spacer gif spacer gif spacer gif spacer gif spacer gif
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


spacer gif
     Home     Help     Feedback     Subscriptions     Archive     Search     Table of Contents    

This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by CARLSON, A. D.
Right arrow Articles by EVANS, P. D.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow Articles by CARLSON, A. D.
Right arrow Articles by EVANS, P. D.
Journal of Experimental Biology 122,369-385 (1986)
Published by Company of Biologists 1986

Inactivation of Octopamine in Larval Firefly Light Organs by a High-Affinity Uptake Mechanism

ALBERT D. CARLSON 1 and PETER D. EVANS 2

1 Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, New York 11794 USA; AFRC Unit of Insect Neurophysiology and Pharmacology, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, England
2 Agricultural and Food Research Council Unit of Insect Neurophysiology and Pharmacology, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, England

1. Uptake studies using radioactive octopamine have revealed that the larval lantern of the Photuris firefly possesses a concentrative, high-affinity uptake system for octopamine. This compound has been shown previously to be the neurotransmitter of the photomotor neurones.

2. Imipramine is a potent inhibitor of the uptake of octopamine in the lantern. At 10-1moll-4 it reduces specific uptake of radioactive octopamine with a Ki of 5.8 x 1O-1moll-1. Incubation of lanterns in 2.5 x 1O-4moll-1 imipramine induces an increase in sensitivity of the luminescent response to endogenously released and exogenously applied octopamine. Release of endogenous octopamine is potentiated in imipramine-treated lanterns, which also show a significant reduction of octopamine content with this treatment

3. Uptake of octopamine does not appear to be affected by denervation of the lanterns, suggesting that nerve terminals are not the principal sites of octopamine uptake.

Key words: transmitter uptake, octopamine, firefly lantern, imipramine

Accepted on January 30, 1986




This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Integr. Comp. Biol.Home page
A. D. Carlson
Is the Firefly Flash Regulated by Calcium?
Integr. Comp. Biol., June 1, 2004; 44(3): 220 - 224.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


© The Company of Biologists Ltd 1986