental approaches in acute cerebellar slices we demonstrate the existence of functional P2XRs on Bergmann cells. In particular, we show here that Bergmann cells express uniquely P2X7R subtypes: (i) immunohistochemical analysis revealed the presence of P2X7Rs on Bergmann cell processes, (ii) in whole cell recordings P2XR pharmacological agonists induced depolarizing currents that were blocked by specific antagonists of P2X7Rs, and could not be elicited in slices from P2X₇R-deficient mice and finally, (iii) calcium imaging experiments revealed two distinct calcium signals triggered by application of exogenous ATP: a transient signal deriving from release of calcium from intracellular stores, and a persistent one following activation of P2X7Rs. Our data thus reveal a new pathway by which extracellular ATP may affect glial cell function, thus broadening our knowledge on purinergic signaling in the cerebellum.
- Published
- 2011