Sensitivity of Aplysia neurons in primary culture to putative neurotransmitters.

Aplysia neurons grown in primary cell culture (Dagan and Levitan, 1981) were exposed to the putative neurotransmitters acetylcholine and serotonin by local iontophoretic application, and changes in membrane potential or voltage clamp currents were examined. It was found that 47% of the neurons were sensitive to cholinergic agonists, 14% to serotonin, and 9% responded to both. Responses could be recorded upon application of the transmitters to the cell bodies as well as along the regenerated neurites. An identified group of neurons, the neurosecretory bag cells, exhibited similar responses to cholinergic agonists in culture and in situ. Pleural medial neurons exhibited cholinergic responses in culture similar to those previously reported in situ. Thus neurotransmitter receptor/ion channel complexes characteristic for a specific cell type in the intact ganglion are also present on this cell type in culture.