The influence of quantal content on the time course of the endplate current in frogs

2000 ◽  
Vol 440 (S1) ◽  
pp. R105-R106
Author(s):  
Živa Melik
Keyword(s):  
Time Course ◽  
Quantal Content ◽  
Endplate Current

Use of Knockout Mice Reveals Involvement of M2-Muscarinic Receptors in Control of the Kinetics of Acetylcholine Release

2003 ◽  
Vol 89 (4) ◽  
pp. 1954-1967 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. Slutsky ◽  
J. Wess ◽  
J. Gomeza ◽  
J. Dudel ◽  
I. Parnas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Muscarinic Receptors ◽  
Knockout Mice ◽  
Rise Time ◽  
Time Course ◽  
Acetylcholine Release ◽  
Frog Neuromuscular Junction ◽  
Quantal Content ◽  
Experimental Treatments ◽  
Kinetics Of ◽  
M2 Muscarinic Receptors

We have previously suggested that presynaptic M2-muscarinic receptors (M2R) are involved in the control of the time course of evoked acetylcholine release in the frog neuromuscular junction. The availability of knockout mice lacking functional M2R (M2-KO) enabled us to address this issue in a more direct way. Using the phrenic diaphragm preparation, we show that in wild-type (WT) mice experimental manipulations known to affect Ca2+ entry and removal, greatly affected the amount of acetylcholine released (quantal content). However, the time course of release remained unaltered under all these experimental treatments. On the other hand, in the M2-KO mice, similar experimental treatments affected both the quantal content and the time course of release. In general, a larger quantal content was accompanied by a longer duration of release. Similarly, the rise time of the postsynaptic current produced by axon stimulation was sensitive to changes in [Ca2+]o or [Mg2+]o in M2-KO mice but not in WT mice. Measurements of Ca2+ currents revealed that the shorter rise time of the postsynaptic current seen in high [Mg2+]o in M2-KO mice was not produced by a shorter wave of the presynaptic Ca2+ current. These results support our earlier findings and provide direct evidence for the major role that presynaptic M2-muscarinic receptors play in the control of the time course of evoked acetylcholine release under physiological conditions.

scholarly journals Reduced Neuromuscular Quantal Content With Normal Synaptic Release Time Course and Depression in Canine Motor Neuron Disease

2002 ◽  
Vol 88 (6) ◽  
pp. 3305-3314 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark M. Rich ◽  
Xueyong Wang ◽  
Timothy C. Cope ◽  
Martin J. Pinter
Keyword(s):  
Motor Neuron ◽  
Motor Neuron Disease ◽  
Time Course ◽  
Motor Units ◽  
Medial Gastrocnemius ◽  
Release Time ◽  
Quantal Content ◽  
Deconvolution Analysis ◽  
Quantal Release ◽  
Synaptic Release

Hereditary canine spinal muscular atrophy is an autosomal dominant version of motor neuron disease in which motor units exhibit extensive dysfunction before motor terminal or axonal degeneration appear. We showed in a previous paper that motor endplate currents (EPCs) are reduced and that failures of nerve-evoked EPCs appear in the homozygote medial gastrocnemius (MG) muscle in which failing motor units are also found, suggesting a presynaptic deficit of ACh release. To examine this further, we performed a detailed analysis of synaptic release properties in the MG muscle of homozygotes and compared the results with data from genetically normal control animals. We found that the amplitude of miniature EPCs (mEPC) did not differ between homozygote and normal synapses, indicating that quantal content is reduced at homozygote motor terminals. Consistent with this, deconvolution analysis showed that the maximum release rates at homozygote motor terminals were significantly reduced relative to normal. This analysis also demonstrated that the time course of quantal release at homozygote synapses did not differ from normal. The extent of quantal release depression during high-frequency activation in homozygotes did not differ from normal despite the significant reduction of quantal content and maximum release rate. Surprisingly, the absolute amount of posttetanic potentiation was not decreased at homozygotes motor terminals despite the differences in quantal content. We conclude that failure of homozygote motor unit force during repetitive activity is due to a unique combination of low quantal content and normal release depression and suggest that the primary deficit in homozygote motor terminals is a reduced supply of readily releasable quanta.

scholarly journals Voltage- and time-dependent action of histrionicotoxin on the endplate current of the frog muscle.

1978 ◽  
Vol 72 (3) ◽  
pp. 351-367 ◽  
Author(s):  
L M Masukawa ◽  
E X Albuquerque
Keyword(s):  
Time Course ◽  
Ionic Channel ◽  
Time Dependent ◽  
Peak Amplitude ◽  
Endplate Current ◽  
Current Voltage ◽  
Initial Activation ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
Current Voltage Relationship ◽  
Voltage Relationship

Histrionicotoxin, a toxin isolated from skin secretions of a Colombian arrow poison frog, Dendrobates histrionicus, decreased the amplitude and time-course of the endplate current, and altered the voltage dependence of the half-decay time. In addition, the toxin produced a characteristic nonlinearity in the current-voltage relationship of the endplate current when 3-s voltage conditioning steps were used. Reduction in time of the conditioning steps to 10 ms made the current-voltage relationship linear. The decrease in peak amplitude of the endplate current (epc) produced by histrionicotoxin measured during long hyperpolarizing conditioning steps was fitted by a single exponential function. The calculated rate constants ranged from 0.03 to 0.14 s-1 and varied with membrane potential at hyperpolarizing levels. The voltage- and time-dependent action of histrionicotoxin does not require an initial activation of receptors by acetylcholine (ACh). The characteristic of the current-voltage relationship can be accounted for by the observed voltage and time dependency of the attenuation of the endplate current amplitude in the presence of histrionicotoxin during long conditioning steps. These effects of histrionicotoxin on the peak amplitude, and on the voltage and time dependence of the epc were concentration-dependent and slowly reversible upon washing out the toxin. Thus, the voltage- and time-dependent action of histrionicotoxin at the endplate is related to an increase in the affinity between the toxin and the ACh receptor-ionic channel complex. This increase in affinity is postulated to be due to a conformational change of the macromolecule in the presence of histrionicotoxin which is demonstrated to be relatively slow, i.e., on the order of tens of seconds.

Role of NSF in Neurotransmitter Release: A Peptide Microinjection Study at the Crayfish Neuromuscular Junction

2006 ◽  
Vol 96 (3) ◽  
pp. 1053-1060 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. Parnas ◽  
G. Rashkovan ◽  
V. O'Connor ◽  
O. El-Far ◽  
H. Betz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acid ◽  
Neuromuscular Junction ◽  
Neurotransmitter Release ◽  
Action Potentials ◽  
Time Course ◽  
Synaptic Delay ◽  
Quantal Content ◽  
Presynaptic Mechanisms ◽  
Crayfish Neuromuscular Junction

Peptides that inhibit the SNAP-stimulated ATPase activity of N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive fusion protein (NSF-2, NSF-3) were injected intra-axonally to study the role of this protein in the release of glutamate at the crayfish neuromuscular junction. Macropatch recording was used to establish the quantal content and to construct synaptic delay histograms. NSF-2 or NSF-3 injection reduced the quantal content, evoked by either direct depolarization of a single release bouton or by axonal action potentials, on average by 66 ± 12% (mean ± SD; n = 32), but had no effect on the time course of release. NSF-2 had no effect on the amplitude or shape of the presynaptic action potential nor on the excitatory nerve terminal current. Neither NSF-2 nor NSF-3 affected the shape or amplitude of single quantal currents. Injection of a peptide with the same composition as NSF-2, but with a scrambled amino acid sequence, failed to alter the quantal content. We conclude that, at the crayfish neuromuscular junction, NSF-dependent reactions regulate quantal content without contributing to the presynaptic mechanisms that control the time course of release.

Differences in presynaptic action of 4-aminopyridine and tetraethylammonium at frog neuromuscular junction

1987 ◽  
Vol 65 (5) ◽  
pp. 747-752 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. I. Glavinović
Keyword(s):  
Neuromuscular Junction ◽  
Transmitter Release ◽  
Action Potentials ◽  
Time Course ◽  
Potassium Conductance ◽  
Frog Neuromuscular Junction ◽  
Quantal Content ◽  
Low Concentrations ◽  
Voltage Dependent ◽  
Intracellular Ca

4-Aminopyridine markedly potentiates transmitter release at the frog cutaneous pectoris neuromuscular junction by increasing the quantal content even when applied at low concentrations (5–20 μM). This enhancement of transmitter release is associated with greater minimum synaptic latency, but the dispersion of the synaptic latencies does not appear much affected. This is in contrast with the action of tetraethylammonium (0.2–0.5 mM) in which case similar enhancement of transmitter release results not only in larger minimum synaptic latency but also in greater dispersion of the synaptic latencies. The time course of transmitter release associated with enhanced transmitter output is hence much more prolonged in the presence of tetraethylammonium than 4-aminopyridine, at least for low concentrations of 4-aminopyridine (5–20 μM). This indicates that their presynaptic actions differ significantly. This conclusion is further strengthened by the finding that unlike tetraethylammonium, 4-aminopyridine induces bursts of release, presumably by producing multiple action potentials in the nerve terminal. Tetraethylammonium probably acts by blocking the delayed potassium conductance, but the blockade of Ca2+-activated K+ conductance cannot be excluded. 4-Aminopyridine, however, probably blocks the fast inactivating (IA) K+ current, but it also may be acting directly on the voltage-dependent Ca2+ conductance or on the intracellular Ca2+ buffering.

Verapamil alters the amplitude and time course of miniature endplate current

1985 ◽  
Vol 24 (6) ◽  
pp. 561-565 ◽  
Author(s):  
R.O. Edeson ◽  
B.W. Madsen ◽  
R.K. Milne
Keyword(s):  
Time Course ◽  
Endplate Current

Ultrastructural Changes of the Symbiotic Chlorella-Like Alga Isolated from Hydra Viridis

1982 ◽  
Vol 40 ◽  
pp. 320-321
Author(s):  
K.W. Lee ◽  
R.H. Meints ◽  
D. Kuczmarski ◽  
J.L. Van Etten
Keyword(s):  
Time Course ◽  
Reciprocal Cross ◽  
Ultrastructural Level ◽  
Ultrastructural Changes ◽  
Symbiotic Relationship ◽  
Cell Recognition ◽  
Green Hydra ◽  
Different Strains ◽  
Hydra Viridis

The physiological, biochemical, and ultrastructural aspects of the symbiotic relationship between the Chlorella-like algae and the hydra have been intensively investigated. Reciprocal cross-transfer of the Chlorellalike algae between different strains of green hydra provide a system for the study of cell recognition. However, our attempts to culture the algae free of the host hydra of the Florida strain, Hydra viridis, have been consistently unsuccessful. We were, therefore, prompted to examine the isolated algae at the ultrastructural level on a time course.

Destruction of Actin Filaments by Osmium Tetroxide

1977 ◽  
Vol 35 ◽  
pp. 466-467
Author(s):  
P. Maupin-Szamier ◽  
T. D. Pollard
Keyword(s):  
Actin Filaments ◽  
Time Course ◽  
Osmium Tetroxide ◽  
Rabbit Muscle ◽  
Muscle Actin ◽  
Sodium Phosphate Buffer ◽  
Transmission Electron ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Rates Of Decay ◽  
Short Time

We have studied the destruction of rabbit muscle actin filaments by osmium tetroxide (OSO4) to develop methods which will preserve the structure of actin filaments during preparation for transmission electron microscopy.Negatively stained F-actin, which appears as smooth, gently curved filaments in control samples (Fig. 1a), acquire an angular, distorted profile and break into progressively shorter pieces after exposure to OSO4 (Fig. 1b,c). We followed the time course of the reaction with viscometry since it is a simple, quantitative method to assess filament integrity. The difference in rates of decay in viscosity of polymerized actin solutions after the addition of four concentrations of OSO4 is illustrated in Fig. 2. Viscometry indicated that the rate of actin filament destruction is also dependent upon temperature, buffer type, buffer concentration, and pH, and requires the continued presence of OSO4. The conditions most favorable to filament preservation are fixation in a low concentration of OSO4 for a short time at 0°C in 100mM sodium phosphate buffer, pH 6.0.

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