Diffusion cannot govern the discharge of neurotransmitter in fast synapses.
In the present work we show that diffusion cannot provide the observed fast discharge of neurotransmitter from a synaptic vesicle during neurotransmitter release, mainly because it is not sufficiently rapid nor is it sufficiently temperature-dependent. Modeling the discharge from the vesicle into the cleft as a continuous point source, we have determined that discharge should occur in 50-75 microseconds, to provide the observed high concentrations of transmitter at the critical zone.
Khanin
R
R
Department of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.
Parnas
H
H
Segel
L
L
D000818:Animals; D055592:Biophysical Phenomena; D001703:Biophysics; D004058:Diffusion; D008959:Models, Neurological; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents / Q000378:metabolism*; D017729:Presynaptic Terminals / Q000378:metabolism; D011789:Quantum Theory; D013569:Synapses / Q000378:metabolism*; D013572:Synaptic Vesicles / Q000378:metabolism; D013696:Temperature; D013997:Time Factors
D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents