Pharmacological control of muscular activity in the sea urchin larva. III. Role of cyclic nucleotides.

1. The muscular activity of the sea urchin pluteus is strongly affected by dibutyryl-c-AMP, in a stimulatory or inhibitory manner depending on the concentration, the time of exposure, and the spontaneous level of activity. 2. Dibutyryl-c-GMP, like muscarinic agents and the guanylate-cyclase activators biotin and nitrite, keeps the activity low. 3. It is suggested that the effects of muscarinic agents is mediated by c-GMP, the effects of certain monoamines by c-AMP. 4. The two cyclic nucleotides appear to control the cellular influx of Ca2+ in opposite directions. They therefore interfere with the stimulatory and paralytic effects of nicotinic agents.