Effects of muscle electrical activity on the transmission of developing neuromuscular junction

Sci China B. 1994 May;37(5):573-80.

Abstract

Miniature endplate potentials (MEPPS) caused by the spontaneous release of ACh from the growth cone of cholinergic neurons, are recorded by the whole-cell patch-clamp technique on a large number of 1-day cultured myoballs which have contact neurites of co-cultured neurons. Both muscle cell and neuron are dissociated from the 1-day-old (about stage 20) Xenopus embryo. Frequency and/or amplitude of MEPPs can obviously increase after the repetitive high-level depolarization caused by the stimuli on muscle cells. No detectable changes of single ACh receptor channel property are observed by using the single-channel recording technique. These results suggest that the mechanism of the increase of MEPPs after electrical activity of postsynaptic muscle cells probably involve some alteration of presynaptic membrane.

MeSH terms

  • Acetylcholine / metabolism
  • Action Potentials
  • Animals
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Membrane Potentials
  • Motor Endplate / growth & development
  • Motor Endplate / physiology*
  • Neuromuscular Junction / physiology*
  • Neurons / metabolism
  • Receptors, Cholinergic / metabolism
  • Synaptic Transmission*
  • Xenopus laevis

Substances

  • Receptors, Cholinergic
  • Acetylcholine