Role of Intracellular Na+ in the Regulation of [Ca2+]i in the Rat Suprachiasmatic Nucleus Neurons

Transmembrane Ca2+ influx is essential to the proper functioning of the central clock in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). In the rat SCN neurons, the clearance of somatic Ca2+ following depolarization-induced Ca2+ transients involves Ca2+ extrusion via Na+/Ca2+ exchanger (NCX) and mitochondrial Ca2+ buffering. Here we show an important role of intracellular Na+ in the regulation of [Ca2+]i in these neurons. The effect of Na+ loading on [Ca2+]i was determined with the Na+ ionophore monensin and the cardiac glycoside ouabain to block Na+/K+-ATPase (NKA). Ratiometric Na+ and Ca2+ imaging was used to measure the change in [Na+]i and [Ca2+]i, and cell-attached recordings to investigate the effects of monensin and ouabain on spontaneous firing. Our results show that in spite of opposite effects on spontaneous firing and basal [Ca2+], both monensin and ouabain induced Na+ loading, and increased the peak amplitude, slowed the fast decay rate, and enhanced the slow decay phase of 20 mM K+-evoked Ca2+ transients. Furthermore, both ouabain and monensin preferentially enhanced nimodipine-insensitive Ca2+ transients. Together, our results indicate that in the SCN neurons the NKA plays an important role in regulating [Ca2+]i, in particular, associated with nimodipine-insensitive Ca2+ channels.

Role of Na+/Ca2+ exchanger in Ca2+ homeostasis in rat suprachiasmatic nucleus neurons

Intracellular Ca2+ is critical to the central clock of the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). However, the role of Na+/Ca2+ exchanger (NCX) in intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) homeostasis in the SCN is unknown. Here we show that NCX is an important mechanism for somatic Ca2+ clearance in SCN neurons. In control conditions Na+-free solution lowered [Ca2+]i by inhibiting TTX-sensitive as well as nimodipine-sensitive Ca2+ influx. With use of the Na+ ionophore monensin to raise intracellular Na+ concentration ([Na+]i), Na+-free solution provoked rapid Ca2+ uptake via reverse NCX. The peak amplitude of 0 Na+-induced [Ca2+]i increase was larger during the day than at night, with no difference between dorsal and ventral SCN neurons. Ca2+ extrusion via forward NCX was studied by determining the effect of Na+ removal on Ca2+ clearance after high-K+-induced Ca2+ loads. The clearance of Ca2+ proceeded with two exponential decay phases, with the fast decay having total signal amplitude of ∼85% and a time constant of ∼7 s. Na+-free solution slowed the fast decay rate threefold, whereas mitochondrial protonophore prolonged mostly the slow decay. In contrast, blockade of plasmalemmal and sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum Ca2+ pumps had little effect on the kinetics of Ca2+ clearance. RT-PCR indicated the expression of NCX1 and NCX2 mRNAs. Immunohistochemical staining showed the presence of NCX1 immunoreactivity in the whole SCN but restricted distribution of NCX2 immunoreactivity in the ventrolateral SCN. Together our results demonstrate an important role of NCX, most likely NCX1, as well as mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake in clearing somatic Ca2+ after depolarization-induced Ca2+ influx in SCN neurons.

Intermediates in monensin biosynthesis: A late step in biosynthesis of the polyether ionophore monensin is crucial for the integrity of cation binding

Polyether antibiotics such as monensin are biosynthesised via a cascade of directed ring expansions operating on a putative polyepoxide precursor. The resulting structures containing fused cyclic ethers and a lipophilic backbone can form strong ionophoric complexes with certain metal cations. In this work, we demonstrate for monensin biosynthesis that, as well as ether formation, a late-stage hydroxylation step is crucial for the correct formation of the sodium monensin complex. We have investigated the last two steps in monensin biosynthesis, namely hydroxylation catalysed by the P450 monooxygenase MonD andO-methylation catalysed by the methyl-transferase MonE. The corresponding genes were deleted in-frame in a monensin-overproducing strain ofStreptomyces cinnamonensis. The mutants produced the expected monensin derivatives in excellent yields (ΔmonD: 1.13 g L−1dehydroxymonensin; ΔmonE: 0.50 g L−1demethylmonensin; and double mutant ΔmonDΔmonE: 0.34 g L−1dehydroxydemethylmonensin). Single crystals were obtained from purified fractions of dehydroxymonensin and demethylmonensin. X-ray structure analysis revealed that the conformation of sodium dimethylmonensin is very similar to that of sodium monensin. In contrast, the coordination of the sodium ion is significantly different in the sodium dehydroxymonensin complex. This shows that the final constitution of the sodium monensin complex requires this tailoring step as well as polyether formation.