Dysregulation of Ca2+ signaling in astrocytes from mice lacking amyloid precursor protein

The relationship between altered metabolism of the amyloid-β precursor protein (APP) and Alzheimer's disease is well established but the physiological roles of APP still remain unclear. Here, we studied Ca2+ signaling in primary cultured and freshly dissociated cortical astrocytes from APP knockout (KO) mice and from Tg5469 mice overproducing by five- to sixfold wild-type APP. Resting cytosolic Ca2+ (measured with fura-2) was not altered in cultured astrocytes from APP KO mice. The stored Ca2+ evaluated by measuring peak amplitude of cyclopiazonic acid [CPA, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) Ca2+ ATPase inhibitor]-induced Ca2+ transients in Ca2+-free medium was significantly smaller in APP KO astrocytes than in wild-type cells. Store-operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE) activated by ER Ca2+ store depletion with CPA was also greatly reduced in APP KO astrocytes. This reflected a downregulated expression in APP KO astrocytes of TRPC1 (C-type transient receptor potential) and Orai1 proteins, essential components of store-operated channels (SOCs). Indeed, silencer RNA (siRNA) knockdown of Orai1 protein expression in wild-type astrocytes significantly attenuated SOCE. SOCE was also essentially reduced in freshly dissociated APP KO astrocytes. Importantly, knockdown of APP with siRNA in cultured wild-type astrocytes markedly attenuated ATP- and CPA-induced ER Ca2+ release and extracellular Ca2+ influx. The latter correlated with downregulation of TRPC1. Overproduction of APP in Tg5469 mice did not alter, however, the stored Ca2+ level, SOCE, and expression of TRPC1/4/5 in cultured astrocytes from these mice. The data demonstrate that the functional role of APP in astrocytes involves the regulation of TRPC1/Orai1-encoded SOCs critical for Ca2+ signaling.