 |
The Journal of Neuroscience, August 31, 2005, 25(35):8104-8111; doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2611-05.2005
Previous Article | Next Article 
Cellular/Molecular
Paired Motor NeuronMuscle Recordings in Zebrafish Test the Receptor Blockade Model for Shaping Synaptic Current
Hua Wen and
Paul Brehm
Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, New York 11794
The transparent spinal cord and electrically compact fast muscle of zebrafish offer the first opportunity to perform simultaneous whole-cell patch-clamp recordings from both motor neuron and target skeletal muscle in situ. Our paired recordings reveal the fastest reported kinetics for both spontaneous and evoked synaptic currents at any synapse and a large quantal size that facilitates the resolution of spontaneous synaptic currents. We used this preparation to test the recent proposal that open channel block of the acetylcholine receptor by acetylcholine modulates the kinetics and timing of transmission between nerve and muscle in larval zebrafish (Legendre et al., 2000). Contrary to the predictions of this model, we find similar delay and onset kinetics of synaptic current at positive and negative muscle membrane potentials, even after inhibition of acetylcholinesterase. In contrast, blockade of motor neuron K channels by 4-aminopyridine prolonged the action potential and introduced a significant delay and slowing of evoked synaptic currents, demonstrating our ability to measured altered transmitter release with this system. We conclude that the kinetics of neuromuscular synaptic currents in zebrafish is not governed by receptor block.
Key words: neuromuscular; channel block; cholinergic; quantal analysis; patch clamp; spinal cord; K channel
Received June 24, 2005;
revised July 26, 2005;
accepted July 26, 2005.
This article has been cited by other articles:

|
 |

|
 |
 
H. Hirata, T. Watanabe, J. Hatakeyama, S. M. Sprague, L. Saint-Amant, A. Nagashima, W. W. Cui, W. Zhou, and J. Y. Kuwada
Zebrafish relatively relaxed mutants have a ryanodine receptor defect, show slow swimming and provide a model of multi-minicore disease
Development,
August 1, 2007;
134(15):
2771 - 2781.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
V. M. Luna and P. Brehm
An Electrically Coupled Network of Skeletal Muscle in Zebrafish Distributes Synaptic Current
J. Gen. Physiol.,
June 26, 2006;
128(1):
89 - 102.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
Y. Purohit and C. Grosman
Block of Muscle Nicotinic Receptors by Choline Suggests that the Activation and Desensitization Gates Act as Distinct Molecular Entities
J. Gen. Physiol.,
May 30, 2006;
127(6):
703 - 717.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|
|