Functional plasticity of the N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor in differentiating human erythroid precursor cells
Abstract
Calcium signaling is essential to support erythroid proliferation and differentiation. Precise control of the intracellular Ca(2+) levels in erythroid precursor cells (EPCs) is afforded by coordinated expression and function of several cation channels, including the recently identified N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR). Here, we characterized the changes in Ca(2+) uptake and electric currents mediated by the NMDARs occurring during EPC differentiation using flow cytometry and patch clamp. During erythropoietic maturation, subunit composition and properties of the receptor changed; in proerythroblasts and basophilic erythroblasts, fast deactivating currents with high amplitudes were mediated by the GluN2A subunit-dominated receptors, while at the polychromatic and orthochromatic erythroblast stages, the GluN2C subunit was getting more abundant, overriding the expression of GluN2A. At these stages, the currents mediated by the NMDARs carried the features characteristic of the GluN2C-containing receptors, such as prolonged decay time and lower conductance. Kinetics of this switch in NMDAR properties and abundance varied markedly from donor to donor. Despite this variability, NMDARs were essential for survival of EPCs in any su...Continue Reading
References
Ca2+-activated K+ channels in human red cells. Comparison of single-channel currents with ion fluxes
Citations
Methods Mentioned
Software Mentioned
Related Concepts
Related Feeds
Calcium & Bioenergetics
Bioenergetic processes, including cellular respiration and photosynthesis, concern the transformation of energy by cells. Here is the latest research on the role of calcium in bioenergetics.