Cultured glial precursor cells from mouse cortex express two types of calcium currents.

Glial precursor cells of the oligodendrocyte lineage express two types of Ca2+ channels which can be distinguished by their peak activation. Ca2+ currents were recorded using the patch-clamp technique in the whole cell configuration and were found to be similar to the low and the high voltage activated Ca2+ channel described in neurons. While the majority of precursor cells expressed only one of the two current types respectively, in 30% of cells both types of current could be identified. These Ca2+ channels might play an important role in signal transduction during target recognition of the developing glial cell.