The role of voltage-gated calcium channels in neurotransmitter phenotype specification: Coexpression and functional analysis in Xenopus laevis.

ABSTRACT: Calcium activity has been implicated in many neurodevelopmental events, including the specification of neurotransmitter phenotypes. Higher levels of calcium activity lead to an increased number of inhibitory neural phenotypes, whereas lower levels of calcium activity lead to excitatory neural phenotypes. Voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCCs) allow for rapid calcium entry and are expressed during early neural stages, making them likely regulators of activity-dependent neurotransmitter phenotype specification. To test this hypothesis, multiplex fluorescent in situ hybridization was used to characterize the coexpression of eight VGCC α1 subunits with the excitatory and inhibitory neural markers xVGlut1 and xVIAAT in Xenopus laevis embryos. VGCC coexpression was higher with xVGlut1 than xVIAA

SUBMITTER: Lewis BB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4043876 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature