Abstract
AT the frog neuromuscular junction, acetylcholine (ACh) induces fluctuations of the membrane potential1 or current2, from which one can evaluate the intensity and the duration of the ‘elementary current’ flowing through individual ionic channels. The observation that the duration of the elementary event increases with hyperpolarisation2 has provided an explanation for the fact that, when ACh is applied at the end plate in long pulses, the total ACh current increases more with hyperpolarisation than does the elementary current3,4. By studying the currents induced by ACh on Aplysia neurones, we have observed a similar phenomenon. But we have discovered that in the presence of curare the total ACh current increases little or even decreases with hyperpolarisation, while the elementary current behaves as in control conditions. The analysis of this phenomenon suggests that, in our preparation, most of the binding of curare does not occur on the free ACh receptor, as in the frog, but rather follows the binding of ACh. It also suggests that the binding of curare is voltage dependent.
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MARTY, A., NEILD, T. & ASCHER, P. Voltage sensitivity of acetylcholine currents in Aplysia neurones in the presence of curare. Nature 261, 501–503 (1976). https://doi.org/10.1038/261501a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/261501a0
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