HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Hardingham, N. R. Articles by Larkman, A. U. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Hardingham, N. R. Articles by Larkman, A. U.

Rapid Report
The reliability of excitatory synaptic transmission in slices of rat visual cortex in vitro is temperature dependent

Neil R. Hardingham and Alan U. Larkman

1. A total of twelve synaptic connections between pairs of pyramidal neurones in layer 2/3 of slices of rat visual cortex maintained in vitro was investigated using whole-cell voltage recordings under visual control. The connections varied widely in strength, with the mean peak amplitudes of the resulting excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) ranging between approximately 40 µV and 2 mV at 23 °C. The smaller mean amplitudes included a substantial proportion of apparent failures of transmission.

2. The properties of these EPSPs were examined over a range of temperatures between 13 and 36 °C. All the connections became more reliable, in that they showed fewer apparent failures of transmission, and showed less trial-to-trial variability at the higher temperatures. These changes appeared to be due primarily to an increase in the mean number of transmitter quanta released per presynaptic action potential.

3. At 36 °C most connections were relatively reliable, with a mean failure rate of only 16 %. Five connections showed virtually no failures (1 % or fewer) at this temperature.

4. We conclude that quantal transmitter release is temperature dependent at these synapses, and that experiments performed at room temperature could lead to an exaggerated impression of the unreliability of transmission at central excitatory synapses.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				A.-M. M. Oswald and A. D. Reyes Maturation of Intrinsic and Synaptic Properties of Layer 2/3 Pyramidal Neurons in Mouse Auditory Cortex J Neurophysiol, June 1, 2008; 99(6): 2998 - 3008. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. I. Chelaru and V. Dragoi Asymmetric Synaptic Depression in Cortical Networks Cereb Cortex, April 1, 2008; 18(4): 771 - 788. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. Nouvian Temperature enhances exocytosis efficiency at the mouse inner hair cell ribbon synapse J. Physiol., October 15, 2007; 584(2): 535 - 542. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				N. R. Hardingham, G. E. Hardingham, K. D. Fox, and J. J. B. Jack Presynaptic Efficacy Directs Normalization of Synaptic Strength in Layer 2/3 Rat Neocortex After Paired Activity J Neurophysiol, April 1, 2007; 97(4): 2965 - 2975. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. E. J. Cheetham, M. S. L. Hammond, C. E. J. Edwards, and G. T. Finnerty Sensory Experience Alters Cortical Connectivity and Synaptic Function Site Specifically J. Neurosci., March 28, 2007; 27(13): 3456 - 3465. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				H. Y. Sun and L. E. Dobrunz Presynaptic kainate receptor activation is a novel mechanism for target cell-specific short-term facilitation at schaffer collateral synapses. J. Neurosci., October 18, 2006; 26(42): 10796 - 10807. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. Feldmeyer, J. Lubke, and B. Sakmann Efficacy and connectivity of intracolumnar pairs of layer 2/3 pyramidal cells in the barrel cortex of juvenile rats J. Physiol., September 1, 2006; 575(2): 583 - 602. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				N. Hardingham and K. Fox The role of nitric oxide and GluR1 in presynaptic and postsynaptic components of neocortical potentiation. J. Neurosci., July 12, 2006; 26(28): 7395 - 7404. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				V. A. Klyachko and C. F. Stevens Temperature-dependent shift of balance among the components of short-term plasticity in hippocampal synapses. J. Neurosci., June 28, 2006; 26(26): 6945 - 6957. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				N. R. Hardingham, N. J. Bannister, J. C. A. Read, K. D. Fox, G. E. Hardingham, and J. J. B. Jack Extracellular calcium regulates postsynaptic efficacy through group 1 metabotropic glutamate receptors. J. Neurosci., June 7, 2006; 26(23): 6337 - 6345. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. Kushmerick, R. Renden, and H. von Gersdorff Physiological Temperatures Reduce the Rate of Vesicle Pool Depletion and Short-Term Depression via an Acceleration of Vesicle Recruitment J. Neurosci., February 1, 2006; 26(5): 1366 - 1377. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				X.-F. Yang, Y. Ouyang, B. R Kennedy, and S. M Rothman Cooling blocks rat hippocampal neurotransmission by a presynaptic mechanism: observations using 2-photon microscopy J. Physiol., August 15, 2005; 567(1): 215 - 224. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. H. van den Burg, R. R. Peeters, M. Verhoye, J. Meek, G. Flik, and A. Van der Linden Brain Responses to Ambient Temperature Fluctuations in Fish: Reduction of Blood Volume and Initiation of a Whole-Body Stress Response J Neurophysiol, May 1, 2005; 93(5): 2849 - 2855. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. C. F. Lee, J. C. Callaway, and R. C. Foehring Effects of Temperature on Calcium Transients and Ca2+-Dependent Afterhyperpolarizations in Neocortical Pyramidal Neurons J Neurophysiol, April 1, 2005; 93(4): 2012 - 2020. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. Cai, L. Tao, and D. W. McLaughlin An embedded network approach for scale-up of fluctuation-driven systems with preservation of spike information PNAS, September 28, 2004; 101(39): 14288 - 14293. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Volgushev, I. Kudryashov, M. Chistiakova, M. Mukovski, J. Niesmann, and U. T. Eysel Probability of Transmitter Release at Neocortical Synapses at Different Temperatures J Neurophysiol, July 1, 2004; 92(1): 212 - 220. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				G. Fuhrmann, A. Cowan, I. Segev, M. Tsodyks, and C. Stricker Multiple mechanisms govern the dynamics of depression at neocortical synapses of young rats J. Physiol., June 1, 2004; 557(2): 415 - 438. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Lei, K. A. Pelkey, L. Topolnik, P. Congar, J.-C. Lacaille, and C. J. McBain Depolarization-Induced Long-Term Depression at Hippocampal Mossy Fiber-CA3 Pyramidal Neuron Synapses J. Neurosci., October 29, 2003; 23(30): 9786 - 9795. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				H. E. Scharfman, A. L. Sollas, R. E. Berger, and J. H. Goodman Electrophysiological Evidence of Monosynaptic Excitatory Transmission Between Granule Cells After Seizure-Induced Mossy Fiber Sprouting J Neurophysiol, October 1, 2003; 90(4): 2536 - 2547. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				T. Opitz, A. D. De Lima, and T. Voigt Spontaneous Development of Synchronous Oscillatory Activity During Maturation of Cortical Networks In Vitro J Neurophysiol, November 1, 2002; 88(5): 2196 - 2206. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. A. Clark and S. G. Cull-Candy Activity-Dependent Recruitment of Extrasynaptic NMDA Receptor Activation at an AMPA Receptor-Only Synapse J. Neurosci., June 1, 2002; 22(11): 4428 - 4436. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. E. Fox and P. E. Lloyd Evidence That Post-Tetanic Potentiation Is Mediated by Neuropeptide Release in Aplysia J Neurophysiol, December 1, 2001; 86(6): 2845 - 2855. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				Y. Li and R. E. Burke Short-Term Synaptic Depression in the Neonatal Mouse Spinal Cord: Effects of Calcium and Temperature J Neurophysiol, May 1, 2001; 85(5): 2047 - 2062. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				V. Dinkelacker, T. Voets, E. Neher, and T. Moser The Readily Releasable Pool of Vesicles in Chromaffin Cells Is Replenished in a Temperature-Dependent Manner and Transiently Overfills at 37{degrees}C J. Neurosci., November 15, 2000; 20(22): 8377 - 8383. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Gasparini, C. Saviane, L. L. Voronin, and E. Cherubini Silent synapses in the developing hippocampus: Lack of functional AMPA receptors or low probability of glutamate release? PNAS, August 6, 2000; (2000) 170032297. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				G. Gonzalez-Burgos, G. Barrionuevo, and D. A. Lewis Horizontal Synaptic Connections in Monkey Prefrontal Cortex: An In Vitro Electrophysiological Study Cereb Cortex, January 1, 2000; 10(1): 82 - 92. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C.-L. Zhang, A. Messing, and S. Y. Chiu Specific Alteration of Spontaneous GABAergic Inhibition in Cerebellar Purkinje Cells in Mice Lacking the Potassium Channel Kv1.1 J. Neurosci., April 15, 1999; 19(8): 2852 - 2864. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				F.-M. Zhou and J. J. Hablitz Dopamine Modulation of Membrane and Synaptic Properties of Interneurons in Rat Cerebral Cortex J Neurophysiol, March 1, 1999; 81(3): 967 - 976. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. Zhou, C.-L. Zhang, A. Messing, and S. Y. Chiu Temperature-Sensitive Neuromuscular Transmission in Kv1.1 Null Mice: Role of Potassium Channels under the Myelin Sheath in Young Nerves J. Neurosci., September 15, 1998; 18(18): 7200 - 7215. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. Auger, S. Kondo, and A. Marty Multivesicular Release at Single Functional Synaptic Sites in Cerebellar Stellate and Basket Cells J. Neurosci., June 15, 1998; 18(12): 4532 - 4547. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Gasparini, C. Saviane, L. L. Voronin, and E. Cherubini Silent synapses in the developing hippocampus: Lack of functional AMPA receptors or low probability of glutamate release? PNAS, August 15, 2000; 97(17): 9741 - 9746. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]