Calcium Assays of Neurons

Calcium ions act as central intracellular mediators under a variety of conditions. Meanwhile, calcium ions are closely related to the regulation of intracellular signals that control key neuronal functions. Measuring calcium fluxes in neurons can help to rapidly screen drugs and further reveal their links to intracellular calcium fluxes in neurons, providing broad prospects for drug development for central nervous system diseases. Creative Biolabs has been recognized as one of the experts in the field of neuroscience, and we specialize in providing novel and specialized calcium assay services to clients worldwide.

Overview of Neuronal Calcium

Intracellular calcium is a critical messenger for many neuronal functions in mammals. In addition to intracellular messengers, calcium also functions as a charge carrier. Calcium signaling is implicated in diverse significant developmental processes, and is closely related to apoptosis, neurotransmitter release as well as membrane excitability. Intracellular calcium signals persist for a wide range of times, ranging from neurotransmitter release within microseconds to gene transcription lasting hours. Indeed, calcium signaling mechanisms independently regulate multiple important biological processes.

Fig.1 Schematic representation of calcium signaling. (Schmoll, et al., 2016)

Techniques for Neuronal Calcium Assay at Creative Biolabs

Multiple calcium-permeable channels exist in neurons and these channels play a role in fine-tuning calcium flux in neuronal cells. Understanding the impact of different receptors and their agonists on neuronal function in health and disease conditions contributes to neurotoxicity research and drug development. At Creative Biolabs, various techniques have been applied for calcium assay. Calcium imaging is a powerful technique that utilizes intracellular calcium flux to directly visualize calcium signaling in living neurons. This technique is mainly used to explore the function of calcium ions in neurons. Direct measurement of dynamic calcium fluxes within neuronal networks is critical to reveal how neurons process signals from the extracellular space, such as in response to the addition of drugs that cause changes in intracellular calcium levels.

Fig.2 Neuronal Calcium Signaling. (Grienberger & Konnerth, 2012)

In addition to these classic techniques, a variety of innovative assay systems are available at Creative Biolabs, which are suitable for screening drugs that affect neuronal activity. During our calcium dye-based assay, inactive calcium dyes penetrate cell membranes and become active after entering cells. The activated dye fluoresces when it binds to intracellular calcium. External stimuli can lead to changes in fluorescence. Furthermore, the addition of specific additives effectively prevents the release of dyes from the cells.

Choose Us to Fulfill Your Neuronal Calcium Assay

• Diversified detection options. Choose the most appropriate method for your calcium assay.
• High sensitivity. Our cutting-edge technologies ensure satisfactory results.
• Multiple sample types. We can handle samples from different origins, such as human or animals.
• Short cycle. Dedicated scientists ensure results are delivered in a short time.

Measuring the dynamic calcium flux of neurons reveals how neurons process signals from the extracellular, such as neurotransmitters or drug responses. With an advanced technology platform and a professional team, Creative Biolabs is committed to providing customized calcium assay services to customers around the world. We are pleased to use our extensive experience to provide cost-effective neuronal calcium assay services. Please feel free to contact us for more details.

References

1. Schmoll, M.; et al. The genomes of three uneven siblings: footprints of the lifestyles of three Trichoderma species. Microbiology and Molecular Biology Reviews. 2016, 80(1): 205-32.
2. Grienberger, C.; Konnerth, A. Imaging calcium in neurons. Neuron. 2012, 73(5): 862-885.