calcimycin and vesamicol

Although the exocytotic mechanism for quantal acetylcholine (ACh) release has been widely accepted for many years, it has repeatedly been challenged by reports that ACh released upon stimulation originates from the cytosol rather than synaptic vesicles. In this report, two independent experimental approaches were taken to establish the source of ACh released from the electromotor system of Narcine brasiliensis. Since ATP is colocalized with ACh in the cholinergic vesicle, the exocytotic theory predicts the corelease of these two components with a stoichiometry identical to that of the vesicle contents. The stimulated release of ATP from isolated synaptosomes could be accurately quantitated in the presence of the ATPase inhibitor adenosine 5'-[alpha, beta-methylene]triphosphate (500 microM), which prevented degradation of the released ATP. Various concentrations of elevated extracellular potassium (25-75 mM), veratridine (100 microM), and the calcium ionophore ionomycin (5 microM) all induced the corelease of ACh and ATP in a constant molar ratio of 5-6:1 (ACh/ATP), a stoichiometry consistent with that established for the vesicle content. In parallel to these stoichiometry studies, the compound 2-(4-phenylpiperidino)cyclohexanol (AH5183) was used to inhibit specifically the vesicular accumulation of newly synthesized (radiolabeled) ACh without affecting cytosolic levels of newly synthesized ACh in cholinergic nerve terminals. Treatment with AH5183 (10 microM) was shown to inhibit the release of newly synthesized ACh without markedly affecting total ACh release; thus, the entry of newly synthesized ACh into the synaptic vesicle is essential for its release. We conclude that ACh released upon stimulation originates exclusively from the vesicular pool and is coreleased stoichiometrically with other soluble vesicle contents.

Topics: Acetylcholine; Adenosine Triphosphatases; Adenosine Triphosphate; Animals; Calcimycin; Electric Organ; Exocytosis; Ionomycin; Kinetics; Motor Neurons; Nerve Endings; Neuromuscular Depolarizing Agents; Phencyclidine; Piperidines; Potassium; Subcellular Fractions; Synaptosomes; Torpedo; Veratridine

We examined the effects of two drugs, AH5183 and cetiedil, demonstrated to be potent inhibitors of acetylcholine (ACh) transport by isolated synaptic vesicles on cholinergic functions in Torpedo synaptosomes. AH5183 exhibited a high specificity toward vesicular ACh transport, whereas cetiedil was shown to inhibit both high-affinity choline uptake and vesicular ACh transport. Choline acetyltransferase was not affected by either drug. High external choline concentrations permitted us to overcome cetiedil inhibition of high-affinity choline transport, and thus synthesis of [14C]ACh in treated preparations was similar to that in controls. We then tested evoked ACh release in drug-treated synaptosomes under conditions where ACh translocation into the vesicles was blocked. We observed that ACh release was impaired only in cetiedil-treated preparations; synaptosomes treated with AH5183 behaved like the controls. Thus, this comparative study on isolated nerve endings allowed us to dissociate two steps in drug action: upstream, where both AH5183 and cetiedil are efficient blockers of the vesicular ACh translocation, and downstream, where only cetiedil is able to block the ACh release process.

Topics: Acetylcholine; Animals; Azepines; Biological Transport; Calcimycin; Choline; Electric Organ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Kinetics; Neuromuscular Depolarizing Agents; Phencyclidine; Piperidines; Synaptic Vesicles; Synaptosomes; Torpedo