TY - JOUR AU - DeFranco, JP AU - Galloway, Annie AU - Gillis, Kirsten PY - 2015/01/26 TI - Serotonin does not exclusively use the adenylate cyclase pathway to facilitate synaptic transmission at the crayfish neuromuscular junction JF - Pioneering Neuroscience; Vol 14 (2014) KW - N2 - The adenylate cyclase pathway is commonly used in neurons to send off second messengers to transmit signals within a cell. Certain neurotransmitters may bind to adenylate cyclase to activate the pathway. Studies have shown that serotonin utilizes the adenylate cyclase pathway and facilitates excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) in the lateral giant interneuron (located in the central nervous system of the crayfish). However, serotonin has never been found to use the adenylate cyclase pathway at the neuromuscular junction of crayfish. To determine if serotonin facilitates EPSPs via the adenylate cyclase pathway in Procambarius clarkii crayfish, we compared EPSP amplitudes of serotonin alone to EPSP amplitudes of a control crayfish saline solution, and to serotonin combined with an adenylate cyclase inhibitor (SQ22,536). We found that serotonin does facilitate EPSPs, but the adenylate cyclase inhibitor (SQ22,536) does not block EPSP facilitation completely. Therefore, the adenylate cyclase pathway is not the only means by which serotonin facilitates EPSPs at the crayfish neuromuscular junction in the dorsal extensor muscle. UR - https://ojs.grinnell.edu/index.php/pnsj/article/view/246