Skip to main content

Resting Calcium Levels and Evoked Release at the Neuromuscular Junction

  • Chapter
Calcium, Neuronal Function and Transmitter Release

Part of the book series: Topics in the Neurosciences ((TNSC,volume 1))

Abstract

In 1967 Dodge and Rahamimoff (1) proposed a model for the relation between [Ca2+] out and transmitter release at the neuromuscular junction that has dominated subsequent work on this problem. We have modified their model by adding one additional parameter: the level of Ca in the resting nerve terminal. This single addition substantially alters the behavior of the model and makes it necessary to reinterpret many previous measurements. We have presented the mathematics for the model elsewhere (2, 3). Here we will give a more general description of our model, its application to experiments, and some directions for future research.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 169.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. Dodge FA Jr. Rahamimoff R: Co-operative action of calcium ions in transmitter release at the neuromuscular junction. J Physiol (Lond) 193: 419–432, 1967.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Barton SB, Cohen I, Van der Kloot W: The calcium dependence of spontaneous and evoked release at the frog neuromuscular junction. J Physiol (Lond) 337: 735–752, 1983.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Cohen I, Van der Kloot W: Calcium and transmitter release. International Rev Neurobiol (in the press), 1984.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Nurse CA: Interactions between dissociated rat sympathetic neurons and skeletal muscle cells developing in tissue culture. Devel Biol 88: 71–79, 1981.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Kirpekar SM, Misu Y: Release of noradrenaline by splenic nerve stimulation and its dependence on calcium. J Physiol (Lond) 188: 218–234, 1967.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Kusano K: Influence of ionic environment on the relationship between pre-and post synaptic potentials. J Neurobiol 1: 435–457, 1970.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Llinas R, Steinberg IZ, Walton K: Presynaptic calcium currents and their relation to synaptic transmission: voltage clamp study in squid giant synapse and theoretical model for the calcium gate. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 73: 2918–2922, 1980.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Bracho H, Orkand RK: Effect of calcium on excitatory neuromuscular transmission in the crayfish. J Physiol (Lond) 206: 61–71, 1970.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Ortiz CL, Bracho H: Effect of reduced calcium on excitatory transmitter release at the crayfish neuromuscular junction. Comp Biochem Physiol 41A: 805–812, 1972.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Staggs DR, Pofcher E, Lheureux R, Ortiz CL, Orkand RK: Excitatory neuro-muscular transmission in crayfish: calcium dependence is unaffected by picrotoxin. J Neurobiol 11: 629–632, 1980.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Nickell WT, Boyarsky LL: The effect of calcium at the crayfish neuromuscular junction. Comp Biochem Physiol 664: 259–264, 1980.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Dudel J: The effect of reduced calcium on quantal unit current and release at the crayfish neuromuscular junction. Pflugers Arch 391: 35–40, 1981.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Parnas I, Parnas H, Dudel J: Neurotransmitter release and its facilitation in crayfish II. Duration of facilitation and removal processes of calcium from the terminal.Pflugers Arch 393: 232–236, 1982.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Crawford AC: The dependence of evoked transmitter release on external calcium ions at very low mean quantal outputs. J Physiol (Lond) 240: 255–278, 1974.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Andreu R, Barrett EF: Calcium dependence of evoked transmitter release at very low quantal contents at the frog neuromuscular junction. J Physiol (Lond) 308: 79–97, 1980.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Barton SB: Facilitation and delayed release of transmitter at the frog neuromuscular junction. D Phil thesis. University of Oxford, 1977.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Katz B, Miledi R: Estimates of quantal content during ‘chemical potentiation’ of transmitter release. Proc R Soc Lond [Biol] 205: 369–378, 1979.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Cull-Candy SG, Lundh H, Thesleff S: Effects of botulinum toxin on neuromuscular transmission in the rat. J Physiol (Lond) 269: 177–203, 1976.

    Google Scholar 

  19. Thesleff S, Lundh H: Mode of action of botulinum toxin and the effect of drug antagonists. Advances in Cytopharmacol 3: 35–43, 1979.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Bevan S, Wendon LMB: A study of the action of tetanus toxin at rat soleus neuromuscular junctions. J Physiol (Lond) 348: 1–17, 1984.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Kita H, Van der Kloot W: Calcium ionophore X-537A increases spontaneous and phasic release of acetylcholine at the frog neuromuscular junction. Nature 250: 658–660, 1974.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Kita H, Van der Kloot W: Effects of the ionophore, X-537A, on acetylcholine release at the frog neuromuscular junction. J Physiol (Lond) 259: 177–198, 1976.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Statham HE, Duncan CJ: The action of ionophores at the frog neuromuscular junction. Life Sciences 17: 1401–1406, 1976.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Fatt P, Katz B: Spontaneous subthreshold activity at motor nerve endings. J Physiol (Lond) 117: 109–128, 1952.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Furshpan EJ: The effects of osmotic pressure changes on the spontaneous activity at nerve endings. J Physiol (Lond) 134: 689–697, 1956.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Thesleff S: Motor end-plate ‘desensitization’ by repetitive nerve stimuli. J Physiol (Lond) 148: 695–664, 1959.

    Google Scholar 

  27. Hubbard JI, Jones SF, Landau EM: An examination of the effects of osmotic pressure changes on the spontaneous activity of motor nerve endings. J Physiol (Lond) 197: 689–697, 1968.

    Google Scholar 

  28. Kita H, Van der Kloot W: Time course and magnitude of effects of changes in tonicity on acetylcholine release at frog neuromuscular junctions. J Neurophysiol 40: 212–224, 1977.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Kita H, Narita K, Van der Kloot W: The relation between tonicity and impulse-evoked transmitter release in the frog. J Physiol (Lond) 325: 213–222, 1982.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Gorio A, Mauro A: Reversibility and mode of action of black widow spider venom at the vertebrate neuromuscular junction. J Gen Physiol 73: 245–263, 1979.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Kita H, Van der Kloot W: The quantitative relations between extracellular calcium and acetylcholine release at the frog neuromuscular junction. Brain Res 49: 205–207, 1973.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Quastel DMJ, Hackett JT, Cooke JD: Calcium: is it required for transmitter secretion. Nature 267: 170–172, 1971.

    Google Scholar 

  33. Narita K, Kita H, Van der Kloot W: Elevated tonicity increases miniature end-plate potential frequency during tetanic stimulation at frog neuromuscular junction in low calcium and manganese saline solutions. Brain Res 289: 79–85, 1983.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Shimoni Y, Alnaes E, Rahamimoff R: Is hypertonic neurosecretion from motor nerve endings a calcium-dependent process?. Nature 267: 170–172, 1977.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Hutter OF, Trautwein W: Neuromuscular facilitation by stretch of motor nerve endings. J Physiol (Lond) 151: 89–102, 1960.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Turkanis SA: Effects of muscle stretch on transmitter release at end-plates of rat diaphragm and frog sartorius muscles. J Physiol (Lond) 230: 391–403, 1973.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. del Castillo J, Katz B: Statistical factors involved in neuromuscular facilitation and depression. J Physiol (Lond) 124: 574–585, 1954.

    Google Scholar 

  38. Katz B, Miledi R: The effect of calcium on transmitter release from motor nerve endings. Proc R Soc Lond [Biol] 161: 469–503, 1965.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. Katz B, Miledi R: The role of calcium in neuromuscular facilitation. J Physiol (Lond) 195: 481–492, 1968.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  40. Younkin SG: An analysis of the role of calcium in facilitation at the frog neuromuscular junction. J Physiol (Lond) 237: 1–14, 1974.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  41. Zengel JE, Magleby KL: Changes in miniature endplate potential frequency during repetitive nerve stimulation in the presence of Ca2+, Ba2+, Sr2+ at the frog neuromuscular junction. J Gen Physiol 77: 503–529, 1981.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  42. Dodge FA Jr. Rahamimoff R: Co-operative action of calcium ions in transmitter release at the neuromuscular junction. J Physiol (Lond) 193: 419–432, 1967.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  43. Meiri U, Rahamimoff R: Activation of transmitter release by strontium and calcium ions at the neuromuscular junction. J Physiol (Lond) 215: 709–726, 1971.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1986 Martinus Nijhoff Publishing, Boston

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Van Der Kloot, W., Cohen, I.S., Barton, S.B. (1986). Resting Calcium Levels and Evoked Release at the Neuromuscular Junction. In: Rahamimoff, R., Katz, B. (eds) Calcium, Neuronal Function and Transmitter Release. Topics in the Neurosciences, vol 1. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-2307-5_11

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-2307-5_11

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4612-9420-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4613-2307-5

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics