Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The labelling of motor end-plates in skeletal muscle of mice with 125I tetanus toxin

  • Published:
Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Archives of Pharmacology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

Twelve hours after injection of 125I labelled tetanus toxin into the shank of one hindlimb of mice radioactivity was found in the end-plate region of soleus muscles. The ratio between the radioactivity of the end-plate and the end-plate-free region was 2.5±0.4 S.D. Autoradiographs showed intense labelling of end-plates and a slight but clear labelling of axons.

When 125I tetanus toxin was injected 3 days after denervation of the soleus muscle the former end-plate region still accumulated a higher radioactivity (ratio 2.0±0.5 S.D.), however, autoradiographs showed a diffuse distribution of labelled tetanus toxin.

It can be concluded that tetanus toxin binds to the presynaptic nerve terminal. This binding is not dependent on activity of the nerve terminal or transmitter release.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ambache, N., Morgan, R. S., Wright, G. P.: The action of tetanus toxin on the rabbit's iris. J. Physiol. (Lond.) 107, 45–53 (1948a)

    Google Scholar 

  • Ambache, N., Morgan, R. S., Wright, G. P.: The action of tetanus toxin on the acetylcholine and cholinesterase contents of the rabbit's iris. Brit. J. exp. Path. 29, 408–418 (1948b)

    Google Scholar 

  • Brooks, V. B., Curtis, D. R., Eccles, J. C.: The action of tetanus toxin on the inhibition of motor neurones. J. Physiol. (Lond.) 135, 655–672 (1957)

    Google Scholar 

  • Cuatrecasas, P.: Gangliosides and membrane receptors for cholera toxin. Biochemistry 12, 3558–3566 (1973)

    Google Scholar 

  • Curtis, D. R.: Pharmacological investigation upon inhibition of spinal motoneurones. J. Physiol. (Lond.) 145, 175–192 (1959)

    Google Scholar 

  • Curtis, D. R.: Tetanus toxin as a neuropharmacological tool. In: Neuropoisons—their pathophysiological actions (L. L. Simpson, ed.), Vol. 1: Poisons of Animal Origin, pp. 263–281. New York-London: Plenum Press 1971

    Google Scholar 

  • Curtis, D. R., de Groat, W. C.: Tetanus toxin and spinal inhibition. Brain Res. 10, 208–212 (1968)

    Google Scholar 

  • Dimpfel, W., Habermann, E.: Histoautoradiographic localization of 125I-labelled tetanus toxin in rat spinal cord. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Arch. Pharmacol. 280, 177–182 (1973)

    Google Scholar 

  • Duchen, L. W., Tonge, D. A.: The effects of tetanus toxin on neuromuscular transmission and on the morphology of motor end-plates in slow and fast skeletal muscle of the mouse. J. Physiol. (Lond.) 228, 157–172 (1973)

    Google Scholar 

  • Erdmann, G., Wiegand, H., Wellhöner, H. H.: Intraaxonal and extraaxonal transport of 125I-tetanus toxin in early local tetanus. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Arch. Pharmacol. 290, 357–373 (1975)

    Google Scholar 

  • Fambrough, D. M.: Acetylcholine sensitivity of muscle fiber membranes: Mechanism of regulation by motoneurons. Science 168, 372–373 (1970)

    Google Scholar 

  • Gardner, D. P., Fedinec, A. A.: Localization of tetanus toxin in the rat sciatic nerve. Proc. IV. Int. Conf. Tetanus. Fondation Merieux, Lyon, pp. 163–169 (1975)

    Google Scholar 

  • Habermann, E.: Pharmakokinetische Besonderheiten des Tetanus-Toxins und ihre Beziehungen zur Pathogenese des lokalen bzw. generalisierten Tetanus. Naunyn-Schmiedebergs Arch. Pharmak. 267, 1–19 (1970)

    Google Scholar 

  • Habermann, E.: Tetanus. In: Handbook of clinical neurology (P. J. Vinken and G. W. Bruyn, eds.). Amsterdam: North-Holland Publ. Comp. (in press)

  • Hensel, B., Seib, U. C., Wellhöner, H. H.: Vagal ascent and distribution of 125I-tetanus toxin after injection into the anterior wall of the stomach. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Arch. Pharmacol. 276, 395–402 (1973)

    Google Scholar 

  • van Heyningen, S.: Binding of ganglioside by the chains of tetanus toxin. FEBS Letters 68, 5–7 (1976)

    Google Scholar 

  • van Heyningen, W. E.: Gangliosides as membrane receptors for tetanus toxin, cholera toxin and serotonin. Nature (Lond.) 249, 415–417 (1974)

    Google Scholar 

  • van Heyningen, W. E., Mellanby, J.: Tetanus toxin. In: Microbial Toxins 2A (S. Kadis, T. C. Montie, and S. J. Ajl, eds.). New York: Academic Press 1971

    Google Scholar 

  • Koelle, G. B., Friedenwald, J. S.: A histochemical method for localizing cholinesterase activity. Proc. Soc. exp. Biol. (N.Y.) 70, 617–622 (1949)

    Google Scholar 

  • Kryzhanovskyi, G. N.: The mechanism of action of tetanus toxin: Effect on synaptic processes and some particular features of toxin binding by the nervous tissue. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Arch. Pharmacol. 276, 247–270 (1973)

    Google Scholar 

  • Morgan, I. G., Zanetta, J. P., Reeber, A., Breckenridge, W. C., Vincendon, G., Gombos, G.: The biochemical specificity of the synaptosomal plasma membrane (SPM). ISN Barcelona Meeting, S4-1a (1975)

  • Price, D. L., Griffin, J., Young, A., Peck, K., Stocks, A.: Tetanus toxin: Direct evidence for retrograde intraaxonal transport. Science 188, 945–947 (1975)

    Google Scholar 

  • Révész, Th., Greaves, M.: Ligand-induced redistribution of lymphocyte membrane gnaglioside GM1. Nature (Lond.) 257, 103–106 (1975)

    Google Scholar 

  • Stöckel, K., Schwab, M., Thoenen, H.: Comparison between the retrograde axonal transport of nerve growth factor and tetanus toxin in motor, sensory and adrenergic neurons. Brain Res. 99, 1–16 (1975)

    Google Scholar 

  • Takano, K., Kirchner, F.: Effect of tetanus toxin on the antagonistic inhibition after intra-muscular application of the toxin. Pflügers Arch. 359, R 162 (1975)

    Google Scholar 

  • Tonge, D. A., Gradidge, T. J., Marchbanks, R. M.: Effects of botulinum and tetanus toxins on choline acetyltransferase activity in skeletal muscle in the mouse. J. Neurochem. 25, 329–331 (1975)

    Google Scholar 

  • Waser, P. G., Nickel, E.: Electronmicroscopic and autoradiographic studies of normal and denervated endplates. In: Mechanisms of synaptic transmission (K. Akert and P. G. Waser, eds.), pp. 157–169. Amsterdam: Elsevier 1969

    Google Scholar 

  • Wellhöner, H. H., Hensel, B., Seib, U. C.: Local tetanus in cats: Neuropharmacokinetics of 125I-tetanus toxin. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Arch. Pharmacol. 276, 375–386 (1973)

    Google Scholar 

  • Zacks, S. I., Sheff, M. F.: Biochemical and physiological aspects of tetanus intoxication. In: Neuropoisons — their pathophysiological actions (L. L. Simpson, ed.), Vol. 1: Poisons of animal origin, pp. 225–262. New York-London: Plenum Press 1971

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Author notes

  1. D. Tonge

    Present address: Department of Physiology, University of London, King's College, London, UK

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurophysiology, Max-Planck-Institute for Psychiatry, Kraepelinstrasse 2, D-8000, München 40, Germany

    A. Wernig, H. Stöver & D. Tonge

Authors
  1. A. Wernig
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. H. Stöver
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. D. Tonge
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Wernig, A., Stöver, H. & Tonge, D. The labelling of motor end-plates in skeletal muscle of mice with 125I tetanus toxin. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Arch. Pharmacol. 298, 37–42 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00510984

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00510984

Key words

Search

Navigation