Identification of new functions of Ca2+ release from intracellular stores in central nervous system

Abstract

Ca(2+) release from intracellular stores regulates muscle contraction and a vast array of cell functions, but its role in the central nervous system (CNS) has not been completely elucidated. A new method of blocking IP(3) signaling by artificially expressing IP(3) 5-phosphatase has been used to clarify the functions of intracellular Ca(2+) mobilization in CNS. Here I review two of such functions: the activity-dependent synaptic maintenance mechanism and the regulation of neuronal growth by spontaneous Ca(2+) oscillations in astrocytes. These findings add new bases for better understanding CNS functions and suggest the presence of as yet unidentified neuronal and glial functions that are regulated by Ca(2+) store-dependent Ca(2+) signaling.