title: Modulation of spike-evoked synaptic transmission: The role of presynaptic calcium and potassium channels.
abstract: Action potentials are usually considered as the smallest unit of neuronal information conveyed by presynaptic neurons to their postsynaptic target. Thus, neuronal signaling in brain circuits is all-or-none or digital. However, recent studies indicate that subthreshold analog variation in presynaptic membrane potential modulates spike-evoked transmission. The informational content of each presynaptic action potential is therefore greater than initially expected. This property constitutes a form of fast activity-dependent modulation of functional coupling. Therefore, it could have important consequences on information processing in neural networks in parallel with more classical forms of presynaptic short-term facilitation based on repetitive stimulation, modulation of presynaptic calcium or modifications of the release machinery. We discuss here how analog voltage shift in the presynaptic neuron may regulate spike-evoked release of neurotransmitter through the modulation of voltage-gated calcium and potassium channels in the axon and presynaptic terminal. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: 13th European Symposium on Calcium.
authors.affiliation: INSERM, UMR_S, 1072, 13015 Marseille, France; Aix-Marseille Université, UNIS, 13015 Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Sylvain
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rama
authors.affiliation: INSERM, UMR_S, 1072, 13015 Marseille, France; Aix-Marseille Université, UNIS, 13015 Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Mickaël
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zbili
authors.affiliation: INSERM, UMR_S, 1072, 13015 Marseille, France; Aix-Marseille Université, UNIS, 13015 Marseille, France. Electronic address: dominique.debanne@univ-amu.fr.
authors.forename: Dominique
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Debanne
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D015220:Calcium Channels / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents / Q000378:metabolism*; D015221:Potassium Channels / Q000378:metabolism*; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D015220:Calcium Channels; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents; D015221:Potassium Channels
keywords: Axon; Calcium channel; Cav2.1; Kv1; Potassium channel; Synaptic transmission