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Subthreshold synaptic Ca2+ signalling in fine dendrites and spines of cerebellar Purkinje neurons

Nature volume 373, pages 155–158 (1995)Cite this article

Abstract

THE conventional view of synaptic integration is that it results from the simple summation of electrical signals produced by each active synapse innervating a given neuron1. However, because synaptic action can go beyond the production of postsynaptic electrical signals, to include intracellular biochemical events such as the generation of second messengers, it is possible that synaptic inte-gration could occur at another level2. We have considered this possibility by examining changes in the dendritic concentration of the second messenger, calcium, resulting from subthreshold excitatory synaptic activity in cerebellar Purkinje neurons. We report here clear evidence that such non-electrical synaptic integration occurs and that it takes place in restricted dendritic compartments consisting of spines and adjacent fine dendrites.

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Author notes

  1. George J. Augustine: Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA

  2. Arthur Konnerth: To whom correspondence should be addressed.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. I. Physiologisches Institut der Universität des Saarlandes, D-66421, Homburg, Germany

    Jens Eilers, George J. Augustine & Arthur Konnerth

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  1. Jens Eilers
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  2. George J. Augustine
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  3. Arthur Konnerth
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Eilers, J., Augustine, G. & Konnerth, A. Subthreshold synaptic Ca2+ signalling in fine dendrites and spines of cerebellar Purkinje neurons. Nature 373, 155–158 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1038/373155a0

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