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An ambiguous fast synapse: a new twist in the tale of two transmitters

Nature Neuroscience volume 2, pages 199–200 (1999)Cite this article

Abstract

Jo and Schlichter describe GABA and ATP corelease from the same presynaptic cell, which suggests that a dorsal horn synapse could be excitatory or inhibitory depending on its postsynaptic receptors or the amount of transmitter released.

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Figure 1: Possible mechanisms to explain how the balance of P2X-receptor-mediated excitation versus GABAA-receptor-mediated inhibition could be altered to set the net 'sign' of this ambiguous synapse, which releases both ATP and GABA as fast neurotransmitters.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physiology University of Toronto, Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Ave., Toronto, M5G 1X8, Ontario, Canada

    Michael W. Salter

  2. Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, McGill University, Montréal, H3G 1Y6, Québec, Canada

    Yves De Koninck

Authors
  1. Michael W. Salter
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  2. Yves De Koninck
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Salter, M., De Koninck, Y. An ambiguous fast synapse: a new twist in the tale of two transmitters . Nat Neurosci 2, 199–200 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1038/6296

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