Journal of Neuroscience, Vol 4, 3014-3020, Copyright © 1984 by Society for Neuroscience
Dopamine reduces slow outward current and calcium influx in burst- firing neuron R15 of Aplysia
DV Lewis, GB Evans and WA Wilson
Dopamine's effect on calcium influx into the bursting neuron, R15, of
Aplysia californica was tested by tail current measurements and by
measurement of absorbance of intracellular Arsenazo III, a calcium-
sensitive indicator. Slow outward tail currents were elicited by
subthreshold depolarization in voltage clamp and were demonstrated to be
dependent upon transient increases in intracellular calcium activity,
(Ca)i), using calcium-free seawater, calcium blockers (Mn2+ and La3+), and
intracellular injection of EGTA. Dopamine reduces these tail currents as it
reduces the slow inward current. Next, the transient elevations of (Ca)i
accompanying subthreshold depolarization were measured directly in Arsenazo
III-loaded neurons. Dopamine did not reduce the rise in (Ca)i measured in
the soma during depolarization. However, when absorbance of the
axodendritic region was monitored, dopamine did reduce calcium influx.
Voltage monitoring in the axon indicated that the reduced calcium influx
could not simply be ascribed to altered space clamp. In keeping with the
apparent axodendritic location of dopamine action, isolation of the soma by
ligation of the axon markedly reduced the dopamine response. Dopamine seems
to reduce calcium influx into R15, but this effect is topographically
limited to nonsomatic membrane, an area of the neuron not usually monitored
in optical studies of (Ca)i.