title: Study on the induction of spontaneous transmitter release at early nerve-muscle contacts in Xenopus cultures.
abstract: During synaptogenesis, spontaneous acetylcholine release is rapidly induced by the contact of the growing neurite with the myocyte. Using Xenopus nerve-muscle co-cultures, we investigated the role of Ca2+ in the presynaptic mechanisms mediating this induction process. We found that Ca2+ influx is not necessary to induce spontaneous release and that an increase in cytosolic Ca2+ is not sufficient to trigger this release in the absence of the target cell.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tabti
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Poo
mesh_terms: D000109:Acetylcholine / Q000378:metabolism; D000814:Aniline Compounds; D000818:Animals; D002104:Cadmium / Q000494:pharmacology; D002258:Carbonyl Cyanide m-Chlorophenyl Hydrazone / Q000494:pharmacology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003600:Cytosol / Q000378:metabolism; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D009132:Muscles / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D016501:Neurites / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D009469:Neuromuscular Junction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents / Q000378:metabolism*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D013569:Synapses / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D014966:Xanthenes; D014981:Xenopus
chemical_list: D000814:Aniline Compounds; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents; D014966:Xanthenes; D002104:Cadmium; C059715:Fluo-3; D002258:Carbonyl Cyanide m-Chlorophenyl Hydrazone; D000109:Acetylcholine