Multivesicular release and saturation of glutamatergic signalling at retinal ribbon synapses
- 1Departments of Ophthalmology and Physiology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 303 E. Chicago Ave, Tarry 5-715, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
- Corresponding author J. H. Singer: Departments of Ophthalmology and Physiology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 303 E. Chicago Ave, Tarry 5-715, Chicago, IL 60611, USA. Email: j-singer{at}northwestern.edu
Abstract
Pronounced multivesicular release (MVR) occurs at the ribbon synapses of sensory neurones that signal via graded potential changes. As MVR increases the likelihood of postsynaptic receptor saturation, it is of interest to consider how sensory synapses overcome this problem and use MVR to encode signals of widely varying intensities. Here, I discuss three postsynaptic mechanisms that permit three different retinal synapses to utilize MVR.
Footnotes
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(Received 21 November 2006; accepted after revision 9 January 2007; first published online 11 January 2007)
- 2007 The Author. Journal compilation © 2007 The Physiological Society
