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- Title
Ca²+; Dependency of N-Cadherin Function Probed by Laser Tweezer and Atomic Force Microscopy.
- Authors
Baumgartner, Werner; Golenhofen, Nikola; Grundhöfer, Niko; Wiegand, Johannes; Drenckhahn, Detlev
- Abstract
This study was undertaken to provide a biophysical basis for the hypothesis that activity-dependent modulation of cadherin-mediated adhesion by transient changes of extracellular calcium ([Ca&sup2+;][sube]) is causally involved in coordination of synaptic plasticity. Characterization of homophilic N-cadherin binding by atomic force microscopy and laser tweezer trapping of N-cadherin-coated microbeads attached to the cell surface of cultured neuronal cells showed that adhesive activity of N-cadherin is effectively regulated between 0.3 and 0.8 mM [Ca&sup2+;[sube]. Furthermore, we show that an increase of [Ca&sup2+;[subi], which is known to be essential for induction of synaptic plasticity, causes significant reduction of cadherin-mediated bead adhesion that could be completely suppressed by inhibition of actin depolymerization. The results of this study show that N-cadherin has ideal biophysical properties to serve as a Ca&sup2+; -dependent sensor for synaptic activity and, at the same time, is strategically located to control synaptic adhesion. A drop of [Ca&sup2+;][sube] and a concomitant increase of [Ca&sup2+;[subi] may act in concert to modulate N-cadherin-based adhesive contacts at synaptic sites.
- Subjects
CALCIUM ions; SYNAPSES; NEURONS; CELLS; NEUROPLASTICITY; NEURAL transmission; NERVES; NERVE endings; NEURAL circuitry
- Publication
Journal of Neuroscience, 2003, Vol 23, Issue 35, p11008
- ISSN
0270-6474
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1523/JNEUROSCI.23-35-11008.2003