Worm Breeder's Gazette 2(2): 35a

These abstracts should not be cited in bibliographies. Material contained herein should be treated as personal communication and should be cited as such only with the consent of the author.

Title unknown.

Authors unknown.

We have initiated single-cell biochemical studies of 
neurotransmitter metabolism in Ascaris des in order 
to determine which chemical transmitters are used by the identified 
somatic motorneurons of this nematode.  Acetylcholine is a likely 
excitatory transmitter.  We have studied the catalyzed formation of 
acetyl-[3H]-choline from [3H]-choline in transverse strips of 
hypodermal tissue containing the ventro-dorsal commissures of neurons 
with processes in the dorsal cord.  Compared to hypodermal strips 
containing no neural tissue, elevated levels of ACh are synthesized by 
all strips containing the commissures of motorneurons which make 
excitatory neuromuscular synapses in the dorsal cord.  The commissures 
of inhibitory neurons do not synthesize ACh.