Abstract:The metabotropic glutamate receptor mGluR5, but not the closely related mGluRl, is expressed in cultured astrocytes, and this expression is up-regulated by specific growth factors. We investigated the capability and underlying mechanisms of mGluR5 to induce oscillatory responses of intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca 2~]) in cultured rat astrocytes. recordings indicated that an mGluR-selective agonist, (1 S,3R)-1 -aminocyclopentane-1,3-dicarboxylate (1 S,3R-ACPD), elicits [Ca2~], oscillations in good agreement with the growth factor-induced up-regulation of mGluR5 in cultured astrocytes. A protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor, bisindolylmaleimide I, converted a 1S,3R-ACPD-mediated oscillatory response into a nonoscillatory response. In addition, the PKC activator phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate completely abolished the [Ca2~]increase. These and other pharmacological properties of 1S,3R-ACPD-induced [Ca2~]õscillations correlate well with those of the cloned mGluR5 characterized in heterologous expression systems. Furthermore, the potential involvement of protein phosphatases in [Ca2~]õscilla-tions is suggested. The present study demonstrates that mGluR5 is capable of inducing [Ca2~] 1 oscillations in cultured astrocytes and that phosphorylation/dephosphorylation of mGluR5 is critical in [Ca 2~]oscillations, analogous to the cloned mGluR5 expressed in heterologous cell lines.