Mobility of acetylcholine receptors in command Helix lucorum neurons in a cellular analog of habituation

Invert Neurosci. 2013 Dec;13(2):135-50. doi: 10.1007/s10158-013-0155-z. Epub 2013 Apr 17.

Abstract

We investigated the role of the mobility of acetylcholine receptors in the depression of an acetylcholine-induced inward current (ACh-current) of Helix lucorum (a land snail) command neurons of defensive behavior in a cellular analog of habituation. The inhibitors of endocytosis and exocytosis, actin microfilaments and cytoskeleton microtubules, serine/threonine protein kinases (PKA, PKG, calcium calmodulin-dependent PK II, p38 mitogen-activated PK), tyrosine kinases (including Src-family kinases), serine/threonine phosphatases (PP1, PP2A, PP2B, PPM1D), and tyrosine protein phosphatases altered the depression of the ACh-current. A comparison of experimentally calculated curves of the ACh-current of these neurons and those obtained by mathematical modeling revealed the following: (a) ACh-current depression is caused by the reduction in the number of membranous ACh-receptors, which results from the shift in the balance of multidirectional transport processes of receptors toward the predominance of ACh-receptor internalization over their recycling; (b) depression of ACh-current depends on the activity of serine/threonine and tyrosine protein kinases and protein phosphatases, whose one of the main targets is the neuron transport system-actin microfilaments and microtubules of cytoskeleton, as well as motor proteins.

MeSH terms

  • Acetylcholine / pharmacology
  • Animals
  • Calcium / metabolism
  • Habituation, Psychophysiologic / drug effects
  • Habituation, Psychophysiologic / physiology*
  • Helix, Snails / metabolism*
  • Membrane Potentials / drug effects
  • Neurons / drug effects
  • Neurons / metabolism*
  • Receptors, Cholinergic / metabolism*

Substances

  • Receptors, Cholinergic
  • Acetylcholine
  • Calcium