Calcium dynamics, exocytosis, and membrane turnover in the ovulation hormone-releasing caudo-dorsal cells of Lymnaea stagnalis

Abstract

The axon terminals of the neuroendocrine caudo-dorsal cells (CDC) of the freshwater snail Lymnaea stagnalis release an ovulation-stimulating hormone by exocytosis in a calcium-dependent way. Ultrastructural studies of the terminals, involving the K-pyroantimonate method for the demonstration of calcium and control tests with EGTA, show that calcium occurs in mitochondria and in various types of vesicular structure. Quantitative investigations indicate that mitochondria accumulate calcium during a short period of high neurohormone-release activity ("active state"; ca. 45 min) and release it again into the axoplasm some hours later, during a period of low secretory activity ("resting state"). Probably, in this way mitochondria play an important role in the buffering of the axoplasmic calcium concentration during high hormone-release activity. HRP-incorporation studies strongly suggest that the calcium-containing vesicular structures constitute a mechanism of membrane sequestration by which the CDC axon terminals resorb, transform, and release parts of the axolemma after exocytotic hormone release. The results furthermore indicate that this mechanism also may be involved in the control of the calcium concentration of the axoplasm, by taking up calcium from the axoplasm and releasing it into the extracellular space.