Axonal transport of muscarinic receptors in vesicles containing noradrenaline and dopamine-beta-hydroxylase.

Presynaptic muscarinic receptors labeled with [3H]dexetimide and noradrenaline in dog splenic nerves accumulated proximally to a ligature at the same rate of axonal transport. After fractionation by differential centrifugation, specific [3H]quinuclidinyl benzilate or [3H]dexetimide binding revealed a distribution profile similar to that of dopamine-beta-hydroxylase and noradrenaline. Subfractionation by density gradient centrifugation showed two peaks of muscarinic receptors; the peak of density 1.17 contained noradrenaline and dopamine-beta-hydroxylase whereas that of density 1.14 was devoid of noradrenaline. Therefore the foregoing experiments provide evidence that presynaptic muscarinic receptors are transported in sympathetic nerves in synaptic vesicles which are similar to those containing noradrenaline and dopamine-beta-hydroxylase. This suggests a possible coexistence of receptor and neurotransmitter in the same vesicle.