| First Author | von Lewinski F | Year | 2008 |
| Journal | Neurosci Lett | Volume | 445 |
| Issue | 3 | Pages | 224-8 |
| PubMed ID | 18782598 | Mgi Jnum | J:142609 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:3821820 | Doi | 10.1016/j.neulet.2008.08.084 |
| Citation | von Lewinski F, et al. (2008) Low Ca2+ buffering in hypoglossal motoneurons of mutant SOD1 (G93A) mice. Neurosci Lett 445(3):224-8 |
| abstractText | Mutations in the Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1) gene are associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a fatal neurodegenerative disorder characterized by a selective degeneration of brainstem and spinal motoneurons. The pathomechanism of degeneration is still incompletely understood, but includes a disruption in cellular Ca2+ homeostasis. Here we report a quantitative microfluorometric analysis of the Ca2+ homeostasis in vulnerable hypoglossal motoneurons of neonatal mutant (G93A) SOD1 transgenic mice, a mouse model of human ALS. Ca2+ transient decay times (tau = 0.3 s), extrusion rates (gamma = 92 s(-1)) and exceptionally low intrinsic Ca2+ binding ratios (kappaS = 30) were found to be in the same range as compared to non-transgenic animals. Together with the previous observation of high Ca2+ binding ratios in ALS-resistant neurons (e.g. oculomotor), this supports the assumption that low Ca2+ buffering in vulnerable motoneurons represents a significant risk factor for degeneration. On the other hand, alterations in buffering properties by expression of mutant SOD1 are unlikely to be involved in disease initiation. |
