No abstract

A key feature of signalling in dendritic spines is the synapse-specific transduction of short electrical signals into biochemical responses. Ca2+ is a major upstream effector in this transduction cascade, serving both as a depolarising electrical charge carrier at the membrane and an intracellular second messenger. Upon action potential firing, the majority of spines are subject to global back-propagating action potential (bAP) Ca2+ transients. These transients translate neuronal suprathreshold activation into intracellular biochemical events. Using a combination of electrophysiology, two-photon Ca2+ imaging, and modelling, we demonstrate that bAPs are electrochemically coupled to Ca2+ release from intracellular stores via ryanodine receptors (RyRs). We describe a new function mediated by spine RyRs: the activity-dependent long-term enhancement of the bAP-Ca2+ transient. Spines regulate bAP Ca2+ influx independent of each other, as bAP-Ca2+ transient enhancement is compartmentalized and independent of the dendritic Ca2+ transient. Furthermore, this functional state change depends exclusively on bAPs travelling antidromically into dendrites and spines. Induction, but not expression, of bAP-Ca2+ transient enhancement is a spine-specific function of the RyR. We demonstrate that RyRs can form specific Ca2+ signalling nanodomains within single spines. Functionally, RyR mediated Ca2+ release in these nanodomains induces a new form of Ca2+ transient plasticity that constitutes a spine specific storage mechanism of neuronal suprathreshold activity patterns.

The oscillating concentration of intracellular calcium is one of the most important examples for collective dynamics in cell biology. Localized releases of calcium through clusters of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor channels constitute elementary signals called calcium puffs. Coupling by diffusing calcium leads to global releases and waves, but the exact mechanism of inter-cluster coupling and triggering of waves is unknown. To elucidate the relation of puffs and waves, we here model a cluster of IP3R channels using a gating scheme with variable non-equilibrium IP3 binding. Hybrid stochastic and deterministic simulations show that puffs are not stereotyped events of constant duration but are sensitive to stimulation strength and residual calcium. For increasing IP3 concentration, the release events become modulated at a timescale of minutes, with repetitive wave-like releases interspersed with several puffs. This modulation is consistent with experimental observations we present, including refractoriness and increase of puff frequency during the inter-wave interval. Our results suggest that waves are established by a random but time-modulated appearance of sustained release events, which have a high potential to trigger and synchronize activity throughout the cell.

It is well known that calcium (Ca) is involved in the triggering of neuronal death. Ca cytosolic levels are regulated by Ca release from internal stores located in organelles, such as the endoplasmic reticulum. Indeed, Ca transit from distinct cell compartments follows complex dynamics that are mediated by specific receptors, notably inositol trisphosphate receptors (IP3Rs). Ca release by IP3Rs plays essential roles in several neurological disorders; however, details of these processes are poorly understood. Moreover, recent studies have shown that subcellular location, molecular identity, and density of IP3Rs profoundly affect Ca transit in neurons. Therefore, regulation of IP3R gene products in specific cellular vicinities seems to be crucial in a wide range of cellular processes from neuroprotection to neurodegeneration. In this regard, microRNAs seem to govern not only IP3Rs translation levels but also subcellular accumulation. Combining new data from molecular cell biology with mathematical modelling, we were able to summarize the state of the art on this topic. In addition to presenting how Ca dynamics mediated by IP3R activation follow a stochastic regimen, we integrated a theoretical approach in an easy-to-apply, cell biology-coherent fashion. Following the presented premises and in contrast to previously tested hypotheses, Ca released by IP3Rs may play different roles in specific neurological diseases, including Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease.