TrkA mediates the nerve growth factor-induced intracellular calcium accumulation

Regulation of the cytosolic free Ca2+ concentration by nerve growth factor was investigated in C6-2B glioma cells newly expressing the high affinity nerve growth factor receptor trkA, using Fura-2 fluorescence ratio imaging. In these cells, nerve growth factor (50 ng/ml) evoked a novel approximately 3-fold increase in cytosolic free Ca2+ concentration, while no measurable Ca2+ response was observed in wild type or mock-transfected cells lacking a functional trkA receptor. K-252a, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor which prevents nerve growth factor-mediated responses in C6-2B cells expressing trkA, also blocked the rise in cytosolic free Ca2+ concentration by nerve growth factor. Moreover, basic fibroblast growth factor, which in these cells elicits biochemical changes similar to nerve growth factor, failed to affect cytosolic free Ca2+ concentration, further supporting the specificity of nerve growth factor/trkA receptor in mediating a Ca2+ response. While insensitive to chelation of extracellular Ca2+, the response was abolished following depletion of Ca2+ stores or blockade of intracellular Ca2+ release, providing strong evidence that intracellular Ca2+ is the main source for nerve growth factor-evoked cytosolic free Ca2+ concentration increase. Nerve growth factor increased the cytosolic free Ca2+ concentration also in NIH3T3 cells overexpressing trkA but devoid of p75 nerve growth factor receptor. Our data suggest that trkA but not p75 is required for nerve growth factor-evoked Ca2+ signaling.