Inhibitory effect of somatostatin-14 on L-type voltage-gated calcium channels in cultured cone photoreceptors requires intracellular calcium. Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • The inhibitory effects of somatostatin have been well documented for many physiological processes. The action of somatostatin is through G-protein-coupled receptor-mediated second-messenger signaling, which in turn affects other downstream targets including ion channels. In the retina, somatostatin is released from a specific class of amacrine cells. Here we report that there was a circadian phase-dependent effect of somatostatin-14 (SS14) on the L-type voltage-gated calcium channels (L-VGCCs) in cultured chicken cone photoreceptors, and our study reveals that this process is dependent on intracellular calcium stores. Application of 500 nM SS14 for 2 h caused a decrease in L-VGCC currents only during the subjective night but not the subjective day. We then explored the cellular mechanisms underlying the circadian phase-dependent effect of SS14. The inhibitory effect of SS14 on L-VGCCs was mediated through the pertussis-toxin-sensitive G-protein-dependent somatostatin receptor 2 (sst2). Activation of sst2 by SS14 further activated downstream signaling involving phospholipase C and intracellular calcium stores. Mobilization of intracellular Ca2+ was required for somatostatin induced inhibition of photoreceptor L-VGCCs, suggesting that somatostatin plays an important role in the modulation of photoreceptor physiology.

published proceedings

  • J Neurophysiol

author list (cited authors)

  • Jian, K., Barhoumi, R., Ko, M. L., & Ko, G.

citation count

  • 10

complete list of authors

  • Jian, Kuihuan||Barhoumi, Rola||Ko, Michael L||Ko, Gladys Y-P

publication date

  • September 2009