title: The neuromuscular junctions of the slow and the fast excitatory axon in the closer of the crab Eriphia spinifrons are endowed with different Ca2+ channel types and allow neuron-specific modulation of transmitter release by two neuropeptides.
abstract: Most crustacean muscle fibers receive double excitatory innervation by functionally different motor neurons termed slow and fast. By using specific omega-toxins we show that the terminals of the slow closer excitor (SCE) and the fast closer excitor (FCE) at a crab muscle are endowed with different sets of presynaptic Ca(2+) channel types. omega-Agatoxin, a blocker of vertebrate P/Q-type channels, reduced the amplitude of EPSCs by decreasing the mean quantal content of transmitter release in both neurons by 70-85%, depending on the concentration. We provide the first evidence that omega-conotoxin-sensitive channels also participate in transmission at crustacean neuromuscular terminals and are colocalized with omega-agatoxin-sensitive channels in an axon-type-specific distribution. omega-Conotoxin, a blocker of vertebrate N-type channels, inhibited release by 20-25% only at FCE, not at SCE endings. Low concentrations of Ni(2+), which block vertebrate R-type channels, inhibited release in endings of the SCE by up to 35%, but had little effects in FCE endings. We found that two neuropeptides, the FMRFamide-like DF(2) and proctolin, which occur in many crustaceans, potentiated evoked transmitter release differentially. Proctolin increased release at SCE and FCE endings, and DF(2) increased release only at FCE endings. Selective blocking of Ca(2+) channels by different omega-toxins in the presence of peptides revealed that the target of proctolin-mediated modulation is the omega-agatoxin-sensitive channel (P/Q-like), that of DF(2) the omega-conotoxin-sensitive channel (N-like). The differential effects of these two peptides allows fine tuning of transmitter release at two functionally different motor neurons innervating the same muscle.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Biology, University of Konstanz, D-78457 Konstanz, Germany.
authors.forename: Werner
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Rathmayer
authors.forename: Stjefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Djokaj
authors.forename: Aleksandr
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gaydukov
authors.forename: Sabine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kreissl
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000378:metabolism; D003386:Brachyura; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000494:pharmacology; D015220:Calcium Channels / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D019706:Excitatory Postsynaptic Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D019835:FMRFamide / Q000494:pharmacology; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D009132:Muscles / Q000294:innervation*; D009469:Neuromuscular Junction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents / Q000378:metabolism*; D009532:Nickel / Q000494:pharmacology; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000494:pharmacology; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D020867:omega-Agatoxin IVA / Q000494:pharmacology; D020866:omega-Conotoxin GVIA / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D015220:Calcium Channels; D009479:Neuropeptides; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents; D009842:Oligopeptides; D020867:omega-Agatoxin IVA; C088642:neuropeptide DF2; C011536:proctolin; D019835:FMRFamide; C022838:nickel chloride; D009532:Nickel; D020866:omega-Conotoxin GVIA