A molecular description of nerve terminal function.

PERSPECTIVES AND SUMMARY .......................................................................................... 871 BIOCHEMICAL AND MOLECULAR STUDIES ON ION-SELECTIVE CHANNELS AND PUMPS ....................................................................................... 874 Sodium Channels ............................................................................................................................. 875 Potassium Channels ....................................................................................................................... 878 Restoration of Na + and K+ Gradients .................................................................................... 882 Voltage-Sensitive Calcium Channels ......................................................................................... 884 Ca 2 +-Removal from the Cytoplasm .......................................................................................... 889 MOLECULAR BASIS OF EXOCYTOSIS .............................................................................. 890 Description ........................................................................................................................................ 890 Kinetics of the Release Process .................................................................................................. 890 Concentration-Dependence of Ca 2 +-Dependent Exocytosis ...................................... ........ 892 Possible Ca 2 ÷ Tar~lets .................................................................................................................. 893 Mechanism of Vesicle Fusion ...................................................................................................... 895 REGULATION OF NEUROTRA/~ISMITTER LEVELS IN THE NERVE TERMINAL ...................................................................................................................... 895 Metabolism of Peptide and Classical Transmitters .............................................................. 895 Storage of Classical Transmitters .............................................................................................. 897 MOVEMENTS OF MEMBRANES AND PROTEINS IN THE NEURON .............. 899 MODIFICATION IN NERVE TERMINAL METABOLISM INDUCED BY ACTION POTENTIALS AND NEUROTRANSMITTERS ......................... 903 Regulation by cAMP ..................................................................................................................... 904 Regulation by Calcium .................................................................................................................. 907 Regulation by Protein Kinases ................................................................................................... 912