Distribution of calcium ions in the mixed synapses of Mauthner neurons in the goldfish in normal conditions, in exhaustion, and in conditions of adaptation to exhaustion

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the structure of large myelinated club terminals of Mauthner neurons (MN) in the goldfish at different levels of functional activity and the distribution within these synapses of calcium ions as assessed using a modified pyroantimonate method. In intact preparations, calcium pyroantimonate precipitates were not seen in gap junctions (GJ) or desmosome-like contacts (DLC). Fibrillar bridges in DLC clefts were not contrasted. After natural stimulation, which induces long-term adaptation in MN, GJ showed electron-dense precipitates lining the whole cleft. Granules and clumps of precipitate were also seen in DLC clefts, with intense deposition on bridges. Increases in calcium ion concentrations to and above the levels detectable by the pyroantimonate method are known to block electrotonic transmission; filamentous actin is known to conduct the electrotonic signal as a cation current. The staining of DLC bridges with calcium pyroantimonate is therefore evidence for an association between calcium ions and actin molecules, as DLC bridges consist of actin, i.e., we have obtained evidence for the functioning of bridges as electrotonic transsynaptic shunts at the moment of fixation. These data lead to the conclusion that DLC in mixed synapses, apart from the known adhesive functions, also have a communication function. This appears in extreme conditions, allowing the synapse to maintain or change its conductivity according to ongoing need.