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. 1992 Aug;12(4):285–295. doi: 10.1007/BF00734929

Voltage-clamp study of calcium currents during differentiation in the NCB-20 neuronal cell line

Jean-Marc Mienville 1
PMCID: PMC11567199  PMID: 1382858

Abstract

  1. Calcium currents (I Ca) were studied in voltage-clamped NCB-20 cells. In undifferentiated cells, voltage steps from hyperpolarized potentials (-80/-100 mV) essentially revealed transientI Ca showing characteristics classically described for “T-type” channels. In about 50% of the cells, there was a residual current at the end of the step; noI Ca was elicited from a holding potential of-50 mV.

  2. In contrast, 100% of the cells differentiated with dibutyryl cyclic AMP (cAMP) displayed a residual current in addition to the transient one, and depolarizing steps from a holding potential of -50 mV induced a sustained current. In these cells, Bay K 8644 elicited both a negative shift in voltage dependence and a moderate increase of the sustained component.

  3. Although these changes in Ca2+ channel physiology result from chemically induced differentiation, they might not be directly related to the concomitant morphologic differentiation.

  4. In undifferentiated NCB-20 cells, T-type Ca2+ currents can be elicited in relative isolation.

Key words: NCB-20, calcium currents, Bay K 8644, patch clamp, cellular differentiation

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