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Intracellular signalling

Receptor-specific messenger oscillations

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Abstract

The cytosolic molecule inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate (InsP3) acts as a messenger to link receptors at the cell surface with alterations in calcium concentration inside the cell1, but it is not clear how production of InsP3 is related to the often-complex calcium response2. Here we use a fluorescent biosensor to visualize InsP3 synthesis in individual cells in real time and show that this is periodically switched on and off in a receptor-specific manner. Our findings are consistent with intracellular calcium oscillations being generated by either fluctuating or sustained concentrations of InsP3, which may allow diversity of signalling through the same signal-transduction pathway.

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Figure 1: Single-cell imaging of intracellular InsP3 and [Ca2+]i in Chinese hamster ovary cells expressing mGlu5a or M3-muscarinic receptors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Cell Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical Sciences Building, University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester, LE1 9HN, UK

    Mark S. Nash, Kenneth W. Young, R. A. John Challiss & Stefan R. Nahorski

Authors
  1. Mark S. Nash
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  2. Kenneth W. Young
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  3. R. A. John Challiss
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  4. Stefan R. Nahorski
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Correspondence to Stefan R. Nahorski.

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Nash, M., Young, K., John Challiss, R. et al. Receptor-specific messenger oscillations. Nature 413, 381–382 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1038/35096643

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