Abstract
THE neurotransmitter acetylcholine (ACh) is synthesised and stored in nerve terminals. Its turnover, rather slow under resting conditions, is greatly accelerated by nervous activity. When action potentials reach the terminals they trigger the release of large amounts of transmitter into the synaptic cleft where ACh can act on postsynaptic receptors and become a substrate for cholinesterase. Then choline and in some cases1 acetate moieties are taken up by the nerve endings and incorporated into new ACh which, in turn, can be rapidly reused. To investigate the turnover of ACh during activity, we have measured acetylcholine at short time intervals after the exposure of the nerve to electrical stimulation at different frequencies. We report here that the concentration of ACh oscillates following the onset of stimulation, and that the period of oscillation is related to the stimulation frequency. The experiments have been performed using the electric organ of Torpedo, a purely cholinergic tissue, which is very homogenous and rich in ACh2–4.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Israël, M., and Tucek, S., J. Neurochem., 22, 487 (1974).
Feldberg, W., Fessard, A., and Nachmansohn, D., J. Physiol., Lond., 97, 3P (1940).
Fessard, A., in Traité de Zoologie (edit. by Grassé, P. P.), 8, 1143 (Masson, Paris, 1958).
Israël, M., Gautron, J., and Lesbats, B., C. r. hebd. Séanc. Acad. Sci., Paris, 266, 273 (1968).
Dunant, Y., Gautron, J., Israël, M., Lesbats, B., and Manaranche, R., J. Neurochem., 19, 1987 (1972).
Marchbanks, R. M., and Israël, M., J. Neurochem., 18, 439 (1971).
Dunant, Y., Gautron, J., Israël, M., Lesbats, B., and Manaranche, R., J. Neurochem., 22 (in the press).
Zimmermann, H., and Whittaker, V. P., J. Neurochem., 22, 435 (1974).
Hyver, C., J. theor. Biol., 36, 133 (1972).
Prigogine, I., and Nicolis, G., Q. Rev. Biophys., 4, 107 (1971).
Katchalsky, A. K., Rowland, V., and Blumenthal, R., Neurosci. Res. Prog. Bull., 12, 1 (1974).
Reich, J. G., and Sel'kov, E. E., FEBS Lett., 40, S119 (1974).
Naparstek, A., Romette, J. L., Kernevez, J. P., and Thomas, D., Nature, 249, 490 (1974).
Blumenthal, R., Changeux, J. P., and Lefever, R., C. r. hebd. Séanc. Acad. Sci., Paris, 270, 389 (1970).
Israël, M., Hirt, L., and Mastour-Frachon, P., C. r. hebd. Séanc. Acad. Sci., Paris, 276, 2725 (1973).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
DUNANT, Y., JIROUNEK, P., ISRAËL, M. et al. Sustained oscillations of acetylcholine during nerve stimulation. Nature 252, 485–486 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1038/252485a0
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/252485a0
This article is cited by
-
On the kinetics of acetylcholine at the synapse
Naturwissenschaften (1977)
-
Possible involvement of thiamine in acetylcholine release
Nature (1976)
-
Control of cell-contact sites by cyclic AMP pulses in differentiating Dictyostelium cells
Nature (1975)
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.
