Synaptosomal glutamate release induced by the fraction Bc2 from the venom of the sea anemone Bunodosoma caissarum

The effect of a fraction (Bc2) from the venom of the sea anemone Bunodosoma caissarum on [3H]glutamate release from rat cortical synaptosomes was investigated. Bc2 (2-20 microg/ml) provoked massive glutamate release without causing synaptosome disruption. Glutamate release stimulated by Bc2 was independent of extracellular Ca2+ and of voltage-sensitive Na+ channels, and it was completely abolished by the addition of sphingomyelin. No definitive evidence about the mechanism underlying the stimulatory effect of Bc2 is available as yet. However, a direct interaction with the exocytotic machinery cannot be ruled out.