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Time course and frequency dependence of synaptic vesicle depletion and recovery in electrically stimulated sympathetic ganglia

  • Published:
Journal of Neurocytology

Summary

The mammalian superior cervical sympathetic ganglion has been extensively used to study the kinetics of ACh metabolism and release. The present investigation examined the time course of changes in the number of synaptic vesicles and abundance of plasma membrane at preganglionic nerve terminals using stimulation protocols similar to those used in previous biochemical and electrophysiological studies. Continuous stimulation of the preganglionic trunk to the cat superior cervical ganglionin vivo produced an initially rapid fall in the number of clear synaptic vesicles followed by a subsequent plateau. Reciprocal changes in plasma membrane occurred with a similar time course. The plateau phase is interpreted as a steady-state where vesicle exocytosis is balanced by the rate of vesicle reformation from plasma membrane. During quiescent recovery, restoration of normal resting ultrastructure is initially rapid but slows with time as vesicle number and plasma membrane abundance approach pre-stimulation values, indicating that the rate of vesicle reformation at the end of stimulation is high and proportional to the number of vesicles incorporated into the plasma membrane. These results are interpreted as consistent with the ‘vesicle hypothesis’ of neurotransmitter release.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departments of Neurology and Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University and Neurology Service, VAMC, 37203, Nashville, TN, USA

    R. G. Wiley

  2. Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, Northwestern University Medical School, 60611, Chicago, IL, USA

    C. Spencer & J. J. Pysh

  3. Department of Internal Medicine, Michigan State University, 48824, East Lansing, MI, USA

    J. J. Pysh

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Wiley, R.G., Spencer, C. & Pysh, J.J. Time course and frequency dependence of synaptic vesicle depletion and recovery in electrically stimulated sympathetic ganglia. J Neurocytol 16, 359–372 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01611347

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