Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology (Aug 2020)

Calcium Dynamics in Astrocytes During Cell Injury

  • Nicole M. Wakida,
  • Veronica Gomez-Godinez,
  • Huayan Li,
  • Jessica Nguyen,
  • Edward K. Kim,
  • Joseph L. Dynes,
  • Shivashankar Othy,
  • Alice L. Lau,
  • Peng Ding,
  • Linda Shi,
  • Christopher Carmona,
  • Leslie M. Thompson,
  • Leslie M. Thompson,
  • Leslie M. Thompson,
  • Leslie M. Thompson,
  • Michael D. Cahalan,
  • Michael D. Cahalan,
  • Michael W. Berns,
  • Michael W. Berns,
  • Michael W. Berns

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fbioe.2020.00912
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 8

Abstract

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The changes in intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+]) following laser-induced cell injury in nearby cells were studied in primary mouse astrocytes selectively expressing the Ca2+ sensitive GFAP-Cre Salsa6f fluorescent tandem protein, in an Ast1 astrocyte cell line, and in primary mouse astrocytes loaded with Fluo4. Astrocytes in these three systems exhibit distinct changes in [Ca2+] following induced death of nearby cells. Changes in [Ca2+] appear to result from release of Ca2+ from intracellular organelles, as opposed to influx from the external medium. Salsa6f expressing astrocytes displayed dynamic Ca2+ changes throughout the phagocytic response, including lamellae protrusion, cytosolic signaling during vesicle formation, vesicle maturation, and vesicle tract formation. Our results demonstrate local changes in [Ca2+] are involved in the process of phagocytosis in astrocytes responding to cell corpses and/or debris.

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