The role of G protein in muscarinic depolarization near resting potential in cultured hippocampal neurons.

Cultured neurons from the CA1 and CA3 regions of the rat hippocampus were studied by using the whole-cell version of patch clamp. Application of acetylcholine (5-10 microM) or muscarine (20 microM) to a neuron with a holding potential of approximately -70 mV produced a slow inward current. This inward current was inhibited by atropine (1-2 microM). Loading the cell with GTP gamma S caused a change in the muscarinic response. In the control cells the muscarine-induced inward current recovered by 89%. On the other hand, in the GTP gamma S-loaded cells the inward current recovered by only 30%, indicating some irreversibility. Pertussis toxin treatment did not change the muscarine-induced slow inward current. Loading the cells with cyclic AMP (100 microM) plus IBMX (1 mM) (an inhibitor of phosphodiesterase) did not occlude the effect of muscarine. We conclude that the slow inward current is mediated through a pertussis toxin-insensitive G protein, and that cyclic AMP is not a part of the signal transduction cascade. The finding that the GTP gamma S-loaded cells did not show complete irreversibility was discussed in relation to the results of Benson et al. (J. Physiol., 404 (1988) 479-496), which showed that there are two ionic mechanisms responsible for the muscarine-induced depolarization. Occasionally cells were encountered, in which muscarine (or acetylcholine) evoked a large and rapid inward current, followed by the usual slow inward current. The time course of this rapid response was not affected by GTP gamma S.