Okadaic acid inhibits the release of TSH in response to TRH and K+ from rat anterior pituitaries

Inhibitory effect of okadaic acid on noradrenaline exocytosis from guinea-pig vas deferens

The effects of okadaic acid (30 microM), a protein phosphatase inhibitor, on noradrenaline (NA) release evoked by 70 mM KCl and 100 microM ouabain were evaluated in guinea-pig vas deferens. Release of NA evoked by high KCl was inhibited by okadaic acid but this inhibition was antagonized by Bay K 8644. Furthermore, okadaic acid, like Ca(2+)-channel blockers, reduced NA release by ouabain. However, ATP-release induced by alpha,beta-methylene ATP was virtually unaffected by okadaic acid or Ca(2+)-free medium. These findings suggest that phosphatases may play an important role in Ca(2+)-channel activation and consequent NA exocytosis from adrenergic nerves.

Okadaic acid disrupts clusters of synaptic vesicles in frog motor nerve terminals

The fluorophore FM1-43 appears to stain membranes of recycled synaptic vesicles. We used FM1-43 to study mechanisms of synaptic vesicle clustering and mobilization in living frog motor nerve terminals. FM1-43 staining of these terminals produces a linear series of fluorescent spots, each spot marking the cluster of several hundred synaptic vesicles at an active zone. Most agents we tested did not affect staining, but the phosphatase inhibitor okadaic acid (OA) disrupted the fluorescent spots, causing dye to spread throughout the terminal. Consistent with this, electron microscopy showed that vesicle clusters were disrupted by OA treatment. However, dye did not spread passively to a uniform spatial distribution. Instead, time lapse movies showed clear evidence of active dye movements, as if synaptic vesicles were being swept along by an active translocation mechanism. Large dye accumulations sometimes occurred at sites of Schwann cell nuclei. These effects of OA were not significantly affected by pretreatment with colchicine or cytochalasin D. Electrophysiological recordings showed that OA treatment reduced the amount of acetylcholine released in response to nerve stimulation. The results suggest that an increased level of protein phosphorylation induced by OA treatment mobilizes synaptic vesicles and unmasks a powerful vesicle translocation mechanism, which may function normally to distribute synaptic vesicles between active zones.