Note to users. If you're seeing this message, it means that your browser cannot find this page's style/presentation instructions -- or possibly that you are using a browser that does not support current Web standards. Find out more about why this message is appearing, and what you can do to make your experience of our site the best it can be.

Science 14 August 1981:
Vol. 213. no. 4509, pp. 782 - 785
DOI: 10.1126/science.6266013
Prev | Table of Contents | Next

Articles

Science, Vol 213, Issue 4509, 782-785
Copyright © 1981 by American Association for the Advancement of Science

articles

Electrotonic coupling between pyramidal cells: a direct demonstration in rat hippocampal slices

BA MacVicar and FE Dudek

Intracellular recordings from pairs of neurons in slices of rat hippocampus directly demonstrated electronic coupling between CA3 pyramidal cells. When two neurons were impaled simultaneously (as verified by subsequent double staining with horseradish peroxidase), current pulses injected into one cell caused voltage changes in other cells. These interactions were bidirectional. Fast prepotentials, historically thought to represent spike activity in dendrites, resulted from action potentials in other electronically coupled pyramidal cells. These data directly demonstrate electrotonic coupling between neurons in the mammalian brain and indicate that some fast prepotentials are coupling potentials. Coupling between pyramidal cells could mediate synchronization of normal rhythmic activity and of burst discharges during seizures.


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Modafinil enhances thalamocortical activity by increasing neuronal electrotonic coupling.
F. J. Urbano, E. Leznik, and R. R. Llinas (2007)
PNAS 104, 12554-12559
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Electrical Coupling between Locomotor-Related Excitatory Interneurons in the Mammalian Spinal Cord..
C. A. Hinckley and L. Ziskind-Conhaim (2006)
J. Neurosci. 26, 8477-8483
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Emergence of disinhibition-induced synchrony in the CA3 region of the guinea pig hippocampus in vitro.
I. Cohen, G. Huberfeld, and R. Miles (2006)
J. Physiol. 570, 583-594
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Selective Amplification of Neocortical Neuronal Output by Fast Prepotentials InVivo.
S. Crochet, P. Fuentealba, I. Timofeev, and M. Steriade (2004)
Cereb Cortex 14, 1110-1121
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Electrotonic coupling between stratum oriens interneurones in the intact in vitro mouse juvenile hippocampus.
X.-L. Zhang, L. Zhang, and P. L. Carlen (2004)
J. Physiol. 558, 825-839
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Cone Photoreceptors in Bass Retina Use Two Connexins to Mediate Electrical Coupling.
J. O'Brien, H. B. Nguyen, and S. L. Mills (2004)
J. Neurosci. 24, 5632-5642
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Deformation of Network Connectivity in the Inferior Olive of Connexin 36-Deficient Mice Is Compensated by Morphological and Electrophysiological Changes at the Single Neuron Level.
C. I. De Zeeuw, E. Chorev, A. Devor, Y. Manor, R. S. Van Der Giessen, M. T. De Jeu, C. C. Hoogenraad, J. Bijman, T. J. H. Ruigrok, P. French, et al. (2003)
J. Neurosci. 23, 4700-4711
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Noise and Coupling Affect Signal Detection and Bursting in a Simulated Physiological Neural Network.
W. C. Stacey and D. M. Durand (2002)
J Neurophysiol 88, 2598-2611
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Anticonvulsant Actions of Gap Junctional Blockers in an In Vitro Seizure Model.
S. S. Jahromi, K. Wentlandt, S. Piran, and P. L. Carlen (2002)
J Neurophysiol 88, 1893-1902
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Reduction of high-frequency network oscillations (ripples) and pathological network discharges in hippocampal slices from connexin 36-deficient mice.
N. Maier, M. Guldenagel, G. Sohl, H. Siegmund, K. Willecke, and A. Draguhn (2002)
J. Physiol. 541, 521-528
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Electrical Coupling Between Model Midbrain Dopamine Neurons: Effects on Firing Pattern and Synchrony.
A. O. Komendantov and C. C. Canavier (2002)
J Neurophysiol 87, 1526-1541
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Mechanisms of Spreading Depression and Hypoxic Spreading Depression-Like Depolarization.
G. G. Somjen (2001)
Physiol Rev 81, 1065-1096
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Amphetamine Withdrawal Alters Bistable States and Cellular Coupling in Rat Prefrontal Cortex and Nucleus Accumbens Neurons Recorded In Vivo.
S.-P. Onn and A. A. Grace (2000)
J. Neurosci. 20, 2332-2345
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Nerve Injury Induces Gap Junctional Coupling among Axotomized Adult Motor Neurons.
Q. Chang, A. Pereda, M. J. Pinter, and R. J. Balice-Gordon (2000)
J. Neurosci. 20, 674-684
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Chloride-Cotransport Blockade Desynchronizes Neuronal Discharge in the "Epileptic" Hippocampal Slice.
D. W. Hochman and P. A. Schwartzkroin (2000)
J Neurophysiol 83, 406-417
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Gap Junctional Coupling and Patterns of Connexin Expression among Neonatal Rat Lumbar Spinal Motor Neurons.
Q. Chang, M. Gonzalez, M. J. Pinter, and R. J. Balice-Gordon (1999)
J. Neurosci. 19, 10813-10828
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Functional Properties of Channels Formed by the Neuronal Gap Junction Protein Connexin36.
M. Srinivas, R. Rozental, T. Kojima, R. Dermietzel, M. Mehler, D. F. Condorelli, J. A. Kessler, and D. C. Spray (1999)
J. Neurosci. 19, 9848-9855
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Electrophysiological properties of electrical synapses between rat sympathetic preganglionic neurones in vitro.
M. F Nolan, S. D Logan, and D. Spanswick (1999)
J. Physiol. 519, 753-764
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Synaptic Transmission in Pair Recordings From CA3 Pyramidal Cells in Organotypic Culture.
P. Pavlidis and D. V. Madison (1999)
J Neurophysiol 81, 2787-2797
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Mechanisms of Electrical Coupling Between Pyramidal Cells.
E. J. Vigmond, J. L. P. Velazquez, T. A. Valiante, B. L. Bardakjian, and P. L. Carlen (1997)
J Neurophysiol 78, 3107-3116
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Synchronous Activity in Locus Coeruleus Results from Dendritic Interactions in Pericoerulear Regions.
M. Ishimatsu and J. T. Williams (1996)
J. Neurosci. 16, 5196-5204
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Synchronous neural afterdischarges in rat hippocampal slices without active chemical synapses.
C. Taylor and F. Dudek (1982)
Science 218, 810-812
   Abstract »    PDF »
Cellular mechanism of neuronal synchronization in epilepsy.
R. Traub and R. Wong (1982)
Science 216, 745-747
   Abstract »    PDF »
Connexin expression in electrically coupled postnatal rat brain neurons.
L. Venance, A. Rozov, M. Blatow, N. Burnashev, D. Feldmeyer, and H. Monyer (2000)
PNAS 97, 10260-10265
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »


To Advertise     Find Products

Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)