title: Two modes of activity of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor channels in sympathetic neurons.
abstract: Spectral analysis of acetylcholine (ACh) noise was performed in voltage-clamped neurons of the isolated rabbit superior cervical ganglion at 34-37 degrees C and at membrane potential--80 mV. Two modes of activity were found in the ionic channels of nicotinic ACh receptors, with mean channel life-times of for fast-operating channels and for slow-operating channels. Excitatory postsynaptic current (EPSC) decays exponentially with a time constant which is very close to , indicating that the slow-operating channel activity determines the duration of EPSC. The mean value of conductance of single nicotinic ACh-receptor channel is 36 more or less 3 pS.
mesh_terms: D000109:Acetylcholine / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D005728:Ganglia, Sympathetic / Q000502:physiology*; D007473:Ion Channels / Q000502:physiology*; D007700:Kinetics; D008564:Membrane Potentials; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology; D011817:Rabbits; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic / Q000502:physiology*; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic / Q000502:physiology*; D013569:Synapses / Q000502:physiology; D009435:Synaptic Transmission
chemical_list: D007473:Ion Channels; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic; D000109:Acetylcholine