The plant alkaloid ryanodine (Ry) is a high-affinity modulator of ryanodine receptor (RyR) Ca(2+) release channels. Although these channels are present in a variety of cell types, their functional role in nerve cells is still puzzling. Here, a monosubstituted fluorescent Ry analogue, B-FL-X Ry, was used to reveal the distribution of RyRs in cultured rat sympathetic neurons. B-FL-X Ry competitively inhibited the binding of [3H]Ry to rabbit skeletal muscle SR membranes, with an IC(50) of 150 nM, compared to 7 nM of unlabeled Ry. Binding of B-FL-X Ry to the cytoplasm of sympathetic neurons is saturable, reversible and of high affinity. The pharmacology of B-FL-X Ry showed marked differences with unlabeled Ry, which are partially explained by its lower affinity: (1) use-dependent reversible inhibition of caffeine-induced intracellular Ca(2+) release; (2) diminished voltage-gated Ca(2+) influx, due to a positive shift in the activation of voltage gated Ca(2+) currents. B-FL-X Ry-stained sympathetic neurons, viewed under confocal microscopy, showed conspicuous labeling of crescent-shaped structures pertaining to the Golgi complex, a conclusion supported by experiments showing co-localization with Golgi-specific fluorescent probes and the breaking up of crescent-shaped staining after treatment with drugs that disassemble Golgi complex. The presence of RyRs to the Golgi could be confirmed with specific anti-RyR(2) antibodies, but evidence of caffeine-induced Ca(2+) release from this organelle could not be obtained using fast confocal microscopy. Rather, an apparent decrease of the cytosolic Ca(2+) signal was detected close to this organelle. In spite of that, short-term incubation with brefeldin A (BFA) suppressed the fast component of caffeine-induced Ca(2+) release, and the Ca(2+) release process lasted longer and appeared less organized. These observations, which suggest a possible role of the Golgi complex in Ca(2+) homeostasis and signaling in nerve cells, could be relevant to reports involving derangement of the Golgi complex as a probable cause of some forms of progressive neuronal degeneration, such as Alzheimer's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.