The timing of phasic transmitter release is Ca2+-dependent and lacks a direct influence of presynaptic membrane potential

Enhanced Release Probability without Changes in Synaptic Delay during Analogue-Digital Facilitation

Neuronal timing with millisecond precision is critical for many brain functions such as sensory perception, learning and memory formation. At the level of the chemical synapse, the synaptic delay is determined by the presynaptic release probability (Pr) and the waveform of the presynaptic action potential (AP). For instance, paired-pulse facilitation or presynaptic long-term potentiation are associated with reductions in the synaptic delay, whereas paired-pulse depression or presynaptic long-term depression are associated with an increased synaptic delay. Parallelly, the AP broadening that results from the inactivation of voltage gated potassium (Kv) channels responsible for the repolarization phase of the AP delays the synaptic response, and the inactivation of sodium (Nav) channels by voltage reduces the synaptic latency. However, whether synaptic delay is modulated during depolarization-induced analogue-digital facilitation (d-ADF), a form of context-dependent synaptic facilitation induced by prolonged depolarization of the presynaptic neuron and mediated by the voltage-inactivation of presynaptic Kv1 channels, remains unclear. We show here that despite Pr being elevated during d-ADF at pyramidal L5-L5 cell synapses, the synaptic delay is surprisingly unchanged. This finding suggests that both Pr- and AP-dependent changes in synaptic delay compensate for each other during d-ADF. We conclude that, in contrast to other short- or long-term modulations of presynaptic release, synaptic timing is not affected during d-ADF because of the opposite interaction of Pr- and AP-dependent modulations of synaptic delay.

Species-Specific Adaptation for Ongoing High-Frequency Action Potential Generation in MNTB Neurons

Comparative analysis of evolutionarily conserved neuronal circuits between phylogenetically distant mammals highlights the relevant mechanisms and specific adaptations to information processing. The medial nucleus of the trapezoid body (MNTB) is a conserved mammalian auditory brainstem nucleus relevant for temporal processing. While MNTB neurons have been extensively investigated, a comparative analysis of phylogenetically distant mammals and the spike generation is missing. To understand the suprathreshold precision and firing rate, we examined the membrane, voltage-gated ion channel and synaptic properties in Phyllostomus discolor (bat) and in Meriones unguiculatus (rodent) of either sex. Between the two species, the membrane properties of MNTB neurons were similar at rest with only minor differences, while larger dendrotoxin (DTX)-sensitive potassium currents were found in gerbils. Calyx of Held-mediated EPSCs were smaller and frequency dependence of short-term plasticity (STP) less pronounced in bats. Simulating synaptic train stimulations in dynamic clamp revealed that MNTB neurons fired with decreasing success rate near conductance threshold and at increasing stimulation frequency. Driven by STP-dependent conductance decrease, the latency of evoked action potentials increased during train stimulations. The spike generator showed a temporal adaptation at the beginning of train stimulations that can be explained by sodium current inactivation. Compared with gerbils, the spike generator of bats sustained higher frequency input-output functions and upheld the same temporal precision. Our data mechanistically support that MNTB input-output functions in bats are suited to sustain precise high-frequency rates, while for gerbils, temporal precision appears more relevant and an adaptation to high output-rates can be spared.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Neurons in the mammalian medial nucleus of the trapezoid body (MNTB) convey precise, faithful inhibition vital for binaural hearing and gap detection. The MNTB's structure and function appear evolutionarily well conserved. We compared the cellular physiology of MNTB neurons in bat and gerbil. Because of their adaptations to echolocation or low frequency hearing both species are model systems for hearing research, yet with largely overlapping hearing ranges. We find that bat neurons sustain information transfer with higher ongoing rates and precision based on synaptic and biophysical differences in comparison to gerbils. Thus, even in evolutionarily conserved circuits species-specific adaptations prevail, highlighting the importance for comparative research to differentiate general circuit functions and their specific adaptations.

Ca2+ -independent transmission at the central synapse formed between dorsal root ganglion and dorsal horn neurons

A central principle of synaptic transmission is that action potential-induced presynaptic neurotransmitter release occurs exclusively via Ca2+ -dependent secretion (CDS). The discovery and mechanistic investigations of Ca2+ -independent but voltage-dependent secretion (CiVDS) have demonstrated that the action potential per se is sufficient to trigger neurotransmission in the somata of primary sensory and sympathetic neurons in mammals. One key question remains, however, whether CiVDS contributes to central synaptic transmission. Here, we report, in the central transmission from presynaptic (dorsal root ganglion) to postsynaptic (spinal dorsal horn) neurons in vitro, (i) excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) are mediated by glutamate transmission through both CiVDS (up to 87%) and CDS; (ii) CiVDS-mediated EPSCs are independent of extracellular and intracellular Ca2+ ; (iii) CiVDS is faster than CDS in vesicle recycling with much less short-term depression; (iv) the fusion machinery of CiVDS includes Cav2.2 (voltage sensor) and SNARE (fusion pore). Together, an essential component of activity-induced EPSCs is mediated by CiVDS in a central synapse.

Autocrine inhibition by a glutamate-gated chloride channel mediates presynaptic homeostatic depression

Homeostatic modulation of presynaptic neurotransmitter release is a fundamental form of plasticity that stabilizes neural activity, where presynaptic homeostatic depression (PHD) can adaptively diminish synaptic strength. PHD has been proposed to operate through an autocrine mechanism to homeostatically depress release probability in response to excess glutamate release at the Drosophila neuromuscular junction. This model implies the existence of a presynaptic glutamate autoreceptor. We systematically screened all neuronal glutamate receptors in the fly genome and identified the glutamate-gated chloride channel (GluClα) to be required for the expression of PHD. Pharmacological, genetic, and Ca2+ imaging experiments demonstrate that GluClα acts locally at axonal terminals to drive PHD. Unexpectedly, GluClα localizes and traffics with synaptic vesicles to drive presynaptic inhibition through an activity-dependent anionic conductance. Thus, GluClα operates as both a sensor and effector of PHD to adaptively depress neurotransmitter release through an elegant autocrine inhibitory signaling mechanism at presynaptic terminals.

Ca2+-independent but voltage-dependent quantal catecholamine secretion (CiVDS) in the mammalian sympathetic nervous system

Action potential-induced vesicular exocytosis is considered exclusively Ca²⁺ dependent in Katz's Ca²⁺ hypothesis on synaptic transmission. This long-standing concept gets an exception following the discovery of Ca²⁺-independent but voltage-dependent secretion (CiVDS) and its molecular mechanisms in dorsal root ganglion sensory neurons. However, whether CiVDS presents only in sensory cells remains elusive. Here, by combining multiple independent recordings, we report that [1] CiVDS robustly presents in the sympathetic nervous system, including sympathetic superior cervical ganglion neurons and slice adrenal chromaffin cells, [2] uses voltage sensors of Ca²⁺ channels (N-type and novel L-type), and [3] contributes to catecholamine release in both homeostatic and fight-or-flight like states; [4] CiVDS-mediated catecholamine release is faster than that of Ca²⁺-dependent secretion at the quantal level and [5] increases Ca²⁺ currents and contractility of cardiac myocytes. Together, CiVDS presents in the sympathetic nervous system with potential physiological functions, including cardiac muscle contractility.

CaV2.2 Gates Calcium-Independent but Voltage-Dependent Secretion in Mammalian Sensory Neurons

Action potential induces membrane depolarization and triggers intracellular free Ca²⁺ concentration (Ca²⁺)-dependent secretion (CDS) via Ca²⁺ influx through voltage-gated Ca²⁺ channels. We report a new type of somatic exocytosis triggered by the action potential per se-Ca²⁺-independent but voltage-dependent secretion (CiVDS)-in dorsal root ganglion neurons. Here we uncovered the molecular mechanism of CiVDS, comprising a voltage sensor, fusion machinery, and their linker. Specifically, the voltage-gated N-type Ca²⁺ channel (Ca_V2.2) is the voltage sensor triggering CiVDS, the SNARE complex functions as the vesicle fusion machinery, the "synprint" of Ca_V2.2 serves as a linker between the voltage sensor and the fusion machinery, and ATP is a cargo of CiVDS vesicles. Thus, CiVDS releases ATP from the soma while CDS releases glutamate from presynaptic terminals, establishing the Ca_V2.2-SNARE "voltage-gating fusion pore" as a novel pathway co-existing with the canonical "Ca²⁺-gating fusion pore" pathway for neurotransmitter release following action potentials in primary sensory neurons.

An Exclusion Zone for Ca2+ Channels around Docked Vesicles Explains Release Control by Multiple Channels at a CNS Synapse

The spatial arrangement of Ca²⁺ channels and vesicles remains unknown for most CNS synapses, despite of the crucial importance of this geometrical parameter for the Ca²⁺ control of transmitter release. At a large model synapse, the calyx of Held, transmitter release is controlled by several Ca²⁺ channels in a "domain overlap" mode, at least in young animals. To study the geometrical constraints of Ca²⁺ channel placement in domain overlap control of release, we used stochastic MCell modelling, at active zones for which the position of docked vesicles was derived from electron microscopy (EM). We found that random placement of Ca²⁺ channels was unable to produce high slope values between release and presynaptic Ca²⁺ entry, a hallmark of domain overlap, and yielded excessively large release probabilities. The simple assumption that Ca²⁺ channels can be located anywhere at active zones, except below a critical distance of ~ 30 nm away from docked vesicles ("exclusion zone"), rescued high slope values and low release probabilities. Alternatively, high slope values can also be obtained by placing all Ca²⁺ channels into a single supercluster, which however results in significantly higher heterogeneity of release probabilities. We also show experimentally that high slope values, and the sensitivity to the slow Ca²⁺ chelator EGTA-AM, are maintained with developmental maturation of the calyx synapse. Taken together, domain overlap control of release represents a highly organized active zone architecture in which Ca²⁺ channels must obey a certain distance to docked vesicles. Furthermore, domain overlap can be employed by near-mature, fast-releasing synapses.

Ca²⁺ channels provide the rise in intracellular Ca²⁺ concentration necessary to initiate the membrane fusion of transmitter—filled vesicles at synapses. Because Ca²⁺ diffuses away from Ca²⁺ channels, the distance between Ca²⁺ channels and vesicles on the range of tens of nanometers is a crucial determinant of the vesicle fusion probability. However, there is still little experimental evidence on how Ca²⁺ channels and vesicles co-localize in the nanospace of a single synapse. We show by computational modelling that the channels should be located at some distance to vesicles (~ 30 nm), to allow for release control by several channels, a release mechanism found at many synapses. In realistic synapses with a high density of docked vesicles, this translates into a likely localization of Ca²⁺ channels at membrane sites not occupied by docked vesicles. Thus, we present a computational model of how Ca²⁺ channels can be localized in an active zone with several docked vesicles, to enable control of release by several Ca²⁺ channels.

Nanodomain coupling explains Ca²⁺ independence of transmitter release time course at a fast central synapse

A puzzling property of synaptic transmission, originally established at the neuromuscular junction, is that the time course of transmitter release is independent of the extracellular Ca²⁺ concentration ([Ca²⁺]_o), whereas the rate of release is highly [Ca²⁺]_o-dependent. Here, we examine the time course of release at inhibitory basket cell-Purkinje cell synapses and show that it is independent of [Ca²⁺]_o. Modeling of Ca²⁺-dependent transmitter release suggests that the invariant time course of release critically depends on tight coupling between Ca²⁺ channels and release sensors. Experiments with exogenous Ca²⁺ chelators reveal that channel-sensor coupling at basket cell-Purkinje cell synapses is very tight, with a mean distance of 10–20 nm. Thus, tight channel-sensor coupling provides a mechanistic explanation for the apparent [Ca²⁺]_o independence of the time course of release.

DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.04057.001

The nervous system sends information around the body in the form of electrical signals that travel through cells called neurons. However, these electrical signals cannot cross the synapses between neurons. Instead, the information is carried across the synapse by molecules called neurotransmitters.

Calcium ions control the release of neurotransmitters. There is a high concentration of calcium ions outside the neuron but they are not able to pass through the cell membrane under normal conditions. However, when an electrical impulse reaches the synapse, ion channels in the membrane open and allow calcium ions to enter the cell. Once inside, the ions activate the release of neurotransmitters by binding to proteins called release sensors.

Several experiments on the release of neurotransmitters have studied the synapses between neurons and muscle fibers. These studies found that the higher the concentration of ions outside the neuron, the higher the rate at which the neurotransmitters were released. However, the timing of release—the length of time over which the neurotransmitters were released—did not depend on the concentration of calcium ions.

Arai and Jonas have now studied neurotransmitter release at a synapse in a region of the brain called the cerebellum. These experiments also found that the timing of the release did not depend on the ion concentration, suggesting that this may be a general property of neurotransmitter release.

To find out more, Arai and Jonas created a mathematical model of neurotransmitter release. This model suggests that for the timing of release to remain the same, the ion channel and the release sensor must be located close together in the presynaptic terminal. If they are not close together, the timing of release becomes blurred and more dependent on the external calcium concentration.

Further experiments confirm the prediction of the model by showing that the calcium channels and the release sensors in these synapses are very close together. The next challenge will be to find out whether the conclusions are also valid for other synapses where the calcium channels and release sensors are further apart.

DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.04057.002

Axonal noise as a source of synaptic variability

Post-synaptic potential (PSP) variability is typically attributed to mechanisms inside synapses, yet recent advances in experimental methods and biophysical understanding have led us to reconsider the role of axons as highly reliable transmission channels. We show that in many thin axons of our brain, the action potential (AP) waveform and thus the Ca++ signal controlling vesicle release at synapses will be significantly affected by the inherent variability of ion channel gating. We investigate how and to what extent fluctuations in the AP waveform explain observed PSP variability. Using both biophysical theory and stochastic simulations of central and peripheral nervous system axons from vertebrates and invertebrates, we show that channel noise in thin axons (<1 µm diameter) causes random fluctuations in AP waveforms. AP height and width, both experimentally characterised parameters of post-synaptic response amplitude, vary e.g. by up to 20 mV and 0.5 ms while a single AP propagates in C-fibre axons. We show how AP height and width variabilities increase with a ¾ power-law as diameter decreases and translate these fluctuations into post-synaptic response variability using biophysical data and models of synaptic transmission. We find for example that for mammalian unmyelinated axons with 0.2 µm diameter (matching cerebellar parallel fibres) axonal noise alone can explain half of the PSP variability in cerebellar synapses. We conclude that axonal variability may have considerable impact on synaptic response variability. Thus, in many experimental frameworks investigating synaptic transmission through paired-cell recordings or extracellular stimulation of presynaptic neurons, causes of variability may have been confounded. We thereby show how bottom-up aggregation of molecular noise sources contributes to our understanding of variability observed at higher levels of biological organisation.

What are the mechanisms for analogue and digital signalling in the brain?

Synaptic transmission in the brain generally depends on action potentials. However, recent studies indicate that subthreshold variation in the presynaptic membrane potential also determines spike-evoked transmission. The informational content of each presynaptic action potential is therefore greater than initially expected. The contribution of this synaptic property, which is a fast (from 0.01 to 10 s) and state-dependent modulation of functional coupling, has been largely underestimated and could have important consequences for our understanding of information processing in neural networks. We discuss here how the membrane voltage of the presynaptic terminal might modulate neurotransmitter release by mechanisms that do not involve a change in presynaptic Ca(2+) influx.

Opposite modulation of time course of quantal release in two parts of the same synapse by reactive oxygen species

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are potent regulators of transmitter release in chemical synapses, but the mechanism of this action remains almost unknown. Presynaptic modulation can change either the release probability or the time course of quantal release, which was recently recognized as an efficient mechanism determining synaptic efficiency. The nonuniform structure and a big size of the frog neuromuscular junction make it a useful model to study the action of ROS in compartments different in release probability and in time course of transmitter release. The time course (or kinetics) of quantal release could be estimated by measuring the dispersion of the synaptic delays for evoked uniquantal endplate currents (EPCs) under low release probability. Using two-electrode recording technique, the action of ROS on kinetics and release probabilities were studied at the proximal and distal parts within the same neuromuscular junction. The stable ROS hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) increased the dispersion of synaptic delays of EPCs (i.e. desynchronized quantal release) within the distal part but decreased delay dispersion (synchronized quantal release) within the proximal part of the same synapse. Unlike the opposite modulation of kinetics, H2O2 reduced release probability in both distal and proximal parts. Since ATP is released from motor nerve terminals together with acetylcholine and can be involved in ROS signaling, we tested the presynaptic action of ATP. In the presence of the pro-oxidant Fe2+, extracellular ATP, similarly to H2O2, induced significant desynchronization of release in the distal regions. The antioxidant N-acetyl-cysteine attenuated the inhibitory action of ATP on release probability and abolished the action of H2O2 and ATP in the presence of Fe2+, on release kinetics. Our data suggest that ROS induced during muscle activity could change the time course of transmitter release along the motor nerve terminal to provide fine tuning of synaptic efficacy.

Vesicle pools: lessons from adrenal chromaffin cells

The adrenal chromaffin cell serves as a model system to study fast Ca2+-dependent exocytosis. Membrane capacitance measurements in combination with Ca2+ uncaging offers a temporal resolution in the millisecond range and reveals that catecholamine release occurs in three distinct phases. Release of a readily releasable (RRP) and a slowly releasable (SRP) pool are followed by sustained release, due to maturation, and release of vesicles which were not release-ready at the start of the stimulus. Trains of depolarizations, a more physiological stimulus, induce release from a small immediately releasable pool of vesicles residing adjacent to calcium channels, as well as from the RRP. The SRP is poorly activated by depolarization. A sequential model, in which non-releasable docked vesicles are primed to a slowly releasable state, and then further mature to the readily releasable state, has been proposed. The docked state, dependent on membrane proximity, requires SNAP-25, synaptotagmin, and syntaxin. The ablation or modification of SNAP-25 and syntaxin, components of the SNARE complex, as well as of synaptotagmin, the calcium sensor, and modulators such complexins and Snapin alter the properties and/or magnitudes of different phases of release, and in particular can ablate the RRP. These results indicate that the composition of the SNARE complex and its interaction with modulatory molecules drives priming and provides a molecular basis for different pools of releasable vesicles.

A novel fast mechanism for GPCR-mediated signal transduction--control of neurotransmitter release

In addition to calcium influx, charge movement in the G protein–coupled M₂-muscarinic receptor is required for the control of acetylcholine release.

Reliable neuronal communication depends on accurate temporal correlation between the action potential and neurotransmitter release. Although a requirement for Ca²⁺ in neurotransmitter release is amply documented, recent studies have shown that voltage-sensitive G protein–coupled receptors (GPCRs) are also involved in this process. However, how slow-acting GPCRs control fast neurotransmitter release is an unsolved question. Here we examine whether the recently discovered fast depolarization-induced charge movement in the M₂-muscarinic receptor (M₂R) is responsible for M₂R-mediated control of acetylcholine release. We show that inhibition of the M₂R charge movement in Xenopus oocytes correlated well with inhibition of acetylcholine release at the mouse neuromuscular junction. Our results suggest that, in addition to Ca²⁺ influx, charge movement in GPCRs is also necessary for release control.

Control of neurotransmitter release: From Ca2+ to voltage dependent G-protein coupled receptors

This review discusses two theories that try to explain mechanisms of control of neurotransmitter release in fast synapses: the Ca(2+) hypothesis and the Ca(2+) voltage hypothesis. The review summarizes experimental results that are incompatible with predictions from the Ca(2+) hypothesis and concludes that Ca(2+) is involved in the control of the amount of release but not in the control of the time course of evoked release, i.e., initiation and termination of evoked release. Results summarizing direct effects of changes in membrane potential on the release machinery are then presented. These changes in membrane potential affect the affinity (for the transmitter) of presynaptic autoinhibitory G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs). The voltage dependence of these GPCRs and their pivotal role in determining the time course of evoked release is discussed.

Depolarization amplitude and Ca2+ -inflow control the time course of quantal releases at murine motor nerve terminals

In order to test whether the time courses of quantal releases after a depolarization pulse are affected by the depolarization amplitude, time courses were measured for small depolarization pulses that elicited close to threshold releases and for large depolarizations that elicited releases approaching saturation level. Diaphragms of young mice were excised and superfused with Bretag's solution at 18 degrees C. Synaptic currents were elicited and recorded through a perfused macropatch pipette. Releases elicited by threshold depolarizations rose earlier than releases elicited by saturation depolarizations. The short delays in the rising phases of release after large depolarizations may be due to the shift of Ca(2+) currents flowing during the pulse to tail currents. After its peak, release decayed with a time constant tau. For saturation depolarizations tau was about 0.3 ms, and for threshold depolarizations tau increased up to 0.8 ms. In order to differentiate between the effects of variations in Ca(2+) inflow and in depolarization, the amplitudes of large depolarization pulses were held constant while the amount of release was depressed by halving the Ca(2+) concentration at the terminal. The time course of the lowered releases was slightly delayed while tau remained at 0.3 ms as typical for saturation depolarizations. Double pulse facilitation unexpectedly revealed a short phase of depression of release after the pulse. This depression may contribute to the rapid decay (tau) of release after large depolarizations. The dependence of tau on depolarization amplitude indicates that the final phase of the time course of release is largely controlled by the amplitude of the preceding depolarization.

Action potential modulates Ca2+-dependent and Ca2+-independent secretion in a sensory neuron

Neurotransmitter release normally requires calcium triggering. However, the somata of dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons possess a calcium-independent but voltage-dependent secretion (CIVDS) in addition to the classic calcium-dependent secretion (CDS). Here, we investigated the physiological role of CIVDS and the contributions of CIVDS and CDS induced by action potentials (APs) in DRG soma. Using membrane capacitance measurements, caged calcium photolysis, and membrane capacitance kinetics analysis, we demonstrated that AP-induced secretion had both CIVDS and CDS components. Following physiological stimuli, the dominant component of AP-induced secretion was either CIVDS for spontaneous firing or CDS for high-intensity stimuli. AP frequency modulates CDS-coupled exocytosis and CIVDS-coupled endocytosis but not CIVDS-coupled exocytosis and CDS-coupled endocytosis. Finally, CIVDS did not contribute to excitatory postsynaptic currents induced by APs in DRG presynaptic terminals in the spinal cord. Thus, CIVDS is probably an essential physiological component of AP-induced secretion in the soma. These findings bring novel insights into primary sensory processes in DRG neurons.

Developmental regulation of the intracellular Ca2+ sensitivity of vesicle fusion and Ca2+-secretion coupling at the rat calyx of Held

Developmental refinement of synaptic transmission can occur via changes in several pre- and postsynaptic factors, but it has been unknown whether the intrinsic Ca2+ sensitivity of vesicle fusion in the nerve terminal can be regulated during development. Using the calyx of Held, a giant synapse in the auditory pathway, we studied the presynaptic mechanisms underlying the developmental regulation of Ca2+-secretion coupling, comparing a time period before, and shortly after the onset of hearing in rats. We found an approximately 2-fold leftward shift in the relationship between EPSC amplitude and presynaptic Ca2+ current charge (QCa), indicating that brief presynaptic Ca2+ currents become significantly more efficient in driving release. Using a Ca2+ tail current protocol, we also found that the high cooperativity between EPSC amplitude and QCa was slightly reduced with development. In contrast, in presynaptic Ca2+ uncaging experiments, the intrinsic Ca2+ cooperativity of vesicle fusion was identical, and the intrinsic Ca2+ sensitivity was slightly reduced with development. This indicates that the significantly enhanced release efficiency of brief Ca2+ currents must be caused by a tighter co-localization of Ca2+ channels and readily releasable vesicles, but not by changes in the intrinsic properties of Ca2+-dependent release. Using the parameters of the intrinsic Ca2+ sensitivity measured at each developmental stage, we estimate that during a presynaptic action potential (AP), a given readily releasable vesicle experiences an about 1.3-fold higher 'local' intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) signal with development. Thus, the data indicate a tightening in the Ca2+ channel-vesicle co-localization during development, without a major change in the intrinsic Ca2+ sensitivity of vesicle fusion.

Analog modulation of mossy fiber transmission is uncoupled from changes in presynaptic Ca2+

Subthreshold somatic depolarization has been shown recently to modulate presynaptic neurotransmitter release in cortical neurons. To understand the mechanisms underlying this mode of signaling in the axons of dentate granule cells (hippocampal mossy fibers), we have combined two-photon Ca2+ imaging with dual-patch recordings from somata and giant boutons forming synapses on CA3 pyramidal cells. In intact axons, subthreshold depolarization propagates both orthodromically and antidromically, with an estimated length constant of 200-600 microm depending on the signal waveform. Surprisingly, presynaptic depolarization sufficient to enhance glutamate release at mossy fiber-CA3 pyramidal cell synapses has no detectable effect on either basal Ca2+-dependent fluorescence or action-potential-evoked fluorescence transients in giant boutons. We further estimate that neurotransmitter release varies with presynaptic Ca2+ entry with a 2.5-power relationship and that depolarization-induced synaptic facilitation remains intact in the presence of high-affinity presynaptic Ca2+ buffers or after blockade of local Ca2+ stores. We conclude that depolarization-dependent modulation of transmission at these boutons does not rely on changes in presynaptic Ca2+.

Interactions between multiple sources of short-term plasticity during evoked and spontaneous activity at the rat calyx of Held

Sustained activity at most central synapses is accompanied by a number of short-term changes in synaptic strength which act over a range of time scales. Here we examine experimental data and develop a model of synaptic depression at the calyx of Held synaptic terminal that combines many of these mechanisms (acting at differing sites and across a range of time scales). This new model incorporates vesicle recycling, facilitation, activity-dependent vesicle retrieval and multiple mechanisms affecting calcium channel activity and release probability. It can accurately reproduce the time course of experimentally measured short-term depression across different stimulus frequencies and exhibits a slow decay in EPSC amplitude during sustained stimulation. We show that the slow decay is a consequence of vesicle release inhibition by multiple mechanisms and is accompanied by a partial recovery of the releasable vesicle pool. This prediction is supported by patch-clamp data, using long duration repetitive EPSC stimulation at up to 400 Hz. The model also explains the recovery from depression in terms of interaction between these multiple processes, which together generate a stimulus-history-dependent recovery after repetitive stimulation. Given the high rates of spontaneous activity in the auditory pathway, the model also demonstrates how these multiple interactions cause chronic synaptic depression under in vivo conditions. While the magnitude of the depression converges to the same steady state for a given frequency, the time courses of onset and recovery are faster in the presence of spontaneous activity. We conclude that interactions between multiple sources of short-term plasticity can account for the complex kinetics during high frequency stimulation and cause stimulus-history-dependent recovery at this relay synapse.

Dopamine inhibits basal prolactin release in pituitary lactotrophs through pertussis toxin-sensitive and -insensitive signaling pathways

Dopamine D2 receptors signal through the pertussis toxin (PTX)-sensitive G(i/o) and PTX-insensitive G(z) proteins, as well as through a G protein-independent, beta-arrestin/glycogen synthase kinase-3-dependent pathway. Activation of these receptors in pituitary lactotrophs leads to inhibition of prolactin (PRL) release. It has been suggested that this inhibition occurs through the G(i/o)-alpha protein-mediated inhibition of cAMP production and/or G(i/o)-betagamma dimer-mediated activation of inward rectifier K(+) channels and inhibition of voltage-gated Ca(2+) channels. Here we show that the dopamine agonist-induced inhibition of spontaneous Ca(2+) influx and release of prestored PRL was preserved when cAMP levels were elevated by forskolin treatment. We further observed that dopamine agonists inhibited both spontaneous and depolarization-induced Ca(2+) influx in untreated but not in PTX-treated cells. This inhibition was also observed in cells with blocked inward rectifier K(+) channels, suggesting that the dopamine effect on voltage-gated Ca(2+) channel gating is sufficient to inhibit spontaneous Ca(2+) influx. However, agonist-induced inhibition of PRL release was only partially relieved in PTX-treated cells, indicating that dopamine receptors also inhibit exocytosis downstream of voltage-gated Ca(2+) influx. The PTX-insensitive step in agonist-induced inhibition of PRL release was not affected by the addition of wortmannin, an inhibitor of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, and lithium, an inhibitor of glycogen synthase kinase-3, but was attenuated in the presence of phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate, which inhibits G(z) signaling pathway in a protein kinase C-dependent manner. Thus, dopamine inhibits basal PRL release by blocking voltage-gated Ca(2+) influx through the PTX-sensitive signaling pathway and by desensitizing Ca(2+) secretion coupling through the PTX-insensitive and protein kinase C-sensitive signaling pathway.

The time course of transmitter release in mouse motor nerve terminals is differentially affected by activation of muscarinic M1 or M2 receptors

At endplates of mouse diaphragms the effects of activation of presynaptic muscarinic M1 and M2 autoreceptors on the time courses of monoquantal releases have been investigated at 20 degrees C. Quantal excitatory postsynaptic currents (qEPSCs) were elicited and recorded with a perfused macropatch electrode, through which control- and drug-containing solutions were applied to 10 microm phi regions of a neuromuscular junction. M2 receptors were activated with muscarine, while the M1 receptors were blocked by pirenzepine. M2 activation presented a slight, but highly significant augmentation of early releases. Analogously, M1 receptors were activated with muscarine, while M2 receptors were blocked by methoctramine. M1 activation elicited a highly significant small shift of the time course of release towards longer delays. In controls, the number of late releases decayed with a time constant of 0.3 ms. This time constant did not change appreciably when methoctramine or methoctramine + muscarine were applied. However, methoctramine + muscarine reduced the amplitude of qEPSCs and shortened their decay by a partial block of postsynaptic channels. Double blocks with pirenzepine + methoctramine allowed no presynaptic effect of muscarine, showing that the blocker concentrations were sufficient. Neither the addition of methoctramine to pirenzepine, nor the further addition of muscarine changed the time constant of decay of the number of late releases. The results are very similar to that of autoreceptor activations in the glutamatergic crayfish synapse: activation of inhibitory receptors augmented early releases, and that of facilitatory receptors depressed early releases [J. Dudel (2006a) Eur. J. Neurosci., 23, 2695-2700], which may suggest a general presynaptic mechanism.

Presynaptic lonotropic receptors

The release of transmitters through vesicle exocytosis from nerve terminals is not constant but is subject to modulation by various mechanisms, including prior activity at the synapse and the presence of neurotransmitters or neuromodulators in the synapse. Instantaneous responses of postsynaptic cells to released transmitters are mediated by ionotropic receptors. In contrast to metabotropic receptors, ionotropic receptors mediate the actions of agonists in a transient manner within milliseconds to seconds. Nevertheless, transmitters can control vesicle exocytosis not only via slowly acting metabotropic, but also via fast acting ionotropic receptors located at the presynaptic nerve terminals. In fact, members of the following subfamilies of ionotropic receptors have been found to control transmitter release: ATP P2X, nicotinic acetylcholine, GABA(A), ionotropic glutamate, glycine, 5-HT(3), andvanilloid receptors. As these receptors display greatly diverging structural and functional features, a variety of different mechanisms are involved in the regulation of transmitter release via presynaptic ionotropic receptors. This text gives an overview of presynaptic ionotropic receptors and briefly summarizes the events involved in transmitter release to finally delineate the most important signaling mechanisms that mediate the effects of presynaptic ionotropic receptor activation. Finally, a few examples are presented to exemplify the physiological and pharmacological relevance of presynaptic ionotropic receptors.

Timing of potential and metabolic brain energy

The temporal relationship between cerebral electro-physiological activities, higher brain functions and brain energy metabolism is reviewed. The duration of action potentials and transmission through glutamate and GABA are most often less than 5 ms. Subjects may perform complex psycho-physiological tasks within 50 to 200 ms, and perception of conscious experience requires 0.5 to 2 s. Activation of cerebral oxygen consumption starts after at least 100 ms and increases of local blood flow become maximal after about 1 s. Current imaging technologies are unable to detect rapid physiological brain functions. We introduce the concepts of potential and metabolic brain energy to distinguish trans-membrane gradients of ions or neurotransmitters and the capacity to generate energy from intra- or extra-cerebral substrates, respectively. Higher brain functions, such as memory retrieval, speaking, consciousness and self-consciousness are so fast that their execution depends primarily on fast neurotransmission (in the millisecond range) and action-potentials. In other words: brain functioning requires primarily maximal potential energy. Metabolic brain energy is necessary to restore and maintain the potential energy.

The sequence of events that underlie quantal transmission at central glutamatergic synapses

The properties of synaptic transmission were first elucidated at the neuromuscular junction. More recent work has examined transmission at synapses within the brain. Here we review the remarkable progress in understanding the biophysical and molecular basis of the sequential steps in this process. These steps include the elevation of Ca2+ in microdomains of the presynaptic terminal, the diffusion of transmitter through the fusion pore into the synaptic cleft and the activation of postsynaptic receptors. The results give insight into the factors that control the precision of quantal transmission and provide a framework for understanding synaptic plasticity.

A mechanism intrinsic to the vesicle fusion machinery determines fast and slow transmitter release at a large CNS synapse

Heterogeneity of release probability p between vesicles in the readily releasable pool (RRP) is expected to strongly influence the kinetics of depression at synapses, but the underlying mechanism(s) are not well understood. To test whether differences in the intrinsic Ca2+ sensitivity of vesicle fusion might cause heterogeneity of p, we made presynaptic Ca2+-uncaging measurements at the calyx of Held and analyzed the time course of transmitter release by EPSC deconvolution. Ca2+ uncaging, which produced spatially homogeneous elevations of [Ca2+]i, evoked a fast and a slow component of release over a wide range of [Ca2+]i, showing that mechanism(s) intrinsic to the vesicle fusion machinery cause fast and slow transmitter release. Surprisingly, the number of vesicles released in the fast component increased with Ca2+-uncaging stimuli of larger amplitudes, a finding that was most obvious below approximately 10 microM [Ca2+]i and that we call "submaximal release" of fast-releasable vesicles. During trains of action potential-like presynaptic depolarizations, submaximal release was also observed as an increase in the cumulative fast release at enhanced release probabilities. A model that assumes two separate subpools of RRP vesicles with different intrinsic Ca2+ sensitivities predicted the observed Ca2+ dependencies of fast and slow transmitter release but could not fully account for submaximal release. Thus, fast and slow transmitter release in response to prolonged [Ca2+]i elevations is caused by intrinsic differences between RRP vesicles, and an "a posteriori" reduction of the Ca2+ sensitivity of vesicle fusion after the onset of the stimulus might cause submaximal release of fast-releasable vesicles and contribute to short-term synaptic depression.

Modulation of the kinetics of evoked quantal release at mouse neuromuscular junctions by calcium and strontium

The effects of calcium and strontium on the quantal content of nerve-evoked endplate currents and on the kinetic parameters of quantal release (minimal synaptic delay, value of main mode of synaptic delay histogram, and variability of synaptic delay) were studied at the mouse neuromuscular synapse. At low calcium ion concentrations (0.2-0.6 mmol/L), evoked signals with long synaptic delays (several times longer than the value of main mode) were observed. Their number decreased substantially when [Ca(2+)](o) was increased (i.e. the release of transmitter became more synchronous). By contrast, the early phase of secretion, characterized by minimal synaptic delay and accounting for the main peak of the synaptic delay histogram, did not change significantly with increasing [Ca(2+)](o). Hence, extracellular calcium affected mainly the late, 'asynchronous', portion of phasic release. The average quantal content grew exponentially from 0.09 +/- 0.01 to 1.04 +/- 0.07 with the increase in [Ca(2+)](o) without reaching saturation. Similar results were obtained when calcium was replaced by strontium, but the asynchronous portion of phasic release was more pronounced and higher strontium concentrations (to 1.2-1.4 mmol/L) were required to abolish responses with long delays. Treatment of preparations with 1,2-bis(2-aminophenoxy)ethane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid tetrakis acetoxymethyl ester (BAPTA-AM) (25 micromol/L), but not with ethylene glycol-bis(2-aminoethylether)-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid acetoxymethyl ester (EGTA-AM) (25 micromol/L), abolished the responses with long delays. The dependence of quantal content and synchrony of quantal release on calcium and strontium concentrations have quite different slopes, suggesting that they are governed by different mechanisms.

The calyx of Held

The calyx of Held is a large glutamatergic synapse in the mammalian auditory brainstem. By using brain slice preparations, direct patch-clamp recordings can be made from the nerve terminal and its postsynaptic target (principal neurons of the medial nucleus of the trapezoid body). Over the last decade, this preparation has been increasingly employed to investigate basic presynaptic mechanisms of transmission in the central nervous system. We review here the background to this preparation and summarise key findings concerning voltage-gated ion channels of the nerve terminal and the ionic mechanisms involved in exocytosis and modulation of transmitter release. The accessibility of this giant terminal has also permitted Ca(2+)-imaging and -uncaging studies combined with electrophysiological recording and capacitance measurements of exocytosis. Together, these studies convey the panopoly of presynaptic regulatory processes underlying the regulation of transmitter release, its modulatory control and short-term plasticity within one identified synaptic terminal.

Scotopic visual signaling in the mouse retina is modulated by high-affinity plasma membrane calcium extrusion

Transmission of visual signals at the first retinal synapse is associated with changes in calcium concentration in photoreceptors and bipolar cells. We investigated how loss of plasma membrane Ca2+ ATPase isoform 2 (PMCA2), the calcium transporter isoform with the highest affinity for Ca2+/calmodulin, affects transmission of rod- and cone-mediated responses. PMCA2 expression in the neuroblast layer was observed soon after birth; in the adult, PMCA2 was expressed in inner segments and synaptic terminals of rod photoreceptors, in rod bipolar cells, and in most inner retinal neurons but was absent from cones. To determine the role of PMCA2 in retinal signaling, we compared morphology and light responses of retinas from control mice and deafwaddler dfw2J mice, which lack functional PMCA2 protein. The cytoarchitecture of retinas from control and dfw2J mice was indistinguishable at the light microscope level. Suction electrode recordings revealed no difference in the sensitivity or amplitude of outer segment light responses of control and dfw2J rods. However, rod-mediated ERG b-wave responses in dfw2J mice were approximately 45% smaller and significantly slower than those of control mice. Furthermore, recordings from individual rod bipolar cells showed that the sensitivity of transmission at the rod output synapse was reduced by approximately 50%. No changes in the amplitude or timing of cone-mediated ERG responses were observed. These results suggest that PMCA2-mediated Ca2+ extrusion modulates the amplitude and timing of the high-sensitivity rod pathway to a much greater extent than that of the cone pathway.

Principles of Two-Photon Excitation Microscopy and Its Applications to Neuroscience

The brain is complex and dynamic. The spatial scales of interest to the neurobiologist range from individual synapses (approximately 1 microm) to neural circuits (centimeters); the timescales range from the flickering of channels (less than a millisecond) to long-term memory (years). Remarkably, fluorescence microscopy has the potential to revolutionize research on all of these spatial and temporal scales. Two-photon excitation (2PE) laser scanning microscopy allows high-resolution and high-sensitivity fluorescence microscopy in intact neural tissue, which is hostile to traditional forms of microscopy. Over the last 10 years, applications of 2PE, including microscopy and photostimulation, have contributed to our understanding of a broad array of neurobiological phenomena, including the dynamics of single channels in individual synapses and the functional organization of cortical maps. Here we review the principles of 2PE microscopy, highlight recent applications, discuss its limitations, and point to areas for future research and development.

Physiological temperatures reduce the rate of vesicle pool depletion and short-term depression via an acceleration of vesicle recruitment

The timing and strength of synaptic transmission is profoundly dependent on temperature. However, the temperature dependence of the multiple mechanisms that contribute to short-term synaptic plasticity is poorly understood. Here, we use voltage-clamp recordings to quantify the temperature dependence of exocytosis at the calyx of Held synapse. EPSC and miniature EPSC amplitudes were larger at physiological temperature, but quantal content during low-frequency (0.05 Hz) stimulation was constant after temperature jumps from 22-24 degrees C to 35-37 degrees C. The initial degree of EPSC depression during 100 Hz stimuli trains was unchanged with temperature, as were estimates of release probability and vesicle pool size. In contrast, physiological temperatures dramatically relieved depression measured after 40 stimuli at 100 Hz by increasing twofold the rate of recovery from depression. Presynaptic calyx recordings revealed that physiological temperature increased capacitance jumps resulting from 0.5 and 1 ms depolarizations by increasing Ca2+ influx. When Ca2+ entry was equalized at the two temperatures, exocytosis exhibited little temperature dependence for brief depolarizations. However, in response to longer depolarizations, raising temperature increased a slow phase of exocytosis, without affecting overall Ca2+ entry or the size of the readily releasable pool of vesicles. Higher temperatures also increased the rate of presynaptic Ca2+ current inactivation; nevertheless, the degree of steady-state EPSC depression was greatly reduced. Our results thus suggest that changes in steady-state EPSCs during stimulus trains at physiological temperature reflect larger quantal amplitudes and faster refilling of synaptic vesicle pools, leading to reduced short-term depression during prolonged high-frequency firing.

Graded inhibitory synaptic transmission between leech interneurons: assessing the roles of two kinetically distinct low-threshold Ca currents

In leeches, two pairs of reciprocally inhibitory heart interneurons that form the core oscillators of the pattern-generating network for heartbeat possess both high- and low-threshold (HVA and LVA) Ca channels. LVA Ca current has two kinetically distinct components (one rapidly activating/inactivating, ICaF, and another slowly activating/inactivating, ICaS) that mediate graded transmission, generate plateau potentials driving burst formation, and modulate spike-mediated transmission between heart interneurons. Here we used different stimulating protocols and inorganic Ca channel blockers to separate the effects of ICaF and ICaS on graded synaptic transmission and determine their interaction and relative efficacy. Ca2+ entering by ICaF channels is more efficacious in mediating release than that entering by ICaS channels. The rate of Ca2+ entry by LVA Ca channels appears to be as critical as the amount of delivered Ca2+ for synaptic transmission. LVA Ca currents and associated graded transmission were selectively blocked by 1 mM Ni2+, leaving spike-mediated transmission unaffected. Nevertheless, 1 mM Ni2+ affected homosynaptic enhancement of spike-mediated transmission that depends on background Ca2+ provided by LVA Ca channels. Ca2+ provided by both ICaF and ICaS depletes a common pool of readily releasable synaptic vesicles. The balance between availability of vesicles and Ca2+ concentration and its time course determine the strength of inhibitory transmission between heart interneurons. We argue that Ca2+ from multichannel domains arising from ICaF channels, clustered near but not directly associated with the release trigger, and Ca2+ radially diffusing from generally distributed ICaS channels interact at common release sites to mediate graded transmission.

Rapid vesicular release, quantal variability, and spillover contribute to the precision and reliability of transmission at a glomerular synapse

The amplitude and shape of EPSC waveforms are thought to be important determinants of information processing and storage in the brain, yet relatively little is known about the origins of EPSC variability or how it affects synaptic signaling. We investigated the stochastic determinants of AMPA receptor-mediated EPSC variability at cerebellar mossy fiber-granule cell (MF-GC) connections by combining multiple-probability fluctuation analysis (MPFA) and deconvolution methods. The properties of MF connections with a single release site and the effects of the rapidly equilibrating competitive antagonist kynurenic acid on EPSCs suggest that receptors are not saturated by glutamate during a quantal event and that quanta sum linearly over a wide range of release probabilities. MPFA revealed an average of five vesicular release sites per MF-GC connection. Our results show that the time course of vesicular release is rapid (decay, tau = 75 micros) and independent of release probability, introducing little jitter in the shape or timing of the quantal component of the EPSC at physiological temperature. Moreover, the peak vesicular release rate per release site after an action potential (AP) (approximately 3 ms(-1)) is substantially higher than previously reported for central synapses. Interaction of amplitude fluctuations arising from quantal release and quantal size with the slower, low variability spillover-mediated current produce substantial variability in EPSC shape. Our simulations of MF-GC transmission suggest that quantal variability and transmitter spillover extend the voltage from which AP threshold can be crossed, improving reliability, and that fast vesicular release allows precise signaling across MF connections with heterogeneous weights.

Microdomains of intracellular Ca2+: molecular determinants and functional consequences

Calcium ions are ubiquitous and versatile signaling molecules, capable of decoding a variety of extracellular stimuli (hormones, neurotransmitters, growth factors, etc.) into markedly different intracellular actions, ranging from contraction to secretion, from proliferation to cell death. The key to this pleiotropic role is the complex spatiotemporal organization of the [Ca(2+)] rise evoked by extracellular agonists, which allows selected effectors to be recruited and specific actions to be initiated. In this review, we discuss the structural and functional bases that generate the subcellular heterogeneity in cellular Ca(2+) levels at rest and under stimulation. This complex choreography requires the concerted action of many different players; the central role is, of course, that of the calcium ion, with the main supporting characters being all the entities responsible for moving Ca(2+) between different compartments, while the cellular architecture provides a determining framework within which all the players have their exits and their entrances. In particular, we concentrate on the molecular mechanisms that lead to the generation of cytoplasmic Ca(2+) microdomains, focusing on their different subcellular location, mechanism of generation, and functional role.

Presynaptic calcium and control of vesicle fusion

Vesicle fusion and transmitter release at synapses is driven by a highly localized Ca2+ signal that rapidly builds up around open Ca2+-channels at and near presynaptic active zones. It has been difficult to estimate the amplitude and the kinetics of this 'microdomain' signal by direct Ca2+-imaging approaches. Recently, Ca2+ uncaging at large CNS synapses, among them the calyx of Held, has shown that the intrinsic cooperativity of Ca2+ in inducing vesicle fusion is high, with 4-5 Ca2+ ions needed to trigger vesicle fusion. Given the Ca2+-sensitivity of vesicle fusion as determined by Ca2+-uncaging, it was found that a surprisingly small (10-25 microM) and brief (<1 ms) local Ca2+ signal is sufficient to achieve the amount, and the kinetics of the physiological transmitter release. The high cooperativity of Ca2+ in inducing vesicle fusion and the non-saturation of the Ca2+-sensor for vesicle fusion renders small changes of the local Ca2+-signal highly effective in changing the release probability; an insight that is important for our understanding of short-term modulation of synaptic strength.

Release of Neurotransmitter Induced by Ca2+-Uncaging: Reexamination of the Ca-Voltage Hypothesis for Release

The primacy of Ca2+ in controlling the amount of released neurotransmitter is well established. However, it is not yet clear what controls the time-course (initiation and termination) of release. Various experiments indicated that the time-course is controlled by membrane potential per se. Consequently the phenomenological Ca-Voltage-Hypothesis (CVH) was formulated. The CVH was later embodied in a molecular level mathematical model, whose key predictions were affirmed experimentally. Nonetheless, the single most important basis for the CVH, namely that depolarization per se is needed to induce physiological phasic release, was challenged by two major experimental findings. (i) Release was induced by Ca2+ alone by means of Ca2+-uncaging. (ii) There was at most a small additional effect when depolarization was applied after release was induced by Ca2+-uncaging. Point (i) was dealt with previously, but additional conclusions are drawn here. Here we concentrate on (ii) and show that the experimental results can be fully accounted for by the molecular level CVH model, with essentially the same parameters.

Endothelin-induced, Long Lasting, and Ca2+ Influx-independent Blockade of Intrinsic Secretion in Pituitary Cells by Gz Subunits

The G protein-coupled receptors in excitable cells have prominent roles in controlling Ca2+-triggered secretion by modulating voltage-gated Ca2+ influx. In pituitary lactotrophs, spontaneous voltage-gated Ca2+ influx is sufficient to maintain prolactin release high. Here we show that endothelin in picomolar concentrations can interrupt such release for several hours downstream of spontaneous and high K+-stimulated voltage-gated Ca2+ influx. This action occurred through the Gz signaling pathway; the adenylyl cyclase-signaling cascade could mediate sustained inhibition of secretion, whereas rapid inhibition also occurred at elevated cAMP levels regardless of the status of phospholipase C, tyrosine kinases, and protein kinase C. In a nanomolar concentration range, endothelin also inhibited voltage-gated Ca2+ influx through the G i/o signaling pathway. Thus, the coupling of seven-transmembrane domain endothelin receptors to Gz proteins provided a pathway that effectively blocked hormone secretion distal to Ca2+ entry, whereas the cross-coupling to G i/o proteins reinforced such inhibition by simultaneously reducing the pacemaking activity.

Control of synaptic strength and timing by the release-site Ca2+ signal

Transmitter release is triggered by highly localized, transient increases in the presynaptic Ca(2+) concentration ([Ca(2+)]). Rapidly decaying [Ca(2+)] elevations were generated using Ca(2+) uncaging techniques, and [Ca(2+)] was measured with a low-affinity Ca(2+) indicator in a giant presynaptic terminal, the calyx of Held, in rat brain slices. The rise time and amplitude of evoked excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) depended on the half-width of the fluorescence transient, which was predicted by a five-binding site model of a Ca(2+) sensor having relatively high affinity (K(d) approximately 13 microM). Very fast [Ca(2+)] transients (half-width <0.5 ms) evoked EPSCs similar to those elicited by a single action potential (AP) in the same synapse. Triggering release with dual [Ca(2+)] transients of variable amplitudes demonstrated the supralinear transfer function of the sensor. The sensitivity of release to the time course of the [Ca(2+)] transient may contribute to mechanisms by which the presynaptic AP waveform controls synaptic strength.

Depolarization initiates phasic acetylcholine release by relief of a tonic block imposed by presynaptic M2 muscarinic receptors

The role of presynaptic muscarinic autoreceptors in the initiation of phasic acetylcholine (ACh) release at frog and mouse neuromuscular junctions was studied by measuring the dependency of the amount (m) of ACh release on the level of presynaptic depolarization. Addition of methoctramine (a blocker of M2 muscarinic receptors), or of acetylcholinesterase (AChE), increased release in a voltage-dependent manner; enhancement of release declined as the depolarizing pulse amplitude increased. In frogs and wild-type mice the slope of log m/log pulse amplitude (PA) was reduced from about 7 in the control to about 4 in the presence of methoctramine or AChE. In M2 muscarinic receptor knockout mice, the slope of log m/log PA was much smaller (about 4) and was not further reduced by addition of either methoctramine or AChE. The effect of a brief (0.1 ms), but strong (-1.2 microA) depolarizing prepulse on the dependency of m on PA was also studied. The depolarizing prepulse had effects similar to those of methoctramine and AChE. In particular, it enhanced release of test pulses in a voltage-dependent manner and reduced the slope of log m/log PA from about 7 to about 4. Methoctramine + AChE occluded the prepulse effects. In knockout mice, the depolarizing prepulse had no effects. The cumulative results suggest that initiation of phasic ACh release is achieved by depolarization-mediated relief of a tonic block imposed by presynaptic M2 muscarinic receptors.

Synaptic vesicle pools

Communication between cells reaches its highest degree of specialization at chemical synapses. Some synapses talk in a 'whisper'; others 'shout'. The 'louder' the synapse, the more synaptic vesicles are needed to maintain effective transmission, ranging from a few hundred (whisperers) to nearly a million (shouters). These vesicles reside in different 'pools', which have been given a bewildering array of names. In this review, we focus on five tissue preparations in which synaptic vesicle pools have been identified and thoroughly characterized. We argue that, in each preparation, each vesicle can be assigned to one of three distinct pools.

A unified model of presynaptic release site gating by calcium channel domains

Calcium ions enter through discrete ion channels at presynaptic nerve terminals before binding to and activating transmitter release sites. Opposing models hold that release sites are gated either by calcium domains of single, closely associated channels or by extensive, overlapping domains from many remote channels. At the chick calyx synapse we find a linear relation between transmitter release and the number of open calcium channels, favouring single domain activation. This finding is consistent with results from the squid giant synapse but contrasts with steep power dependences reported in rodent synapses, suggestive of activation by extensive overlapping domains. These different reports were reconciled by plotting 'per cent domain overlap' against the external calcium concentration used for each species. This relationship predicts the involvement of local channels in the activation of release sites in all species. Further, it suggests that each release site is activated by calcium ions from its immediately associated channels and not by ions that enter through channels associated with a neighbouring release site.

Dynamic regulation of spine-dendrite coupling in cultured hippocampal neurons

We investigated the role of dendritic spine morphology in spine-dendrite calcium communication using novel experimental and theoretical approaches. A transient rise in [Ca2+]i was produced in individual spine heads of Fluo-4-loaded cultured hippocampal neurons by flash photolysis of caged calcium. Following flash photolysis in the spine head, a delayed [Ca2+]i transient was detected in the parent dendrites of only short, but not long, spines. Delayed elevated fluorescence in the dendrite of the short spines was also seen with a membrane-bound fluorophore and fluorescence recovery from bleaching of a calcium-bound fluorophore had a much slower kinetics, indicating that the dendritic fluorescence change reflects a genuine diffusion of free [Ca2+]i from the spine head to the parent dendrite. Calcium diffusion between spine head and the parent dendrite was regulated by calcium stores as well as by a Na-Ca exchanger. Spine length varied with the recent history of the [Ca2+]i variations in the spine, such that small numbers of calcium transients resulted in elongation of spines whereas large numbers of calcium transients caused shrinkage of the spines. Consequently, spine elongation resulted in a complete isolation of the spine from the dendrite, while shrinkage caused an enhanced coupling with the parent dendrite. These studies highlight a dynamically regulated coupling between a dendritic spine head and its parent dendrite.

Cholinergic regulation of the evoked quantal release at frog neuromuscular junction

The effects of cholinergic drugs on the quantal contents of the nerve-evoked endplate currents (EPCs) and the parameters of the time course of quantal release (minimal synaptic latency, main modal value of latency histogram and variability of synaptic latencies) were studied at proximal, central and distal regions of the frog neuromuscular synapse. Acetylcholine (ACh, 5 x 10(-4) M), carbachol (CCh, 1 x 10(-5) M) or nicotine (5 x 10(-6) M) increased the numbers of EPCs with long release latencies mainly in the distal region of the endplate (90-120 microm from the last node of Ranvier), where the synchronization of transmitter release was the most pronounced. The parameters of focally recorded motor nerve action potentials were not changed by either ACh or CCh. The effects of CCh and nicotine on quantal dispersion were reduced substantially by 5 x 10(-7) M (+)tubocurarine (TC). The muscarinic agonists, oxotremorine and the propargyl ester of arecaidine, as well as antagonists such as pirenzepine, AF-DX 116 and methoctramine, alone or in combination, did not affect the dispersion of the release. Muscarinic antagonists did not block the dispersion action of CCh. Cholinergic drugs either decreased the quantal content m(o) (muscarinic agonist, oxotremorine M, and nicotinic antagonist, TC), or decreased m(o) and dispersed the release (ACh, CCh and nicotine). The effects on m(o) were not related either to the endplate region or to the initial level of release dispersion. It follows that the mechanisms regulating the amount and the time course of transmitter release are different and that, among other factors, they are altered by presynaptic nicotinic receptors.