Transmitter Release at the Skate Electric Organ
{'Code': '08090200', 'Directorate': {'Abbreviation': 'BIO', 'LongName': 'Direct For Biological Sciences'}, 'Division': {'Abbreviation': 'IOS', 'LongName': 'Division Of Integrative Organismal Systems'}}
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Electrical signals that begin in the brain and reach nerve                      terminals cannot directly stimulate muscle fibers to generate                   action potentials which subsequently initiate contraction.                      However, action potentials arriving in the nerve terminals                      stimulate the release of a chemical transmitter that diffuses                   across the space between the nerve terminals and muscle fiber and               reacts with the membrane of the muscle fiber which in turn                      initiates the electrical response in the muscle fiber.  In the                  neuromuscular junction this chemical is acetylcholine (AcH).                    Quanta are released spontaneously with little influence; in                     response to the action potential in the presynaptic terminal,                   about 100 quanta are released, and these initiate the action                    potential in the muscle fiber.  The electric organ of the skate                 is similar to muscle and has the advantage of providing large                   amounts of nerve terminals.  Consequently, the electric organ                   provides the ideal tissue to study the biochemical,                             physiological, as well as, anatomical properties of transmitter                 release.  The nerve terminals are readily separated from the                    other cells so that the calcium channels (located in the                        membranes) can be electrophysiologically studied and                            biochemically isolated.  In recent years, Kriebel and co-workers                have shown that the quantum of transmitter release is composed of               10 subunits.  This finding has been confirmed in mammals,                       amphibians, and electric fish.  An important question is the                    morphological and/or molecular basis of the the subunit.  The                   subunit could represent the release of transmitter from one                     vesicle or each vesicle or each vesicle could contain 10                        subunits.  The mammalian and amphibian neuromuscular junctions                  have been well-suited for electrophysiological studies but are                  not suited for biochemical studies because of the relatively                    small amount (less than 0.01%) of nerve terminals available.  On                the other hand, the Torpedo electric organ (an electric fish) has               been the standard preparation for biochemical studies of                        transmitter release because of its rich supply of nerve terminals               (3% of the tissue). However, the Torpedo preparation has been                   difficult to use for electrophysiological studies.  The new skate               electric organ preparations are ideal because this tissue is rich               in nerve terminals and isolated terminals and electric cells                    (which have been derived embryologically from muscle cells) can                 be separated with enzymatic treatment.  Electrophysiological                    studies on the skate have shown that subunits of the quantum                    appear just after hatching and that several days are required for               the subunits to be combined into quanta for release.  The purpose               of the proposed research involving the skate electric organ is to               study the molecular basis of the subunit composing the quantum,                 the excitation-secretion process and the calcium channels in the                presynatic terminals.  The skate electric organ provides a unique               preparation for basic studies of transmitter release common to                  vertebrates.
{'FirstName': 'Mahlon', 'LastName': 'Kriebel', 'PI_MID_INIT': 'E', 'PI_SUFX_NAME': None, 'PI_FULL_NAME': 'Mahlon E Kriebel', 'EmailAddress': 'KriebelM@bscsyr.edu', 'NSF_ID': '000431511', 'StartDate': '08/01/1988', 'EndDate': None, 'RoleCode': 'Principal Investigator'}
{'Name': 'SUNY, Upstate Medical University', 'CityName': 'SYRACUSE', 'ZipCode': '132102306', 'PhoneNumber': '3154645476', 'StreetAddress': '750 E ADAMS ST', 'StreetAddress2': None, 'CountryName': 'United States', 'StateName': 'New York', 'StateCode': 'NY', 'CONGRESSDISTRICT': '22', 'CONGRESS_DISTRICT_ORG': 'NY22', 'ORG_UEI_NUM': 'HYN3WD58HNN7', 'ORG_LGL_BUS_NAME': 'RESEARCH FOUNDATION FOR THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK, THE', 'ORG_PRNT_UEI_NUM': 'GMZUKXFDJMA9'}
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{'Code': '9145', 'Text': 'SPECIAL PROGRAMS-RESERVE'}
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