The α-bungarotoxin site and its relation to the cholinergic and nerve growth factor mediated increases in tyrosine hydroxylase activity in cultures of sympathetic ganglia and chromaffin cells

α-Bungarotoxin has been proposed to interact with a membrane site in neuronal tissue which has the characteristics of a nicotinic acetylcholine receptor and also a trophic receptor. A nerve cell function which is affected by both nicotinic stimulation and nerve growth factor is the induction of tyrosine hydroxylase. For this reason, α-bungarotoxin was tested on the carbachol-induced increase and nerve growth factor-mediated increase in tyrosine hydroxylase activity in two preparations of neuronal origin, organ cultures of rat superior cervical ganglia and cultured bovine adrenal medullary cells. The results demonstrate that the α-bungarotoxin site is not involved in tyrosine hydroxylase induction.