Dynamics of signal conduction from soma to axon terminal of the teleost retinal horizontal cell: in vivo, in vitro and model studies.
A quantitative study is made on dynamic (frequency-sensitive) properties of the signal conduction between soma and axon terminal of the retinal horizontal cell. Dim flashes of same intensity produced nearly identical responses in soma and axon terminal, indicating that the voltage signal is conducted from soma to axon terminal with little attenuation or distortion. The membrane impedance of axon terminal was measured in solitary-cell preparations under voltage clamp, in order to determine parameters of a resistive-capacitive cable model for the horizontal cell. The simulation analysis shows that passive linear cable models of the present type confront inherent difficulty in predicting dynamical properties of actual flash responses of axon terminal. A nonlinear mechanism is believed to facilitate high-frequency signal conduction along the slender axon that connects soma and axon terminal.
Department of Information Physiology, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, Okazaki, Japan.
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Yagi
D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000502:physiology; D002347:Carps / Q000502:physiology*; D003530:Cyprinidae / Q000502:physiology*; D005074:Evoked Potentials, Visual; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008564:Membrane Potentials; D008959:Models, Neurological; D009431:Neural Conduction; D012160:Retina / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*