Glutamate triggers elevation of intracellular Ca2+ concentration in neuralprecursor cells

Both neurons and glial cells are derived from neural precursor cells in the ventricular zone during brain development. The fate of the neural precurso r cells is affected by neurotransmitters such as glutamate. In this study, we examined glutamate-triggered intracellular Ca2+ signaling in neural prec ursor cell lines by the calcium digital imaging method. When immortalized p rimary-cultured neural precursor cells were treated with glutamate, a subpo pulation of these cells showed an increase in intracellular Ca2+ concentrat ion. In an effort to determine the role of the glutamate-triggered intracel lular Ca2+ signal in neural precursor cells, we tried to culture immortaliz ed basal ganglial and hippocampal neural precursor cell lines in glutamate- free medium. The hippocampal (MHP-2) cells became adapted to the glutamate- free medium, and when treated with glutamate the adapted subline (MHP-2-E1) showed an increase in intracellular Ca2+ concentration. In contrast, the b asal ganglial neural precursor cell lines failed to become adapted to the g lutamate-free medium. These results suggest that hippocampal and basal gang lial neural precursor cells differ in their cellular response to glutamate as an exogenous stimulus.