Excitation Contraction Coupling Flashcards
Somatic motor neurons (what are they and where do their cell bodies sit?)
Voluntary or reflex control
Efferent neurons
cell bodies sit in the CNS (ventral horn of spinal cord)
how many motor neurons is 1 myofiber supplied by?
1
how many muscle cells doe s1 motor neuron axon innervate
a few or many individual muscle cells
what is a motor unit
1 motor neuron and all the muscle fibers it innervates
NMJ (neuromuscular junction)
specialized synapse between motor neuron and skeletal muscle fiber
what are the similarities between a synapse and a neuromuscular junction?
two excitable cells separated by a narrow cleft that prevents direct electrical activity between them
means of communication is via chemical messengers that are released by the Ca 2+ induced exocytosis of storage vesicles when AP reaches the terminal
via the crossing of a neurotransmitter, and binding of it, induces opening of specific channels in the membrane, permitting ionic movements that result in a graded potential (subthreshold changes in membrane potential)
what are the differences between a synapse vs. neuromuscular junction?
synapse is between two neurons and NMJ exist between a motor neuron and a skeletal muscle
whenever you have an AP at a motor neuron you will get an AP of the muscle fiber (one-to-one transmission) WHEREAS one AP is a presynaptic neuron cannot by itself bring about an AP in a postsynaptic neuron ONLY can have AP when summation of EPSP’s brings the membrane to threshold
A NMJ is ALWAYS excitatory VS. synapse which can be both excitatory or inhibitory
what is an active zone ?
dense spots over which synaptic vesicles are clustered (located right over secondary postsynaptic clefts between adjacent postjunctional folds)
waiting to release neurotransmitter
what are postjunctional folds?
extensive invaginations on postsynaptic membrane directly under nerve terminal (high concentration of receptors)
increases surface area of muscle plasma membrane
what is acetylcholinesterase
AChE high concentration associated with synaptic basal lamina (basement membrane)
TERMINATES SYNAPTIC TRANSMISSION after AP
hydrolyzes ACh–> choline and acetate
nicotinic acetylcholine receptors??
these are the receptors that are expressed in high density at crests of postjunctional folds
this is the receptor we will be dealing with in skeletal muscles
where are NT vesicles produced and how do they get to their destination?
motor neuron cell bodies in the spinal cord produce NT vesicles
fast axonal transport translocates vesicles to nerve terminal (microtubule-mediated process)
Vesicles for ACh travel down axon EMPTY but contain presynthesozed peptides/peptide precursors already inside
what does choline acetyltransferase do?
synthesizes ACh from choline and acetyl CoA
what is synaptobrevin?
aka V-snare
essential for transmitter release
forms complex with SNAP-25 and syntax in
helps drive vesicle fusion
what are SNAP-25 and syntaxin
presynaptic membrane proteins t-SNARES
located on the presynaptic membrane of nerve terminal
what is synaptotagmin
Ca2+ receptor of synaptic vesicles
this detects the rise in Ca2+ and triggers exocytosis of docked vesicles
what makes calcium come into the nerve terminal?
at the nerve terminal there are voltage gated calcium channels that respond to action potentials that have reached the nerve terminal
steps in vesicle fusion?
synaptobrevin coils around free ends of syntax in/snap25 and brings the vesicle closer to the presynaptic membrane
when Ca2+ influx comes in, synaptotagmin detects this
this triggers vesicle fusion and exocytosis
what do neurotoxins do? and what is their effect
interrupt process of ACh release by blocking the fusion of synaptic vesicles (b/c of their effects on t-snares and v-snares)
which leads to no signal being transmitted!
Tetanus toxin and Botulinum toxins B,D,F and G do what?
these are endoproteinases (neurotoxins) that digest synaptobrevin
what does botulinum toxins A and E do?
cleave SNAP-25
what does botulinum toxin C1 do?
cleaves syntaxin
what type of receptor is the acetylcholine receptor?
Ionotropic, nicotinic AChR channel
nonselective cation channel at motor neuron endplate
what is the ACh receptor permeable and NOT permeable to?
permeable to cations (Na, K, and Ca) (not specific)
(note current of Ca is small under physiological conditions and its contribution can be ignored)
NOT permeable to anions (Cl-)
WEAK ionic selectivity–> function is to raise Vm above threshold
what happens when Ach binds to its receptor?
graded potential
opening of AChR channel at the muscle end plate does what?
now have increased permeability to Na and K
result is increase in the normally low permeability of Na relative to K+ (because Na usually doesn’t contribute to the resting membrane potential)
Vm shifts to a value between Ek and ENa
End-Plate Potential
what is End-Plate potential
a type of GRADED POTENTIAL which is a decremental spread of current
is is produced by transient opening of AChR
it is an EPSP (increased Na+ conductance drives Vm of end-plate region more positive)
what are the normal physiological conditions of ACh and EndPlate potentials?
presynaptic motor nerve axon AP–> depolarizing postsynaptic EPP
EPP is approximately 40 mV more positive than resting Vm
how is the Neurotransmitter action removed?
AChe hydrolyzes ACh to choline and acetate
removes ACh from NMJ synaptic cleft
Review of events at NMJ
see your drawing
what is a myofibril?
contractile element
contains thick and thin filaments
what is the level of coupling and contraction?
it is at the level of the myofibril and its striations
actin/myosin
Sarcomere
Z line to Z line