Rat embryonic hippocampal neurons express a new class A calcium channel variant

The aim of this study was to investigate, using a RT-PCR strategy, rat voltage-gated class A calcium channel (alpha1A) splice variants during rat hippocampus development. Results demonstrate the presence of multiple alpha1A mRNAs with the hippocampus formation and revealed a new variant of the rat alpha1A subunit (alpha1A-EFe) that diverges from alpha1A-a in the EF-hand domain. alpha1A-EFe expression in hippocampal neurons is restricted to the embryonic period. This in vivo developmental program is recapitulated in dissociated cultures of E17 embryonic hippocampal neurons. These data demonstrate that rat hippocampus neurons express a unique alpha1A splice variant during the embryonic period and suggest that alternative RNA splicing may modulate neuronal calcium channel properties during development.