Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Reduced Expression Of The Vesicular Acetylcholine Transporter And Neurotransmitter Content Affects Synaptic Vesicle Distribution And Shape In Mouse Neuromuscular Junction, Hermann A. Rodrigues, Matheus De C. Fonseca, Wallace L. Camargo, Patricia M. A. Lima, Patricia M. Martinelli, Ligia A. Naves, Vania F. Prado, Marco A. M. Prado, Cristina Guatimosim

Anatomy and Cell Biology Publications

In vertebrates, nerve muscle communication is mediated by the release of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine packed inside synaptic vesicles by a specific vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT). Here we used a mouse model (VAChT KDHOM) with 70% reduction in the expression of VAChT to investigate the morphological and functional consequences of a decreased acetylcholine uptake and release in neuromuscular synapses. Upon hypertonic stimulation, VAChT KDHOM mice presented a reduction in the amplitude and frequency of miniature endplate potentials, FM 1-43 staining intensity, total number of synaptic vesicles and altered distribution of vesicles within the synaptic terminal. In contrast, under electrical stimulation or …