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Glial cells of the oligodendrocyte lineage express proton‐activated Na + channels
Author(s) -
Sontheimer H.,
Perouansky M.,
Hoppe D.,
Lux H. D.,
Grantyn R.,
Kettenmann H.
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
journal of neuroscience research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.72
H-Index - 160
eISSN - 1097-4547
pISSN - 0360-4012
DOI - 10.1002/jnr.490240406
Subject(s) - oligodendrocyte , extracellular , biophysics , astrocyte , neuroglia , myelin , ion channel , chemistry , membrane potential , precursor cell , microbiology and biotechnology , biology , biochemistry , neuroscience , central nervous system , cell , receptor
Neurons and oligodendrocytes, but not type I astrocytes and Schwann cells, generate large Na + currents in response to a step increase of [H + ]. Proton‐activated Na + channels are the first cationic channels expressed in neuronal precursor cells from the mammalian brain. Glial precursor cells cultured from mouse brain are also capable of generating Na + currents in response to step acidification (I Na(H) ). With further development along the oligodendrocyte lineage, this property is retained, whereas voltage‐activated Na + and K + currents disappear. Comparing I Na(H) of oligodendrocytes with I Na(H) of their precursor cells did not reveal a difference in current amplitude, suggesting a higher density of I Na(H) channels on the (smaller) precursor cells. The properties of I Na(H) in glial precursor cells and oligodendrocytes are similar to those of neurons, with respect to activation conditions, time course, and the effect of extracellular Ca 2+ concentrations. The results are consistent with previous observations which showed that oligodendrocytes partially preserve their chemically activated, but completely lose their voltage‐activated, ion channels.