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Neurotransmitters

Long-distance communication

Nature Reviews Neuroscience volume 6, page 664 (2005)Cite this article

Recent work in the chick ciliary ganglion has shown that one class of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) — the α7-nAChRs, which are located on spines — is virtually absent from the postsynaptic density. Nevertheless, these receptors account for numerous changes in physiological measurements, which indicates that they must be involved in neurotransmitter responses. Furthermore, electron microscopy has shown presynaptic vesicles that are ready for neurotransmitter release and fusing vesicles at locations distant from the postsynaptic density. However, until now, there has been no experimental confirmation of ectopic neurotransmitter release during synaptic transmission.

Coggan, Bartol and co-workers used electron microscopy studies to create a geometrically accurate three-dimensional model of a ciliary ganglion synapse, and, on the basis of previous work, incorporated into the model information about the distribution and kinetic properties of presynaptic release sites, acetylcholinesterase and α7-nAChRs. They simulated miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents (mEPSCs) by imitating vesicle release at numerous sites, including postsynaptic density and non-postsynaptic density regions, while simultaneously varying the amount of acetylcholine released into the synaptic cleft.

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ORIGINAL RESEARCH PAPER

  1. Coggan, J. S. & Bartol, T. M. et al. Evidence for ectopic neurotransmission at a neuronal synapse. Science 309, 446–451 (2005)

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  1. Alison Rowan
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Rowan, A. Long-distance communication. Nat Rev Neurosci 6, 664 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn1750

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