The alpha-bungarotoxin site and its relation to the cholinergic and nerve growth factor mediated increases in tyrosine hydroxylase activity in cultures of sympathetic ganglia and chromaffin cells.

alpha-Bungarotoxin has been proposed to interact with a membrane site in neuronal tissue which has the characteristics of a nicotinic acetylcholine receptor and also a trophic receptor. A nerve cell function which is affected by both nicotinic stimulation and nerve growth factor is the induction of tyrosine hydroxylase. For this reason, alpha-bungarotoxin was tested on the carbachol-induced increase and nerve growth factor-mediated increase in tyrosine hydroxylase activity in two preparations of neuronal origin, organ cultures of rat superior cervical ganglia and cultured bovine adrenal medullary cells. The results demonstrate that the alpha-bungarotoxin site is not involved in tyrosine hydroxylase induction.