Asynchronous Ca2+ current conducted by voltage-gated Ca2+ (CaV)-2.1 and CaV2.2 channels and its implications for asynchronous neurotransmitter release.

We have identified an asynchronously activated Ca(2+) current through voltage-gated Ca(2+) (Ca(V))-2.1 and Ca(V)2.2 channels, which conduct P/Q- and N-type Ca(2+) currents that initiate neurotransmitter release. In nonneuronal cells expressing Ca(V)2.1 or Ca(V)2.2 channels and in hippocampal neurons, prolonged Ca(2+) entry activates a Ca(2+) current, I(Async), which is observed on repolarization and decays slowly with a half-time of 150-300 ms. I(Async) is not observed after L-type Ca(2+) currents of similar size conducted by Ca(V)1.2 channels. I(Async) is Ca(2+)-selective, and it is unaffected by changes in Na(+), K(+), Cl(-), or H(+) or by inhibitors of a broad range of ion channels. During trains of repetitive depolarizations, I(Async) increases in a pulse-wise manner, providing Ca(2+) entry that persists between depolarizations. In single-cultured hippocampal neurons, trains of depolarizations evoke excitatory postsynaptic currents that show facilitation followed by depression accompanied by asynchronous postsynaptic currents that increase steadily during the train in parallel with I(Async). I(Async) is much larger for slowly inactivating Ca(V)2.1 channels containing ß(2a)-subunits than for rapidly inactivating channels containing ß(1b)-subunits. I(Async) requires global rises in intracellular Ca(2+), because it is blocked when Ca(2+) is chelated by 10 mM EGTA in the patch pipette. Neither mutations that prevent Ca(2+) binding to calmodulin nor mutations that prevent calmodulin regulation of Ca(V)2.1 block I(Async). The rise of I(Async) during trains of stimuli, its decay after repolarization, its dependence on global increases of Ca(2+), and its enhancement by ß(2a)-subunits all resemble asynchronous release, suggesting that I(Async) is a Ca(2+) source for asynchronous neurotransmission.

Regulation of presynaptic Ca(V)2.1 channels by Ca2+ sensor proteins mediates short-term synaptic plasticity.

Short-term synaptic plasticity shapes the postsynaptic response to bursts of impulses and is crucial for encoding information in neurons, but the molecular mechanisms are unknown. Here we show that activity-dependent modulation of presynaptic Ca(V)2.1 channels mediated by neuronal Ca(2+) sensor proteins (CaS) induces synaptic plasticity in cultured superior cervical ganglion (SCG) neurons. A mutation of the IQ-like motif in the C terminus that blocks Ca(2+)/CaS-dependent facilitation of the P/Q-type Ca(2+) current markedly reduces facilitation of synaptic transmission. Deletion of the nearby calmodulin-binding domain, which inhibits CaS-dependent inactivation, substantially reduces depression of synaptic transmission. These results demonstrate that residual Ca(2+) in presynaptic terminals can act through CaS-dependent regulation of Ca(V)2.1 channels to induce short-term synaptic facilitation and rapid synaptic depression. Activity-dependent regulation of presynaptic Ca(V)2.1 channels by CaS proteins may therefore be a primary determinant of short-term synaptic plasticity and information-processing in the nervous system.

Molecular determinants of CaV2.1 channel regulation by calcium-binding protein-1.

Presynaptic Ca(V)2.1 channels, which conduct P/Q-type Ca(2+) currents, initiate synaptic transmission at most synapses in the central nervous system. Regulation of Ca(V)2.1 channels by CaM contributes significantly to short term facilitation and rapid depression of synaptic transmission. Short term synaptic plasticity is diverse in form and function at different synapses, yet CaM is ubiquitously expressed. Differential regulation of Ca(V)2.1 channels by CaM-like Ca(2+) sensor (CaS) proteins differentially affects short term synaptic facilitation and rapid synaptic depression in transfected sympathetic neuron synapses. Here, we define the molecular determinants for differential regulation of Ca(V)2.1 channels by the CaS protein calcium-binding protein-1 (CaBP1) by analysis of chimeras in which the unique structural domains of CaBP1 are inserted into CaM. Our results show that the N-terminal domain, including its myristoylation site, and the second EF-hand, which is inactive in Ca(2+) binding, are the key molecular determinants of differential regulation of Ca(V)2.1 channels by CaBP1. These findings give insight into the molecular code by which CaS proteins differentially regulate Ca(V)2.1 channel function and provide diversity of form and function of short term synaptic plasticity.

Modulation of CaV2.1 channels by the neuronal calcium-binding protein visinin-like protein-2.

CaV2.1 channels conduct P/Q-type Ca2+ currents that are modulated by calmodulin (CaM) and the structurally related Ca2+-binding protein 1 (CaBP1). Visinin-like protein-2 (VILIP-2) is a CaM-related Ca2+-binding protein expressed in the neocortex and hippocampus. Coexpression of CaV2.1 and VILIP-2 in tsA-201 cells resulted in Ca2+ channel modulation distinct from CaM and CaBP1. CaV2.1 channels with beta2a subunits undergo Ca2+-dependent facilitation and inactivation attributable to association of endogenous Ca2+/CaM. VILIP-2 coexpression does not alter facilitation measured in paired-pulse experiments but slows the rate of inactivation to that seen without Ca2+/CaM binding and reduces inactivation of Ca2+ currents during trains of repetitive depolarizations. CaV2.1 channels with beta1b subunits have rapid voltage-dependent inactivation, and VILIP-2 has no effect on the rate of inactivation or facilitation of the Ca2+ current. In contrast, when Ba2+ replaces Ca2+ as the charge carrier, VILIP-2 slows inactivation. The effects of VILIP-2 are prevented by deletion of the CaM-binding domain (CBD) in the C terminus of CaV2.1 channels. However, both the CBD and an upstream IQ-like domain must be deleted to prevent VILIP-2 binding. Our results indicate that VILIP-2 binds to the CBD and IQ-like domains of CaV2.1 channels like CaM but slows inactivation, which enhances facilitation of CaV2.1 channels during extended trains of stimuli. Comparison of VILIP-2 effects with those of CaBP1 indicates striking differences in modulation of both facilitation and inactivation. Differential regulation of CaV2.1 channels by CaM, VILIP-2, CaBP1, and other neurospecific Ca2+-binding proteins is a potentially important determinant of Ca2+ entry in neurotransmission.

Differential regulation of CaV2.1 channels by calcium-binding protein 1 and visinin-like protein-2 requires N-terminal myristoylation.

P/Q-type Ca2+ currents through presynaptic CaV2.1 channels initiate neurotransmitter release, and differential modulation of these channels by neuronal calcium-binding proteins (nCaBPs) may contribute to synaptic plasticity. The nCaBPs calcium-binding protein 1 (CaBP1) and visinin-like protein-2 (VILIP-2) differ from calmodulin (CaM) in that they have an N-terminal myristoyl moiety and one EF-hand that is inactive in binding Ca2+. To determine whether myristoylation contributes to their distinctive modulatory properties, we studied the regulation of CaV2.1 channels by the myristoyl-deficient mutants CaBP1/G2A and VILIP-2/G2A. CaBP1 positively shifts the voltage dependence of CaV2.1 activation, accelerates inactivation, and prevents paired-pulse facilitation in a Ca2+-independent manner. Block of myristoylation abolished these effects, leaving regulation that is similar to endogenous CaM. CaBP1/G2A binds to CaV2.1 with reduced stability, but in situ protein cross-linking and immunocytochemical studies revealed that it binds CaV2.1 in situ and is localized to the plasma membrane by coexpression with CaV2.1, indicating that it binds effectively in intact cells. In contrast to CaBP1, coexpression of VILIP-2 slows inactivation in a Ca2+-independent manner, but this effect also requires myristoylation. These results suggest a model in which nonmyristoylated CaBP1 and VILIP-2 bind to CaV2.1 channels and regulate them like CaM, whereas myristoylation allows differential, Ca2+-independent regulation by the inactive EF-hands of CaBP1 and VILIP-2, which differ in their positions in the protein structure. Differential, myristoylation-dependent regulation of presynaptic Ca2+ channels by nCaBPs may provide a flexible mechanism for diverse forms of short-term synaptic plasticity.

Calcium channel regulation and presynaptic plasticity.

Voltage-gated calcium (Ca(2+)) channels initiate release of neurotransmitters at synapses, and regulation of presynaptic Ca(2+) channels has a powerful influence on synaptic strength. Presynaptic Ca(2+) channels form a large signaling complex, which targets synaptic vesicles to Ca(2+) channels for efficient release and mediates Ca(2+) channel regulation. Presynaptic plasticity regulates synaptic function on the timescale of milliseconds to minutes in response to neurotransmitters and the frequency of action potentials. This article reviews the regulation of presynaptic Ca(2+) channels by effectors and regulators of Ca(2+) signaling and describes the emerging evidence for a critical role of Ca(2+) channel regulation in control of neurotransmission and in presynaptic plasticity. Failure of function and regulation of presynaptic Ca(2+) channels leads to migraine, ataxia, and potentially other forms of neurological disease. We propose that presynaptic Ca(2+) channels serve as the regulatory node in a dynamic, multilayered signaling network that exerts short-term control of neurotransmission in response to synaptic activity.

Glycinergic mIPSCs in mouse and rat brainstem auditory nuclei: modulation by ruthenium red and the role of calcium stores.

Spontaneous miniature inhibitory postsynaptic currents (mIPSCs) recorded in central neurons are usually highly variable in amplitude due to many factors such as intrinsic postsynaptic channel fluctuations at each release site, site-to-site variability between release sites, electrotonic attenuation due to variable dendritic locations of synapses, and the possibility of synchronous multivesicular release. A detailed knowledge of these factors is essential for the interpretation of mIPSC amplitude distributions and mean quantal size. We have studied glycinergic mIPSCs in two auditory brainstem nuclei, the rat anteroventral cochlear nucleus (AVCN) and the mouse medial nucleus of the trapezoid body (MNTB). Our previous results have demonstrated the location of glycinergic synapses on these neurons to be somatic, thus avoiding electrotonic complications. Spontaneous glycinergic mIPSCs were recorded from AVCN and MNTB neurons in brainstem slices, in the presence of TTX to block action potentials, and 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2, 3-dione, (+/-)-2-amino-5-phosphonopentanoic acid and bicuculline to block glutamatergic and GABAergic synaptic currents. Ruthenium red (RuR), which was used to increase the frequency of mIPSCs, significantly changed the shape of most (90 %) mIPSC amplitude distributions by increasing the proportion of large-amplitude mIPSCs. The possibility was investigated (following previous evidence at GABAergic synapses) that large-amplitude glycinergic mIPSCs are due to synchronous multivesicular release initiated by presynaptic calcium sparks from ryanodine-sensitive calcium stores. Interval analysis of mIPSCs indicated that the number of potentially undetected (asynchrony < 0.5 ms) multivesicular mIPSCs was low in comparison with the number of large-amplitude mIPSCs. Ryanodine, thapsigargin and calcium-free perfusate did not reduce the frequency of large-amplitude mIPSCs (> 150 pA), arguing against a significant role for presynaptic calcium stores. Our results support previous evidence suggesting that RuR increases miniature postsynaptic current (mSC) frequency by a mechanism that does not involve presynaptic calcium stores. Our results also indicate that at glycinergic synapses in the AVCN and MNTB, site-to-site variability in mIPSC amplitude, rather than multivesicular release, is a major factor underlying the large range of amplitudes of glycinergic mIPSCs.