Rl. Parsons et al., Empty synaptic vesicles recycle and undergo exocytosis at vesamicol-treated motor nerve terminals, J NEUROPHYS, 81(6), 1999, pp. 2696-2700
Empty synaptic vesicles recycle and undergo exocytosis at vesamicol-treated
motor nerve terminals. J. Neurophysiol,. 81: 2696-2700, 1999. We investiga
ted whether recycled cholinergic synaptic vesicles, which were not refilled
with ACh, would join other synaptic vesicles in the readily releasable sto
re near active zones, dock, and continue to undergo exocytosis during prolo
nged stimulation. Snake nerve-muscle preparations were treated with 5 mu M
vesamicol to inhibit the vesicular ACh transporter and then were exposed to
an elevated potassium solution, 35 mM potassium propionate (35 KP), to rel
ease all preformed quanta of ACh. At vesamicol-treated endplates, miniature
endplate current (MEPC) frequency increased initially from 0.4 to >300 s(-
1) in 35 KP but then declined to <1 s(-1) by 90 min. The decrease in freque
ncy was not accompanied by a decrease in MEPC average amplitude, Nerve term
inals accumulated the activity-dependent dye FM1-43 when exposed to the dye
for the final 6 min of a 120-min exposure to 35 KP. Thus synaptic membrane
endocytosis continued at a high rate, although MEPCs occurred infrequently
. After a 120-min exposure in 35 KP, nerve terminals accumulated FM1-43 and
then destained, confirming that exocytosis also still occurred at a high r
ate. These results demonstrate that recycled cholinergic synaptic vesicles
that were not refilled with ACh continued to dock and undergo exocytosis af
ter membrane retrieval. Thus transport of ACh into recycled cholinergic ves
icles is not a requirement for repeated cycles of exocytosis and retrieval
of synaptic vesicle membrane during prolonged stimulation of motor nerve te
rminals.