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J Meldolesi

Publications and source records attributed to J Meldolesi.

245 records · Page 14Linked to original sources
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Ca2+ channels and intracellular Ca2+ stores in neuronal and neuroendocrine cells.

Changes in [Ca2+]i are essential in modulating a variety of cellular functions. In no other cell type does the regulation of [Ca2+]i reach the level of sophistication observed in cells of neuronal origin. Because of its physicochemical characteristics, the fluorescent Ca2+ indicator Fura-2 has become extremely popular among neuroscientists. The use of this probe, however, has generated a number of problems, in particular, extracytosolic trapping and leakage from intact cells. In the first part of this contribution we briefly discuss the practical application of Fura-2 to the study of [Ca2+]i in primary cultures of neurons and astrocytes. In the second part, we review some recent data (mainly from our laboratories) obtained in neurons and neuroendocrine cells, concerning the regulation of different types of Ca2+ channels and the role and mechanism of intracellular Ca2+ mobilization. The experimental evidence supporting the existence of a previously unrecognised organelle, the calciosome, that we hypothesize represents the functional equivalent in non-muscle cells of sarcoplasmic reticulum, will also briefly be discussed.

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Surface wound healing: a new, general function of eukaryotic cells.

The ability to repair surface wounds is a property, necessary for long-term survival, expressed to various extents by all eukaryotic cell types except erythrocytes. The process is based on the rapid Ca(2+)-induced exocytosis of various types of specific organelles, such as lysosomes and enlargeosomes, that decreases surface tension and makes possible the spontaneous fusion of lipid monolayers at the lesion edges. The recognized importance of the process in physiology and in several cases of pathology is discussed.

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Heterogeneity of NGF-induced differentiation in PC12 cells investigated in a battery of isolated cell clones.

The effect of NGF on a set of 17 PC12 cell clones was investigated in order to clarify some aspects concerning the changes in cell morphology and Ca2+ homeostasis that occur in the PC12 cell line after NGF-induced differentiation. The morphological parameters analyzed showed a high degree of heterogeneity among clones, consisting with a different expression of the high-affinity NGF receptor. The NGF effect on Ca2+ influx was investigated in a clone highly sensitive to the cholinergic agonist carbachol. Results showed an increase in Ca2+ influx through one of the carbachol-activated Ca2+ channels.

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