Separate serotonin and dopamine receptors modulate the duration of post-tetanic potentiation at an aplysia synapse without affecting other aspects of synaptic transmission

We have studied the effect of the biogenic amines, serotonin and dopamine, on post-tetanic potentiation (PTP) at an identified synapse in the abdominal ganglion of Aplysia californica. We found that: (1) 10(-7) M perfused serotonin doubles the rate constant of decay of PTP. The effect is specific in that neither the size of the non-potentiated (isolated) EPSP nor the amplitude of PTP is affected. As reported previously, higher doses of serotonin will also increase the amplitude of PTP and decrease the size of the isolated EPSP; (2) 5 X 10(-7) M dopamine in the perfusate increases the rate constant of decay of PTP by about 50%. The effect is also specific in that neither PTP amplitude nor the size of the isolated EPSP is affected; (3) SQ10,631, a serotonin antagonist, blocks the effect of perfused serotonin on PTP decay rate. It does not antagonize the dopamine effect. SQ10,631 also slows the endogenous decay of PTP in some preparations which exhibit an unusually fast PTP decay rate, suggesting a naturally occurring source of serotonin within the ganglion capable of affecting the rate constant of PTP decay; (4) (+)-butaclamol, a dopamine antagonist, blocks the effect of dopamine on the rate constant of PTP decay, whereas (-)-butaclamol has little effect. Butaclamol does not block the effect of serotonin on the rate constant of PTP decay; (5) phosphodiesterase inhibitors potentiate the effect of serotonin on the rate constant of PTP decay, and cyclic AMP analogues mimic the effect of the biogenic amines, suggesting that the aminergic modulation of the rate of decay of PTP is coupled with activation of adenylate cyclase and accumulation of cyclic AMP; and (6) the evidence presented is consistent with the hypothesis that serotonin and dopamine are capable of specifically modifying the rate of change in the efficacy of transmitter release which underlies PTP. It also suggests that the two biogenic amines operate separately and in parallel via presynaptic receptor mechanisms.