Ultrastructural and electrophysiological changes associated with K(+)-evoked release of neurotransmitter at the synaptic terminals of skate photoreceptors.

Bathing the skate retina in a Ringer solution containing a high concentration (100 mM) of potassium ions depolarized the visual cells, depleted the receptor terminals of synaptic vesicles, and suppressed completely the b-wave of the ERG and the intracellularly recorded response of horizontal cells (the S-potential). The depletion of synaptic vesicles was accompanied by a large increase in the extent of the plasma membrane resulting in distortion of the normal terminal profile, i.e. distension of the basal surface and elaborate infolding of protoplasmic extensions. Morphometric analysis showed that despite the changes in vesicle content and terminal structure, the combined linear extent of the vesicular and plasma membranes was unchanged from control (superfusion with normal Ringer solution); the increase in plasma membrane was equivalent to the observed loss of vesicular membrane. When returned to a normal Ringer solution, the terminals rapidly began to reform, and in about 10 min they were morphologically indistinguishable from receptor terminals seen in control preparations. After 30 min in the normal Ringer solution, the amount of membrane associated with the vesicles and the plasma membrane had reverted to control values, and once again the total membrane estimated morphometrically remained essentially the same. Thus, there is an efficient mechanism at the photoreceptor terminal for the recycling of vesicle membrane following exocytosis. The K(+)-induced depletion of synaptic vesicles was paralleled by a precipitous loss of responsivity in both the b-wave of the ERG and the S-potential of the horizontal cells. However, after 30-min exposure to the high K+ and a return to normal Ringer solution, the recovery of electrophysiological activity followed a much slower time course from that associated with the structural changes; 60 min or longer were required for the potentials to exhibit maximum response amplitudes. It appears that the rate-limiting step in restoring normal synaptic function following massive depletion of vesicular stores is transmitter resynthesis and vesicle loading rather than vesicle recycling.