Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Stimulation-induced uptake and release of zinc in hippocampal slices

Nature volume 308, pages 736–738 (1984)Cite this article

Abstract

The mossy-fibre axons of the hippocampus form a dense plexus, uniquely rich in chelatable zinc1–3. Because the metal is apparently concentrated within the terminal bags of the axons4,5, it has been hypothesized that the zinc is involved in mossy-fibre synaptic transmission6,7. Although some electrophysiological findings8,9 have favoured the hypothesis, neither preferential uptake of zinc into the hippocampus10,11 nor depolarization-induced release of zinc from hippocampal tissue12 has previously been found. Using the hippocampal slice preparation, we now report that the mossy-fibre neuropil and cells of origin (dentate granule cells) take up zinc preferentially, and that electrical stimulation selectively facilitates both uptake of exogenous zinc into mossy-fibre neuropil and release of previously incorporated 65Zn from the tissue. The results suggest that the role of zinc in mossy-fibre axons is dynamically linked to neural signalling processes.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Maske, H. Naturwissenschaften 42, 424 (1955).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. McLardy, T. Confinia neurol. 20, 1–17 (1960).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Frederickson, C. J., Howell, G. A. & Frederickson, M.H. Expl Neurol. 73, 812–823 (1981).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Haug, F. M. Histochemie 8, 355–368 (1967).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Danscher, G. & Zimmer, J. Histochemistry 55, 27–40 (1978).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Crawford, I. L. & Connor, J. D. J. Orthomolec. Psychiat. 4, 39–52 (1975).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Storm-Mathisen, J. Prog. Neurobiol. 8, 110–181 (1977).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Crawford, I. L., Doller, H. J. & Connor, J. D. Neuropharmacology 15, 197 (1973).

    Google Scholar 

  9. Hesse, G. W. Science 205, 1005–1007 (1979).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Czerniak, P. & Haim, D. B. Archs Neurol. 24, 555–560 (1971).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Kasarskis, E. J. Expl Neurol. (in the press).

  12. Harris, N. F. & Crawford, I. L. Soc. Neurosci. Abstr. 7, 788 (1981).

    Google Scholar 

  13. Frederickson, C. J., Kiltenick, M. A., Manton, W. I. & Kirkpatrick, J. B. Brain Res. 273, 335–339 (1983).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Donaldson, J., St. Pierre, T., Minnich, J. L. & Barbeau, A. Can. J. Biochem. 51, 87–92 (1973).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Vallee, B. L. Carlsberg Res. Commun. 45, 423–441 (1980).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Howell, G. A. & Frederickson, C. J. Soc. Neurosci. Abstr. 8, 991 (1982).

    Google Scholar 

  17. Ludvigsen, C., McDaniel, M. & Lacy, P. E. Diabetes 28, 570–576 (1979).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Failla, M. L. & Cousins, R. J. Biochim. biophys. Acta 538, 435–444 (1978).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Rahamimoff, R. in The Neurosciences: 3rd Study Program (eds Schmitt, F. O. & Worden, F. G.) 943–952 MIT Press, Cambridge, 1973.

    Google Scholar 

  20. Wu, J. Y. & Roberts, E. J. Neurochem. 23, 759–767 (1974).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Ebadi, M., Itoh, M., Bifano, J., Wendt, K. & Earle, A. Int. J. Biochem. 13, 1107–1112 (1981).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Stengaard-Pedersen, K. Acta pharmac. tox. 50, 213–220 (1982).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Crutcher, K. A. & Davis, J. N. Soc. Neurosci. Abstr. 6, 172 (1980).

    Google Scholar 

  24. Stewart, G. R., Frederickson, C. J., Howell, G. A. & Gage, F. H. Brain Res. (in the press).

  25. Frederickson, C. J. et al. Neuroscience (submitted).

  26. Segel, I. H. Biochemical Calculations, 208–322 (Wiley, New York, 1976).

  27. Kiely, M. & Sourkes, T. L. J. Neurochem. 19, 2863–2872 (1972).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Lineweaver, H. & Burk, D. J. Am. chem. Soc. 56, 658–666 (1934).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Howell, G. A., Brandstetter, J. W., Frederickson, M. H., Frederickson, C. J. & Trulson, M. E. Soc. Neurosci. Abstr. 7, 583 (1981).

    Google Scholar 

  30. Trulson, M. E., Howell, G. A., Brandstetter, J. W., Frederickson, M. H. & Frederickson, C. J. Life Sci. 31, 785–790 (1982).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory for Neurobiology, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas, 75083-0688, USA

    Gailyn A. Howell, Michael G. Welch & Christopher J. Frederickson

Authors
  1. Gailyn A. Howell
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Michael G. Welch
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Christopher J. Frederickson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Howell, G., Welch, M. & Frederickson, C. Stimulation-induced uptake and release of zinc in hippocampal slices. Nature 308, 736–738 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1038/308736a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/308736a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing