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First published online on November 22, 2007.
Copyright © 2007 by The Physiological Society
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jphysiol.2007.146522v1
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Received October 11, 2007
Revised November 7, 2007
Accepted after revision November 14, 2007

Sustained granule cell activity disinhibits juvenile mouse cerebellar stellate cells through presynaptic mechanisms

Simone Astori1 and Georg Kohr1*

1 Max-Planck Institute for Medical Research

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: kohr{at}mpimf-heidelberg.mpg.de.

GABA release from cerebellar molecular layer interneurons can be modulated by presynaptic glutamate and/or GABAB receptors upon perfusing the respective agonists. However, it is unclear how release and potential spillover of endogenous transmitter lead to activation of presynaptic receptors. High frequency firing of granule cells, as observed in vivo upon sensory stimulation, could lead to glutamate and/or GABA spillover. Here, we established sustained glutamatergic activity in the granule cell layer of acute mouse cerebellar slices and performed 190 paired recordings from connected stellate cells. Train stimulation at 50 Hz reduced by about 30% the peak amplitude of IPSCs evoked by brief depolarization of the presynaptic cell in two week-old mice. A presynaptic mechanism was indicated by changes in failure rate, paired-pulse ratio and coefficient of variation of evoked IPSCs. Furthermore, Two-Photon Ca2+ imaging in identified Ca2+ hot spots of stellate cell axons confirmed reduced presynaptic Ca2+ influx after train stimulation within the granular layer. Pharmacological experiments indicated that glutamate released from parallel fibers activated AMPARs in stellate cells, evoking GABA release from surrounding cells. Consequential GABA spillover activated presynaptic GABABRs, which reduced the amplitude of eIPSCs. Two thirds of the total disinhibitory effect were mediated by GABABRs, one third being attributable to presynaptic AMPARs. This estimation was confirmed by the observation that bath applied baclofen induced a more pronounced reduction of evoked IPSCs than Kainate. Granule cell-mediated disinhibition persisted at near-physiological temperature but was strongly diminished in three week-old mice. At this age, GABA release probability was not reduced and presynaptic GABABRs were still detectable, but GABA uptake appeared to be advanced, attenuating GABA spillover. Thus, sustained granule cell activity modulates stellate cell-to-stellate cell synapses, involving transmitter spillover during a developmentally restricted period.


Key words: AMPA receptor • Cerebellum • GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) receptor







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