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- Title
α-Latrotoxin forms calcium-permeable membrane pores via interactions with latrophilin or neurexin.
- Authors
Van Renterghem, Catherine; Iborra, Cécile; Martin‐Moutot, Nicole; Lelianova, Vera; Ushkaryov, Yuri; Seagar, Michael
- Abstract
AbstractIn order to explore the mechanisms by which α-latrotoxin activates neurotransmitter release, we have characterized its effects by patch-clamp methods on cells heterologously expressing its receptors, latrophilin-1 or neurexin-Iα. Application of α-latrotoxin (1 nm) to cells expressing rat latrophilin or neurexin, but not mock-transfected cells, induced a cationic conductance. In cells expressing latrophilin, current development was slow in the absence of divalent cations, but was accelerated by Ca2+ or Mg2+. In cells expressing neurexin, α-latrotoxin did not elicit currents in the absence of Ca2+. The toxin-induced conductance was rectifying, persistent, permeable to monovalent and divalent cations, but blocked by La3+. Single-channel recording revealed a permanently open state, with the same unitary conductance irrespective of whether cells expressed latrophilin or neurexin. Therefore, while pore formation displayed differences consistent with the reported properties of α-latrotoxin binding to latrophilin and neurexin, the pores induced by α-latrotoxin had identical properties. These results suggest that after anchoring to either of its nerve terminal receptors, α-latrotoxin inserts into the membrane and constitutes a single type of transmembrane ion pore.
- Subjects
NEUROTOXIC agents; NEUROTRANSMITTERS; PHYSIOLOGY
- Publication
European Journal of Neuroscience, 2000, Vol 12, Issue 11, p3953
- ISSN
0953-816X
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1046/j.1460-9568.2000.00282.x