Journal of Neuroscience, Vol 9, 49-55, Copyright © 1989 by Society for Neuroscience
Aplysia synaptosomes. II. Release of transmitters
GJ Chin, E Shapiro and JH Schwartz
Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Columbia University, New York, New York 10032.
A subcellular fraction (P3) from Aplysia is enriched in synaptosomes (Chin
et al., 1988) and is capable of accumulating 5-HT and choline. At an
external 3H-5-HT concentration of 1.8 microM, the P3 fraction took up 0.12
nmol/mg protein in 30 min. Uptake was dependent on external Na+. Electron
microscopic autoradiography showed that much of the accumulated 3H-5-HT is
localized to synaptosomes. At 0.5 microM 3H- choline, P3 took up 0.11
nmol/mg protein in 30 min and converted 40% to 3H-ACh. This synaptosomal
fraction was also capable of releasing transmitter. After 3H-5-HT or
3H-choline was taken up, P3 released about 5% of the total radioactive
transmitter in a Ca2+-dependent manner during a 30 sec exposure to a
depolarizing concentration of K+ (100 mM). Identified, prelabeled
synaptosomes were prepared by injecting 3H-choline into the large
cholinergic neuron L10. The abdominal ganglia containing the injected cells
were then fractionated, yielding synaptosomes containing radioactivity
derived from L10. After this synaptosomal fraction was exposed to high K+,
2% of the radioactivity was released in a Ca2+-dependent manner. This
release was completely blocked by 0.1 mM histamine, a modulatory
transmitter that has previously been shown to cause presynaptic inhibition
in L10.