Single channel recordings of Nt- and L-type Ca2+ currents in rat neurohypophysial terminals.

1. Ca2+ currents through single channels in acutely dissociated nerve terminals from rat neurohypophyses were recorded using cell-attached patch recordings with 110 mM Ba2+ as the charge carrier. 2. One type (Nt, where the t denotes terminal) of single Ca2+ channel current was evoked only by depolarizing steps from holding potentials less negative than -50 mV. Because this channel opened primarily at the beginning of a 180-ms-long voltage pulse, the averaged ensemble current decayed rapidly (approximately 30 ms). Infrequently, the channel opened throughout such a long pulse, resulting in a long-lasting averaged ensemble current. The averaged channel open time constant (tau) was 0.34 ms and the two averaged closed time constants were 1.78 (tau 1) and 86.57 (tau 2) ms. The mean unitary slope conductance for this channel was 11 pS and its threshold for activation was approximately -10 mV. 3. The other type (L) of single Ca2+ channel current could be evoked in isolation by depolarizations from holding potentials more positive than or equal to -50 mV. This channel opened throughout an entire 180-ms-long voltage pulse. The averaged ensemble current, therefore, showed little inactivation. The averaged channel open-time constant was 0.49 ms and the two average closed time constants were 2.02 (tau 1) and 79.91 (tau 2) ms. The mean unitary slope conductance for this channel was 25 pS. 4. Bay K 8644 (5 microM), a dihydropyridine (DHP) Ca2+ channel agonist, increased the open probability of the larger-conductance L-type Ca2+ channel by prolonging the average duration (to 2.79 ms) of channel openings, but did not alter the single channel slope conductance. In contrast, the same concentration of Bay K 8644 did not affect the smaller-conductance Nt-type Ca2+ channel. The DHP Ca2+ channel antagonist nicardipine (5 microM), but not nifedipine (5 microM), reduced the open probability of the large-conductance L-type Ca2+ channel by shortening the duration (to 0.36 ms) of channel openings. 5. The voltage- and time-dependent properties of these two types of single Ca2+ channel currents are in close agreement with those of the two components of macroscopic Ca2+ currents previously reported using the "whole-terminal" recording method. Therefore these two types of single channels appear to underlie the macroscopic current. 6. Our studies suggest that the terminal Nt-type Ca2+ channel differs from the conventional somatic N- and T-type Ca2+ channels in some respects, and that the terminal L-type Ca2+ channel is similar to the conventional somatic L-type Ca2+ channel.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)