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The Journal of Neuroscience, October 22, 2003, 23(29):9557-9564

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Behavioral/Systems/Cognitive
Short-Term Dynamics of a Mixed Chemical and Electrical Synapse in a Rhythmic Network

Akira Mamiya,¹ Yair Manor,² and Farzan Nadim³

¹Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Newark, New Jersey 07102, ²Life Sciences Department and Zlotowski Center for Neurosciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel 84105, and ³Department of Mathematical Sciences, New Jersey Institute of Technology, and the Department of Biological Sciences, Rutgers University, Newark, New Jersey 07102

In the rhythmically active pyloric circuit of the spiny lobster, the synapse between the lateral pyloric (LP) neuron and pyloric constrictor (PY) neuron has an inhibitory depressing chemical and an electrical component. To understand how the dynamics of the LPPY synapse affect the relative firing times between these two neurons in an ongoing rhythm, we characterized the dynamics of the LPPY synapse after a pharmacological block of ongoing activity. When a train of voltage pulses was applied to the voltage-clamped LP neuron, the inhibitory chemical component of the postsynaptic potential (PSP) in the PY neuron rapidly depressed. Thus, after the first few pulses, the PSP was either hyperpolarizing or depolarizing, depending on the interpulse duration, with shorter interpulse durations producing depolarizing PSPs. To characterize the synaptic response during rhythmic activity, we played back prerecorded realistic waveforms in the voltage-clamped LP neuron. After an initial transient, the resulting PSP in PY was always depolarizing, suggesting that in an ongoing rhythm, the electrical component of the synapse is dominant. However, our results indicate that the chemical component of the synapse acts to delay the peak time of the PSP and to reduce its amplitude, and that these effects become more important at slower cycle periods.

Key words: synaptic depression; synaptic dynamics; stomatogastric ganglion; oscillations; central pattern generator; motor system

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Received June 24, 2003; revised August 15, 2003; accepted August 28, 2003.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				P. Rabbah and F. Nadim Distinct Synaptic Dynamics of Heterogeneous Pacemaker Neurons in an Oscillatory Network J Neurophysiol, March 1, 2007; 97(3): 2239 - 2253. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				V. Thirumalai, A. A. Prinz, C. D. Johnson, and E. Marder Red Pigment Concentrating Hormone Strongly Enhances the Strength of the Feedback to the Pyloric Rhythm Oscillator But Has Little Effect on Pyloric Rhythm Period J Neurophysiol, March 1, 2006; 95(3): 1762 - 1770. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				P. Rabbah and F. Nadim Synaptic Dynamics Do Not Determine Proper Phase of Activity in a Central Pattern Generator J. Neurosci., December 7, 2005; 25(49): 11269 - 11278. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. R. Johnson, L. R. Schneider, F. Nadim, and R. M. Harris-Warrick Dopamine Modulation of Phasing of Activity in a Rhythmic Motor Network: Contribution of Synaptic and Intrinsic Modulatory Actions J Neurophysiol, November 1, 2005; 94(5): 3101 - 3111. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Mamiya and F. Nadim Target-Specific Short-Term Dynamics Are Important for the Function of Synapses in an Oscillatory Neural Network J Neurophysiol, October 1, 2005; 94(4): 2590 - 2602. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Mamiya and F. Nadim Dynamic Interaction of Oscillatory Neurons Coupled with Reciprocally Inhibitory Synapses Acts to Stabilize the Rhythm Period J. Neurosci., June 2, 2004; 24(22): 5140 - 5150. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

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