title: The secretion of amino acid transmitters from cerebellar primary cultures probed by alpha-latrotoxin.
abstract: Using amino acid transmitter release, inositol phosphate production and 45Ca2+ accumulation as cellular responses to alpha-latrotoxin treatment, we studied the susceptibility of rat primary cerebellar granule cultures to toxin. Binding studies as well as immunofluorescence of toxin-treated cells, allow an evaluation of the expression, properties and distribution of toxin-binding sites. After binding, the toxin develops its releasing action on amino acid transmitters, in a manner reminiscent of the events described for cholinergic and catecholaminergic cell systems. Although few peculiarities emerge, toxin-dependent release of amino acid transmitters from granule cells in culture appears to be a fully exocytotic process.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Biologia Cellulare, C.N.R., Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Grasso
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Mercanti-Ciotti
mesh_terms: D000596:Amino Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D002132:Calcium Radioisotopes; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D007295:Inositol Phosphates / Q000378:metabolism; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents / Q000378:metabolism*; D016716:PC12 Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D013111:Spider Venoms / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D002132:Calcium Radioisotopes; D007295:Inositol Phosphates; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents; D013111:Spider Venoms; C020763:alpha-latrotoxin; D002118:Calcium