cells Article Transcriptomic Profiling of Ca2+ Transport Systems during the Formation of the Cerebral Cortex in Mice Alexandre Bouron Genetics and Chemogenomics Lab, Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, INSERM, Bâtiment C3, 17 rue des Martyrs, 38054 Grenoble, France;
[email protected] Received: 29 June 2020; Accepted: 24 July 2020; Published: 29 July 2020 Abstract: Cytosolic calcium (Ca2+) transients control key neural processes, including neurogenesis, migration, the polarization and growth of neurons, and the establishment and maintenance of synaptic connections. They are thus involved in the development and formation of the neural system. In this study, a publicly available whole transcriptome sequencing (RNA-Seq) dataset was used to examine the expression of genes coding for putative plasma membrane and organellar Ca2+-transporting proteins (channels, pumps, exchangers, and transporters) during the formation of the cerebral cortex in mice. Four ages were considered: embryonic days 11 (E11), 13 (E13), and 17 (E17), and post-natal day 1 (PN1). This transcriptomic profiling was also combined with live-cell Ca2+ imaging recordings to assess the presence of functional Ca2+ transport systems in E13 neurons. The most important Ca2+ routes of the cortical wall at the onset of corticogenesis (E11–E13) were TACAN, GluK5, nAChR β2, Cav3.1, Orai3, transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily M member 7 (TRPM7) non-mitochondrial Na+/Ca2+ exchanger 2 (NCX2), and the connexins CX43/CX45/CX37. Hence, transient receptor potential cation channel mucolipin subfamily member 1 (TRPML1), transmembrane protein 165 (TMEM165), and Ca2+ “leak” channels are prominent intracellular Ca2+ pathways. The Ca2+ pumps sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ ATPase 2 (SERCA2) and plasma membrane Ca2+ ATPase 1 (PMCA1) control the resting basal Ca2+ levels.