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Transmission at the squid giant synapse was blocked by tetanus toxin by affecting synaptobrevin, a vesicle‐bound protein.
Author(s) -
Llinás R,
Sugimori M,
Chu D,
Morita M,
Blasi J,
Herreros J,
Jahn R,
Marsal J
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
the journal of physiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.802
H-Index - 240
eISSN - 1469-7793
pISSN - 0022-3751
DOI - 10.1113/jphysiol.1994.sp020177
Subject(s) - synaptobrevin , synaptic vesicle , neurotransmission , biophysics , squid , toxin , biology , synapse , biochemistry , microbiology and biotechnology , vesicle , chemistry , receptor , neuroscience , membrane , ecology
1. The effect of whole tetanus toxin (TeTX) and of its light chain (TeTX L‐chain) on transmitter release was determined by presynaptic pressure‐injection in the squid giant synapse. 2. The results indicate that whole TeTX does not modify transmission while the L‐chain blocks transmission within 20‐30 min. This block does not involve changes in the sodium or potassium conductances responsible for spike generation or the voltage‐dependent presynaptic calcium current responsible for transmitter release. 3. Western blotting of protein fractions from the squid optic lobe demonstrated the presence of a protein which reacted with specific antibodies against mammalian synaptobrevin, a vesicular protein. In addition, this protein was enzymatically cleaved by the L‐chain component of the toxin in a similar fashion to its mammalian counterpart. 4. These results demonstrate that TeTX L‐chain toxin acts directly on a squid synaptobrevin and prevents synaptic release probably by interfering with the docking‐fusion synaptic vesicles at the active zone.