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Regulation of neuronal endoplasmic reticulum calcium stores by intraluminal calcium

Reference	C12751
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Professor Alexej Verkhratsky
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors	Dr Emil Toescu
Institution	The University of Manchester
Department	Life Sciences
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	268,776
Status	Completed
Type	Research Grant
Start date	15/05/2000
End date	15/05/2003
Duration	36 months

Abstract

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) CA2+ stores are an important modulator of neuronal plasticity. This modulatory role can be expressed by the ER acting either as a 'CA2+ sink' or as an amplifier of the plasma-membrane generated CA2+ signal. It is believed, but not yet demonstrated, that the expression of these opposite ER functions is determined by the amount of CA2+ already present in the ER. Our aim here is to provide a clearer understanding of this relationship having as a working hypothesis that intraluminal CA2+ concentration controls both CA2+ accumulation and CA2+ release. For this purpose, new methodologies of directly recording intraluminal CA2+ will be applied to neurones and correlated with recordings of [CA2+] changes and transmembrane CA2+ currents. The experiments will be performed in a) culture systems, and b) brain slice preparations, which are the nearest in vitro model of the in situ situation.

Summary

unavailable

Committee	Closed Committee - Biochemistry & Cell Biology (BCB)
Research Topics	X – not assigned to a current Research Topic
Research Priority	X – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative	X - not in an Initiative
Funding Scheme	X – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme

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