title: Contributions of voltage-gated Ca2+ channels in the proximal versus distal dendrites to synaptic integration in prefrontal cortical neurons.
abstract: The electrogenesis of synaptically activated dendritic Ca2+-mediated potentials, which may contribute to synaptic signal integration in pyramidal cells, was examined in rat layers V-VI prefrontal cortical (PFC) neurons in vitro. Intrasomatically recorded suprathreshold synaptic responses evoked by stimulation of the distal dendrites were attenuated by focal Cd2+ application to the proximal apical dendritic stem (100-200 micron from soma), but not to the apical dendritic tuft (>500 micron from soma). With use of intracellular QX-314 and Cs+ to block Na+ and K+ currents, intrasomatic recordings revealed that the Cd2+-induced attenuation of synaptic responses was attributable to the blockade of a dendritic Ca2+-mediated "hump" potential and high-threshold Ca2+ spike activated by NMDA EPSPs. The hump potential was not blocked by bath application of Ni2+ (100 microM) but was blocked by focal application of Cd2+ to the proximal but not distal apical dendrites, suggesting that it was generated by Ca2+ channels located in the proximal dendrites. Direct patch-clamp recordings made from the distal apical tuft of layers V-VI PFC neurons revealed that layers I-II synaptic stimulation or intradendritic depolarizing current pulses evoked tetrodotoxin- and QX-314-sensitive Na+ spikes. Unlike in the stem of the apical dendrite, Ca2+ spikes were not easily evoked in the distal apical tuft when Na+ channels were blocked. When triggered, the Cd2+-sensitive Ca2+ spikes in the dendritic tuft were nonregenerative and had very high activation thresholds (approximately +10 mV). These results suggested that the high voltage-activated Ca2+ potentials that amplify distal EPSPs are primarily generated in the proximal stem of the apical dendrite and not within the fine dendritic branches of the apical tuft of layers V-VI PFC neurons.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z4, Canada.
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Seamans
authors.forename: N A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Gorelova
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015220:Calcium Channels / Q000502:physiology*; D003712:Dendrites / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D015220:Calcium Channels