MR16728, a cetiedil analogue, enhanced acetylcholine (ACh) release (up to 145% of control) from Torpedo synaptosomes when the release was triggered by a Ca2+ ionophore, A23187 or ionomycin, in the presence of 4 mM Ca2+ in the release medium, but inhibited ACh release induced by KCl depolarization of the presynaptic membrane. MR16728 also inhibited Ca(2+)-ATPase activity measured in purified synaptosomal presynaptic membranes. We studied the stimulation by MR16728 as a function of its concentration; the half-maximal effect was reached at the concentration of 13.5 microM. Moreover the stimulation was more pronounced (up to 300%) when a low concentration of Ca2+ (in the 10-micromolar range) was added to the medium. The enhancement of ACh release was also observed in proteoliposomes having incorporated mediatophore, a presynaptic membrane protein, able to release ACh in a Ca(2+)-dependent manner. Thus, mediatophore is a potential presynaptic target for MR16728.