QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

HOME  |   SEARCH  |   ARCHIVE  |   SUBSCRIBE  |   CONTACT  |   HELP

The Journal of Neuroscience, May 12, 2004, 24(19):4510-4517; doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.4530-03.2004

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) A correction has been published Submit an eLetter Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science 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 Web of Science (25) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Cerminara, N. L. Articles by Rawson, J. A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Cerminara, N. L. Articles by Rawson, J. A.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Behavioral/Systems/Cognitive
Evidence that Climbing Fibers Control an Intrinsic Spike Generator in Cerebellar Purkinje Cells

Nadia L. Cerminara and John A. Rawson

Department of Physiology, Monash University, Clayton Victoria 3800, Australia

It is well established that the climbing fiber (CF) input to a cerebellar Purkinje cell (PC) can exert a controlling influence on the background simple spike (SS) activity of the cell, in that repetitive stimulation of CFs causes a decrease in SS activity, and removal or inactivation of CFs is followed by a rise in activity. In the present study, the effects of inactivation of CFs in the short term and longer term (hours) were investigated in anesthetized rats to determine how the CFs control the PC SS activity. Inactivation of the CF input to a PC was accomplished by either reversibly inactivating with lignocaine or by microlesioning the inferior olive. Consistent with previous findings, CF removal caused a transformation of the PC firing pattern, with SSs discharging more regularly and rising to an exceptionally high level. In cases in which CF activity resumed, SS rate declined to control levels within a few seconds. However, with sustained CF inactivation (30 min to 5 hr), SS activity continues to rise progressively and develops an oscillating firing pattern, consisting of alternating bursts of high-frequency discharge at up to 100-150 Hz followed by 10-20 sec periods of electrical quiescence. No accompanying changes in the threshold for evoking SSs via the parallel fibers were seen to accompany the increases in tonic SS activity. We conclude that the increase in SS activity that follows CF inactivation could be caused by the removal of an inhibitory action that CFs exert on the intrinsic pacemaker present in PCs under normal conditions.

Key words: cerebellum; inferior olive; climbing fiber; Purkinje cells; pacemaker; rat

---

Received Aug 28, 2003; revised March 6, 2004; accepted March 22, 2004.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				T. Collin, R. Franconville, B. E. Ehrlich, and I. Llano Activation of Metabotropic Glutamate Receptors Induces Periodic Burst Firing and Concomitant Cytosolic Ca2+ Oscillations in Cerebellar Interneurons J. Neurosci., July 22, 2009; 29(29): 9281 - 9291. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Liu and D. D. Friel Impact of the leaner P/Q-type Ca2+ channel mutation on excitatory synaptic transmission in cerebellar Purkinje cells J. Physiol., September 15, 2008; 586(18): 4501 - 4515. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. T. Davie, B. A. Clark, and M. Hausser The Origin of the Complex Spike in Cerebellar Purkinje Cells J. Neurosci., July 23, 2008; 28(30): 7599 - 7609. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. Maruta, R. A. Hensbroek, and J. I. Simpson Intraburst and Interburst Signaling by Climbing Fibers J. Neurosci., October 17, 2007; 27(42): 11263 - 11270. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				N. Wada, Y. Kishimoto, D. Watanabe, M. Kano, T. Hirano, K. Funabiki, and S. Nakanishi Conditioned eyeblink learning is formed and stored without cerebellar granule cell transmission PNAS, October 16, 2007; 104(42): 16690 - 16695. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				F. R. Fernandez, J. D. T. Engbers, and R. W. Turner Firing Dynamics of Cerebellar Purkinje Cells J Neurophysiol, July 1, 2007; 98(1): 278 - 294. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. E. McKay, J. D. T. Engbers, W. H. Mehaffey, G. R. J. Gordon, M. L. Molineux, J. S. Bains, and R. W. Turner Climbing Fiber Discharge Regulates Cerebellar Functions by Controlling the Intrinsic Characteristics of Purkinje Cell Output J Neurophysiol, April 1, 2007; 97(4): 2590 - 2604. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				W. Akemann and T. Knopfel Interaction of Kv3 potassium channels and resurgent sodium current influences the rate of spontaneous firing of Purkinje neurons. J. Neurosci., April 26, 2006; 26(17): 4602 - 4612. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Carta, M. Mameli, and C. F. Valenzuela Alcohol Potently Modulates Climbing Fiber->Purkinje Neuron Synapses: Role of Metabotropic Glutamate Receptors J. Neurosci., February 15, 2006; 26(7): 1906 - 1912. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. E McKay and R. W Turner Physiological and morphological development of the rat cerebellar Purkinje cell J. Physiol., September 15, 2005; 567(3): 829 - 850. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				H. Lu, M. J. Hartmann, and J. M. Bower Correlations Between Purkinje Cell Single-Unit Activity and Simultaneously Recorded Field Potentials in the Immediately Underlying Granule Cell Layer J Neurophysiol, September 1, 2005; 94(3): 1849 - 1860. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				P. Monsivais, B. A. Clark, A. Roth, and M. Hausser Determinants of Action Potential Propagation in Cerebellar Purkinje Cell Axons J. Neurosci., January 12, 2005; 25(2): 464 - 472. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home  |   Search  |   Archive  |   Subscribe  |   Contact  |   Help