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. 2005 Apr;25(2):283–295. doi: 10.1007/s10571-005-3060-0

Synaptically Activated Ca2+ Release From Internal Stores in CNS Neurons

William N Ross 1,3,✉, Takeshi Nakamura 2, Shigeo Watanabe 1, Matthew Larkum 3, Nechama Lasser-Ross 1
PMCID: PMC11529495  PMID: 16047542

Abstract

Synaptically activated postsynaptic [Ca2+]i increases occur through three main pathways: Ca2+ entry through voltage-gated Ca2+ channels, Ca2+ entry through ligand-gated channels, and Ca2+ release from internal stores. The first two pathways have been studied intensively; release from stores has been the subject of more recent investigations.

Ca2+ release from stores in CNS neurons primarily occurs as a result of IP3 mobilized by activation of metabotropic glutamatergic and/or cholingergic receptors coupled to PLC. Ca2+ release is localized near spines in Purkinje cells and occurs as a wave in the primary apical dendrites of pyramidal cells in the hippocampus and cortex. The amplitude of the [Ca2+]i increase can reach several micromolar, significantly larger than the increase due to backpropagating spikes.

The large amplitude, long duration, and unique location of the [Ca2+]i increases due to Ca2+ release from stores suggests that these increases can affect specific downstream signaling mechanisms in neurons.

Keywords: dendrite, calcium, pyramidal neuron, IP3

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