Journal
BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-MOLECULAR CELL RESEARCH
Volume 1793, Issue 6, Pages 1033-1040Publisher
ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV
DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2008.12.007
Keywords
Neural gene expression; FGF signalling pathway; DHP-sensitive calcium channel; Noggin; Xenopus
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Funding
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)
- Ministere des Affaires Etrangeres - France
- Croucher Foundation
- Croucher Fellowship
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In vertebrates, the formation of the nervous system starts at gastrulation with a process called neural induction. This process requires, at least in part, the inhibition of BMP signalling in the ectoderm by noggin, as well as FGF receptor activation and Ca2+ signalling. Our studies with Xenopus embryos suggest that an increase in intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+](i)), via dihydropyridine-sensitive Ca2+ channels (DHP-sensitive Ca2+ channels) is necessary and sufficient to direct the ectodermal cells toward a neural fate, and that Ca2+ directly controls the expression of neural genes. The mechanism by which the DHP-sensitive Ca2+ channels are activated during neural induction remains unknown. One possible mechanism is via the activation of FGF signalling. Using isolated ectoderm tissue, here we demonstrated that FGF-4 depolarises the membrane of ectodermal cells and induces an increase in [Ca2+](i) . This Ca2+ increase can be blocked by SU5402, an FGF receptor inhibitor, and by DHP-sensitive Ca2+ channel antagonists. These inhibitors also block the induction of neural genes. We discuss a possible gating mechanism for the activation of DHP-sensitive Ca2+ channels via the FGF signalling pathway, which involves arachidonic acid and TRPC1 channel activation. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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