Excitation Contraction Coupling Flashcards
Active zones
- Dense spots over which synaptic vesicles are clustered;
- where fusion of synaptic vesicles & release of ACh occurs
- Oriented directly over secondary postsynaptic clefts between adjacent postjunctional folds
postjunctional folds`
- Extensive invaginations on postsynaptic membrane directly under nerve terminal
- Increase surface area of muscle plasma membrane
synaptic cleft
- ~ 50 nm, time delay in impulse transmission with ACh diffusion
Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors
- located at crests of postjunctional folds in NNJ
Acetylcholinesterase
(AChE)
High concentration associated with synaptic basal lamina (basement membrane)
*** Terminates synaptic transmission after AP
Hydrolyzes ACh →
choline & acetate
Acetylcholine
- Motor neuron cell bodies in spinal cord produce NT vesicles
- fast axonal transport translocates vesiceles to nerve terminal through MT-mediated process
- Vesicles for ACh travel down axon empty- at nerve terminal ACh synthesis occurs and it is taken up by vesicles
- –> choline acetyltransferase
- –> ACh-H+ exchanger
Choline Acetyltransferase
- synthesizes ACh from choline and acetyl coenzyme A
ACh-H+ exchanger
- NT transport proteins
- ACh is taken up into synaptic vessicles through this exchanger, and H+ is released.
- driven by vesicular proton electrochemical gradient (positive voltage and low pH inside) - H+ proton pump uses ATP to make the gradient inside the synaptic vesicle acidic to enable the exchanger to work
synaptobrevin
(v-SNARE)
- helps drive vesicle fusion - essential for NT release
- forms complex with SNAP-25 and syntaxin (t-SNAREs)
synaptogamin
- Ca2+ receptor of synaptic vesicle
- detects rise in [Ca2+] in the nerve and triggers exocytosis docked vesicles
t-SNAREs
Syntaxin and SNAP-25
- located in presynaptic membrane and play key role in fusion process
Synaptobrevin (located on synaptic vesicle): coils around the free ends of syntaxin and SNAP-25 - brings the vesicle closer to presynaptic membrane
Synaptotagmin
- [Ca2+] sensor that is located on the synaptic vesicle
- When Ca2+ enters through voltage-gated Ca2+ channels near the active zone of the presynaptic membrane synaptogamin recognizes the rise of Ca2+ and triggers vesicle fusion and exocytosis of NT
Neurotoxins that block fusion of synaptic vesicle
- Tetanus Toxin and Botulinum toxins B,D,F,G: endoproteinases that digest synaptobrevin
- Botulinum A/E: cleaves SNAP-25
- Botulinum toxin C1: cleaves syntaxin
–> all block the fusion process of synaptic vesicle with the nerve terminal membrane
ACh Receptor
- ionotropic, Nicotinic AChR channel: nonselective cation channel at the muscle endplate
- premeable to cations: Na+, K+, Ca 2+
- not permeable to anions, except Cl-
- function to raise Vm above threshold
- When ACh binds it functions to open AChR channel at end of muscle plate:
- Na+ and K+ become equally permeable
- results in increasing the resting premeability of Na+ relative to K+
- Vm shifts to a vale between -80mv and Ena= +50 mV (end plate potential)
End-plate potential (EPP)
*** a graded response to opening of AChR!
- a type of graded potential, an EPSP producted by transient opening of AChR
- due to increased Na+ conductanve driving Vm of end-plate region more positive
Decremental spread of current:
- Amplitude of change in membrane
potential diminishes at distances
from the end plate