Neuron
Volume 19, Issue 6, December 1997, Pages 1309-1318
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Article
Synaptic Refractory Period Provides a Measure of Probability of Release in the Hippocampus

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Abstract

Despite extensive research, much controversy remains regarding the locus of expression of long-term potentiation (LTP) in area CA1 of the hippocampus, specifically, whether LTP is accompanied by an increase in the probability of release (pr) of synaptic vesicles. We have developed a novel method for assaying pr, which utilizes the synaptic refractory period—a brief 5–6 ms period following release during which the synapse is incapable of transmission (Stevens and Wang 1995). We show that this assay is sensitive to a battery of manipulations that affect pr but find no change following either NMDA receptor-dependent LTP or long-term depression (LTD).

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