Release of Acetylcholine from Rat Brain Synaptosomes Stimulated with Leptinotarsin, A New Neurotoxin

Leptinotarsin is a neurotoxic protein found in the hemolymph of potato beetles of the genus Leptinotarsa. In order to study the action of leptinotarsin from two species, L. haldemani and L. decemlineata, synaptosomes were prelabeled with [3H]choline in order to synthesize [3H] acetylcholine (ACh). These synaptosomes were then immobilized on Millipore filters and used for assay. Toxins from both species induce the release of radioactivity in this system. Fractionation of the released radioactivity indicated that ACh was released in preference to choline. The toxin that caused release was heat‐labile and was partially dependent on Ca2+ in the perfusing medium. Release followed apparent first order kinetics when stimulation was effected with leptinotarsin from L. haldemani (leptinotarsin‐h), but was more complex when using leptinotarsin from L. decemlineata (leptinotarsin‐d). Increasing the concentration of toxin increased the rate of release, but the shapes of the dose‐release curves elicited by the leptinotarsins from the two species were different. While leptinotarsin‐h exhibited a simple, saturating dose‐release curve, leptinotarsin‐d was characterized by a sigmoid function, which was well described, with a Hill coefficient of 1.8. Antibodies directed toward black widow spider venom glands had no effect upon the releasing activity of leptinotarsin‐h but could partially neutralize that of leptinotarsin‐d. Toxins from both species have been partially purified and do not appear to be identical. The purified toxins should be useful tools with which to study the release of acetylcholine.