title: Nicotine-evoked disassembly of cortical actin filaments in adrenal chromaffin cells.
abstract: Using rhodamine-phalloidin staining it was found that actin filaments are concentrated in the cortex of resting chromaffin cells. Cortical actin filaments were disassembled 15 s after stimulation by nicotine and had reassembled 30 s later. Actin filament disassembly following nicotinic stimulation was also detected using the DNase I inhibition assay. Disassembly was independent of external calcium, insensitive to trifluoperazine and was not elicited by high K+, muscarinic agonists or phorbol ester. Disassembly of cortical actin filaments may allow access of secretory granules to exocytotic sites and act in conjunction with a rise in intracellular free calcium to bring about the full secretory response due to nicotinic agonists.
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism*; D000311:Adrenal Glands / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000502:physiology; D002417:Cattle; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002837:Chromaffin Granules / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D002838:Chromaffin System / Q000378:metabolism*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D009538:Nicotine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011188:Potassium / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D009538:Nicotine; D011188:Potassium; D002118:Calcium