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Current Research in Neuroscience

Year: 2021 | Volume: 11 | Issue: 1 | Page No.: 1-17
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Authors

Catherine E. Stanley

Robin L. Cooper

Robin L. Cooper

Keywords

Research Article

Effect of pH on Synaptic Transmission at the Neuromuscular Junction in Drosophila melanogaster

Catherine E. Stanley and Robin L. Cooper Robin L. Cooper's LiveDNA
Background and Objective: The effects of intracellular and extracellular pH changes on synaptic transmission have been studied for many years in different models. Intracellular acidification at the presynaptic terminal is known to occur with increased neuronal activity and can also occur in pathological conditions. This study aimed to study the effects of these pH alterations in larval Drosophila. Materials and Methods: The effects of pH on both spontaneous and evoked synaptic transmission at the Neuromuscular Junction (NMJ) in larval Drosophila were examined by altering intracellular acidification, using either propionic acid or the ammonium chloride pre-pulse technique as well as by altering extracellular pH using HCl or NaOH. This NMJ is glutamatergic and is used as a model of graded synaptic transmission. Electrophysiological recordings were obtained from muscle 6 at abdominal segment 3 or 4. Results were analyzed via Student’s t-test or repeated-measures ANOVA. Results: Propionic acid is shown to increase spontaneous quantal event frequency while also attenuating evoked transmission, enhancing high-frequency depression and depolarizing the target cell. The enhanced frequency of spontaneous events was attenuated with CdCl2 in the bath, indicating calcium influx as a mechanism. Ammonium chloride withdrawal has more diverse and complex effects that are shown to be dose and condition-dependent. Extracellular acidification depolarizes and alkalization hyperpolarizes the synaptic target. Conclusion: Thus, the effects of pH alteration on synaptic transmission are diverse in Drosophila melanogaster. These studies are significant in further developing a model of the effects of intracellular and extracellular acidification on evoked and non-evoked synaptic transmission.
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