Is action potential threshold lowest in the axon?
Action potential threshold is thought to be lowest in the axon, but when measured using conventional techniques, we found that action potential voltage threshold of rat cortical pyramidal neurons was higher in the axon than at other neuronal locations. In contrast, both current threshold and voltage threshold of the isolated somato-dendritic spike were substantially higher at the soma. These data indicate that action potential threshold is indeed lowest in the axon.
Division of Neuroscience, John Curtin School of Medical Research, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia. maarten.kole@anu.edu.au
Maarten H P
MH
Kole
Greg J
GJ
Stuart
D000200:Action Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology* / Q000528:radiation effects; D000779:Anesthetics, Local / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology* / Q000528:radiation effects; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D004558:Electric Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D051379:Mice; D008959:Models, Neurological; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques / Q000379:methods; D011336:Probability; D013003:Somatosensory Cortex / Q000166:cytology; D013779:Tetrodotoxin / Q000494:pharmacology
D000779:Anesthetics, Local; D013779:Tetrodotoxin