Mechanism of Action of the Presynaptic Neurotoxin, Tetanus Toxin

Abstract

During the early phase of this project we were successful in establishing a cultured cell model system, the PC12 pheochromocytoma cell line, to study the mechanism of action of tetanus toxin. Further we have studied the characteristics of the intoxication pathway (Sandberg et al. 1989) and have found that it is analogous to that which has been characterized, to some extent, in vivo (Simpson, 1986; Habermann and Dreyer, 1986). The major thrust during the past year was to exploit this well characterized model system to gain insight into the molecular mechanism of action of tetanus toxin. In the present study, we have utilized a preparation of permeabilized, NGF-differentiated, PC12 cells to examine the role of cGMP in neurotransmitter release. An important finding is that cGMP can stimulate neurotransmitter release from such cells in a Ca+2- independent manner. Further, NGF-differentiated PC12 cells show two phases of vesicular neurotransmitter release that can be distinguished not only by their differential sensitivity to Ca2+, but also in their sensitivity to cGMP.

Open PDF

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 30, 1990
Accession Number
ADA243277

Entities

People

  • Terry B. Rogers

Organizations

  • University of Maryland School of Medicine

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Brain
  • Cell Line
  • Cell Physiological Processes
  • Cells
  • Central Nervous System
  • Chemistry
  • Contracts
  • Cultured Cells
  • Intoxication
  • Medical Personnel
  • Nervous System
  • Neurotoxins
  • Nucleotides
  • Peripheral Nervous System
  • Sensitivity
  • Toxins
  • Tumor Cell Line

Fields of Study

  • Biology

Readers

  • Cellular and Molecular Pathways of Apoptosis.
  • Microbial Pathology