Abstract
IT is well documented that calcium ions have an important role in the release of transmitter substances from nerve terminals1,2. There is, however, little information about the interactions of calcium with other chemical moieties within the nerve terminal which presumably are required to bring about transmitter release. Kosower and Werman3 postulated that calcium ions interact with two sulphydryl groups to form a calcium dithiolate complex. The formation of such a complex results in a decrease in the sulphur–sulphur distance which is presumed to produce a micro-contraction of the presynaptic membrane, thereby allowing for the quantal release of transmitter into the synaptic cleft. We show here that low concentrations of mercury ions (1 µM or less) increase the amount of transmitter released from motor nerve terminals. Since it is well known that mercury ions dissociating from inorganic mercury (HgCl2) form disulphide bridges in the presence of sulphydryl groups, we interpret our observations as being consistent with Kosower and Werman's hypothesis.
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MANALIS, R., COOPER, G. Evoked transmitter release increased by inorganic mercury at frog neuromuscular junction. Nature 257, 690–691 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1038/257690a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/257690a0
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