Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Acetylcholine-induced conductance fluctuations in cultured human myotubes

Nature volume 273, pages 469–471 (1978)Cite this article

Abstract

THE application of acetylcholine (ACh) to chemosensitive regions of vertebrate skeletal muscle fibres elicits a conductance change in the muscle membrane which results in a net inward current flow. During a steady response to applied ACh, the ACh-evoked current fluctuates about its mean level1–2. This fluctuation arises from the statistical variation in the number of open membrane channels and can be analysed to give estimates of both the conductance and the lifetime of single open channels. Analysis of drug-induced membrane current fluctuations has provided important information about the properties of cholinergic membrane channels in frog1–3, chick4,5 and rodent6–8 muscle cells. We report here some properties of ACh-activated channels in human myotubes grown in tissue culture. We have also made a preliminary study of the effects of a serum from a patient with myasthenia gravis on the properties of these channels.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Anderson, C. R. & Stevens, C. F. J. Physiol., Lond. 235, 655–691 (1973).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Katz, B. & Miledi, R. J. Physiol., Lond. 224, 665–699 (1972).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Colquhoun, D., Dionne, V. E., Stenbach, J. H. & Stevens, C. F. Nature 253, 204–206 (1975).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Sachs, F. & Lecar, H. Biophys. J. 17, 129–143 (1977).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Lass, Y. & Fischbach, G. D. Nature 263, 150–151 (1976).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Dreyer, F., Muller, K. D., Peper, K. & Sterz, R. Pflugers Arch. ges Physiol. 367, 115–122 (1976).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Sakmann, B. Pflugers Arch ges. Physiol. 359, R89 (1975).

    Google Scholar 

  8. Colquhoun, D., Large, W. A. & Rang, H. P. J. Physiol., Lond. 266, 361–395 (1977).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Vogt, M. & Dulbecco, R. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 49, 171–180 (1963).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Heinemann, S., Bevan, S., Kullberg, R., Lindstrom, J. & Rice, J. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 74, 3090–3094 (1977).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Brown, K. T. & Flaming, D. G. Science 185, 693–695 (1974).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Cull-Candy, S. G., Miledi, R. & Trautmann, A. Nature 271, 74–75 (1978).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Neher, E. & Sakmann, B. J. Physiol., Lond. 258, 705–729 (1976).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Dreyer, F., Walther, G. & Peper, K. Pflugers Arch. ges. Physiol. 366, 1–9 (1976).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Bevan, S., Kullberg, R. W. & Heinemann, S. F. Nature 267, 263–265 (1977).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Author notes

  1. S. BEVAN

    Present address: Department of Zoology, University College, London, Gower Street, London, WC1, UK

  2. R. W. KULLBERG

    Present address: Division of Mathematics and Science, University of Alaska, Anchorage, Alaska, 99504

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Neurobiology Department, The Salk Institute, P.O. Box 1809, San Diego, California, 92112

    S. BEVAN & R. W. KULLBERG

  2. Department of Mathematics, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, California, 92307

    J. RICE

Authors
  1. S. BEVAN
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. R. W. KULLBERG
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. J. RICE
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

BEVAN, S., KULLBERG, R. & RICE, J. Acetylcholine-induced conductance fluctuations in cultured human myotubes. Nature 273, 469–471 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1038/273469a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/273469a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing