Sphingosine-1-phosphate and calcium signaling in cerebellar astrocytes and differentiated granule cells.

S1P is involved in the regulation of multiple biological processes (cell survival, growth, migration and differentiation) both in neurons and glial cells. The study was aimed at investigating the possible effects of S1P on calcium signaling in cerebellar astrocytes and differentiated granule cells. In cerebellar astrocytes S1P is able to mediate calcium signaling mainly through Gi protein coupled receptors, whereas in differentiated neurons it failed to evoke any calcium signaling, despite acting both extracellularly and intracellularly. The data indicate strict cell specificity in S1P-evoked calcium response, which could be relevant to communication between neurons and glial cells in the cerebellum.