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Updated: Aug 24, 2026

Fluorescent Calcium Imaging and Subsequent In Situ Hybridization for Neuronal Precursor Characterization in Xenopus laevis
Published on: February 18, 2020
Ca(v)3.2 calcium channels control an autocrine mechanism that promotes neuroblastoma cell differentiation
Jean Chemin1, Joël Nargeot, Philippe Lory
1Laboratoire de Génomique Fonctionnelle, UPR 2580 CNRS, Institut de Génétique Humaine, 141 rue de la Cardonille, F-34094 Montpellier cedex 05, France.
Abstract:
Calcium influx via low-voltage activated alpha(1H) (Ca(v)3.2) T-currents participates in the morphological and electrical differentiation of neuroblastoma NG108-15 cells. We investigated whether an autocrine mechanism could contribute to this differentiation process. The presence of factors secreted by NG108-15 cells was identified through the use of conditioned media (CM) obtained from differentiated cells. These CM significantly increased neuritogenesis with no change in the HVA calcium channel expression. CM-induced neuritogenesis persists during alpha(1H) current block, whereas CM obtained from cells transfected with an alpha(1H) antisense did not induce neuritogenesis. These data indicate that morphological differentiation of NG108-15 cells depends on an autocrine mechanism, which is controlled by alpha(1H) currents. Such a mechanism is likely to play a role in the various differentiation processes that imply alpha(1H) T-type Ca(2+) channels.
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