W. Macias et al., Potassium chloride depolarization mediates CREB phosphorylation in striatal neurons in an NMDA receptor-dependent manner, BRAIN RES, 890(2), 2001, pp. 222-232
Potassium chloride (KCl)-depolarization has been used to study the properti
es of L-type Ca2+ channel-mediated signal transduction in hippocampal neuro
ns. Calcium influx through L-type Ca2+ channels stimulates a second messeng
er pathway that transactivates genes under the regulatory control of the Ca
2+- and cyclic AMP-responsive element (CRE). Here, we show that in striatal
neurons, but not in hippocampal neurons, CRE binding protein (CREB) phosph
orylation and CRE-mediated gene expression after KCl-depolarization depends
on functional NMDA receptors. This difference in NMDA receptor dependence
is not due to different properties of L-type Ca2+ channels in either neuron
al type, but rather to different neuron-intrinsic properties. Despite this
variation, the second messenger pathway activated by KCI requires Ca2+/calm
odulin (CaM) kinase for CREB phosphorylation in both neuronal types. We con
clude that depolarization by KCl works differently in striatal and hippocam
pal neurons. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science BN. All rights reserved.