The superoxide dismutase isoenzymes (SOD) play a key role in scavenging, O-2(.-) radicals. In contrast with previous studies, recent data have shown that human neuroblastoma cells are able to export the cytosolic Cu,Zn Superoxide dismutase (SOD1), thus suggesting a paracrine role exerted by this enzyme in the nervous system. To evaluate whether SOD1 could activate intracellular signalling pathways, the functional interaction between SOD1 and human neuroblastoma SK-N-BE cells was investigated. By analyzing the surface binding of biotinylated SOD1 on SK-N-BE cells and by measuring intracellular calcium concentrations and PKC activity, we demonstrated that SOD1 specifically interacts in a dose-dependent manner with the cell surface membrane of SK-N-BE. This binding was able to activate a PLC-PKC-dependent pathway that increased intracellular calcium concentrations mainly deriving from the intracellular stores. Furthermore, we showed that this effect was independent of SOD1 dismutase activity and was totally inhibited by U73122 the PLC blocker. On the whole, these data indicate that SOD1 carries out a neuromodiulatory role affecting calcium-dependent cellular functions. (C) 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.