Calcium imaging reveals nicotinic acetylcholine receptors on cultured mushroom body neurons.
1. We used fluorescence imaging with the visible wavelength indicator fluo-3 to investigate the calcium responses to cholinergic ligands of honeybee Kenyon cells in primary culture. 2. Application of acetylcholine (ACh) or nicotine, but not pilocarpine, promoted a calcium influx into the cell body and neurites. The increase in intracellular calcium after ACh stimulation was blocked by alpha-bungarotoxin. These results support previous histochemical studies that suggested the expression of nicotinic cholinergic receptors on Kenyon cells. 3. After depolarization with high K+ solution fluorescence increased in the somata and neurites, which indicates the presence of voltage-gated Ca2+ channels in Kenyon cell membranes.
Bicker
G
G
Institut für Neurobiologie, Freien Universität Berlin, Germany.
Kreissl
S
S
D000109:Acetylcholine / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D001516:Bees / Q000502:physiology*; D001921:Brain / Q000166:cytology*; D002118:Calcium / Q000502:physiology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D011939:Mental Recall / Q000502:physiology*; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology; D009833:Olfactory Pathways / Q000166:cytology*; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic / Q000502:physiology*; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic / Q000502:physiology*; D012903:Smell / Q000502:physiology*
D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic; D000109:Acetylcholine; D002118:Calcium