Evidence for specific immunolysis of nerve terminals using antisera against choline acetyltransferase, glutamate decarboxylase and tyrosine hydroxylase.

Synaptosomes prepared from striatum or cerebral cortex of rat brain were incubated with antibodies raised against three neurotransmitter biosynthetic enzymes, choline acetyltransferase, glutamate decarboxylase and tyrosine hydroxylase in the presence or absence of complement. Immunolysis was first assessed by measuring the release of lactic dehydrogenase or reduction in potassium from synaptosomes, and lysis of neurochemically specific subpopulation of synaptosomes was detected by measuring release of either transmitters, their biosynthetic enzymes or by blockade of sodium-dependent uptake of transmitter or precursor. In both striatum and cortex, antibodies to choline acetyltransferase lysed only cholinergic while those against glutamate decarboxylase only lysed GABAergic nerve terminals. Antibodies against tyrosine hydroxylase lysed only the dopaminergic terminals in striatum but not noradrenergic terminals in cortex. The lysis occurred only in the presence of complement, and was never observed in the absence of complement. The studies indicate that antibodies to the neurotransmitter biosynthetic enzymes recognize antigens in the synaptosomal membrane specific only to neurons harboring the transmitters. The results suggest that the antibody-positive peptides in the membrane and neurotransmitter biosynthetic enzyme share common antigenic sites, probably common peptides.