Short-circuited neuron: a note.
Here, we demonstrate in a direct electrophysiological experiment that a neuron can form electrical connections to itself. An isolated identified neuron with a long axon was plated in culture and the axon was looped so that its distal end contacted the cell body. After two days in culture, the cell body and the axon were both impaled with microelectrodes and the axon segment between the recording electrodes was cut. Electrotonic coupling was revealed between the separated cell compartments immediately after axon transection. In contrast to an earlier publication [Guthrie P. B. et al. (1994) J. Neurosci. 14, 1477-1485], no constraints on the formation of the electrical connections between different parts of the same neuron were revealed in our experiments.Thus, these experiments demonstrate that in vitro culture of a single neuron can form reflexive electrical connections which may strongly affect the basic properties of the neuron and should be taken into account in both experimental and model electrophysiological studies.
Panchin
Y V
YV
A. N. Belozersky Institute, Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia. panchin@neuro.genebee.msu.su
Kelmanson
I V
IV
D000200:Action Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D019771:Axotomy; D002469:Cell Separation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D004594:Electrophysiology; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D008974:Mollusca; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*