Structural and molecular differentiation of cultured human neurons is accompanied by alterations of spontaneous and evoked calcium dynamics
Journal article
Negi, Deepika, Shorter, Susan, Goodhall, Iain, Razansky, Daniel, Shergil, Sukhi and Ovsepian, Saak V 2025. Structural and molecular differentiation of cultured human neurons is accompanied by alterations of spontaneous and evoked calcium dynamics. Scientific Reports. 15 (1), p. 34196. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-15561-0
| Authors | Negi, Deepika, Shorter, Susan, Goodhall, Iain, Razansky, Daniel, Shergil, Sukhi and Ovsepian, Saak V |
|---|---|
| Abstract | During development, neuronal precursors transform from a pluripotent state into specialized neurons. While much research has been conducted into morphological and molecular changes, there is a pressing need to define accompanying functional alterations. We used immunofluorescence microscopy and live imaging in SH-SY5Y-derived human neurons to elucidate the relationship between structural and molecular differentiation with evoked and spontaneous Ca2+ dynamics. In the undifferentiated state expressing trace amounts of neuronal markers, SH-SY5Y cells maintain spontaneous high-amplitude slow Ca2+ oscillations, with their stimulation by carbochol activating low-amplitude Ca2+ transients. Driving SH-SY5Y cells into the 2CL state by retinoic acid facilitated the outgrowth of neurites and expression of neuron-specific proteins. These changes are accompanied by the abolition of Ca2+ oscillations. Differentiating SH-SY5Y cells into definitive neurons by a cocktail of retinoic acid and BDNF induced their polarization and enrichment with specific neuronal markers, accompanied by a resurgence of spontaneous Ca2+ oscillations but with faster kinetics. The carbachol-induced rise of Ca2+ in these cells showed a higher peak and biphasic decay. At all developmental stages, Ca2+ transients in response to ionomycin were indistinguishable. These findings lead us to conclude that a switch of Ca2+ dynamics accompanies structural and molecular differentiation of SH-SY5Y cell-derived human neurons, contributing to the developmental process. |
| Keywords | Spontaneous activity; SH-SY5Y cells; Calcium imaging; Molecular polarization; Neuroblastoma-derived neurons; Calcium; Tretinoin; Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; Cell differentiation; Calcium signalling |
| Year | 2025 |
| Journal | Scientific Reports |
| Journal citation | 15 (1), p. 34196 |
| Publisher | Springer Nature |
| ISSN | 2045-2322 |
| Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-15561-0 |
| Official URL | https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-15561-0 |
| Funder | Swiss National Science Foundation |
| Publication dates | |
| Online | 01 Oct 2025 |
| 01 Oct 2025 | |
| Publication process dates | |
| Accepted | 08 Aug 2025 |
| Deposited | 02 Oct 2025 |
| Publisher's version | License File Access Level Open |
| Output status | Published |
| Additional information | Publications router. |
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https://repository.canterbury.ac.uk/item/9w28z/structural-and-molecular-differentiation-of-cultured-human-neurons-is-accompanied-by-alterations-of-spontaneous-and-evoked-calcium-dynamics
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