Ca2+ signalling behaviours of intramuscular interstitial cells of Cajal in the murine colon

Key points Colonic intramuscular interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC‐IM) exhibit spontaneous Ca2+ transients manifesting as stochastic events from multiple firing sites with propagating Ca2+ waves occasionally observed. Firing of Ca2+ transients in ICC‐IM is not coordinated with adjacent ICC‐IM in a field of view or even with events from other firing sites within a single cell. Ca2+ transients, through activation of Ano1 channels and generation of inward current, cause net depolarization of colonic muscles. Ca2+ transients in ICC‐IM rely on Ca2+ release from the endoplasmic reticulum via IP3 receptors, spatial amplification from RyRs and ongoing refilling of ER via the sarcoplasmic/endoplasmic‐reticulum‐Ca2+‐ATPase. ICC‐IM are sustained by voltage‐independent Ca2+ influx via store‐operated Ca2+ entry. Some of the properties of Ca2+ in ICC‐IM in the colon are similar to the behaviour of ICC located in the deep muscular plexus region of the small intestine, suggesting there are functional similarities between these classes of ICC. A component of the SIP syncytium that regulates smooth muscle excitability in the colon is the intramuscular class of interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC‐IM). All classes of ICC (including ICC‐IM) express Ca2+‐activated Cl− channels, encoded by Ano1, and rely upon this conductance for physiological functions. Thus, Ca2+ handling in ICC is fundamental to colonic motility. We examined Ca2+ handling mechanisms in ICC‐IM of murine proximal colon expressing GCaMP6f in ICC. Several Ca2+ firing sites were detected in each cell. While individual sites displayed rhythmic Ca2+ events, the overall pattern of Ca2+ transients was stochastic. No correlation was found between discrete Ca2+ firing sites in the same cell or in adjacent cells. Ca2+ transients in some cells initiated Ca2+ waves that spread along the cell at ∼100 µm s−1. Ca2+ transients were caused by release from intracellular stores, but depended strongly on store‐operated Ca2+ entry mechanisms. ICC Ca2+ transient firing regulated the resting membrane potential of colonic tissues as a specific Ano1 antagonist hyperpolarized colonic muscles by ∼10 mV. Ca2+ transient firing was independent of membrane potential and not affected by blockade of L‐ or T‐type Ca2+ channels. Mechanisms regulating Ca2+ transients in the proximal colon displayed both similarities to and differences from the intramuscular type of ICC in the small intestine. Similarities and differences in Ca2+ release patterns migh