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Development of the quantal properties of evoked and spontaneous synaptic currents at a brain synapse

Nature Neuroscience volume 1, pages 675–682 (1998)Cite this article

Abstract

In many studies of central synaptic transmission, the quantal properties of miniature synaptic events do not match those derived from synaptic events evoked by action potentials. Here we show that at mossy fiber–granule cell (MF–gc) synapses of mature cerebellum, evoked excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) are multiquantal, and their amplitudes vary in discrete steps, whereas miniature (m)EPSCs are monoquantal or multiquantal with quantal parameters identical to those of the EPSCs. In contrast, at immature MF–gc synapses, EPSCs are multiquantal, but their amplitudes do not vary in discrete steps, whereas most mEPSCs seem to be monoquantal with a broad and skewed amplitude distribution. The results demonstrate that quantal variance decreases during synaptic development. They also directly confirm the quantal hypothesis of neurotransmission at a mature brain synapse.

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Figure 1: Evoked EPSCs at adult cerebellar MF–gc synapses show quantal fluctuations in amplitude.
Figure 2: Quantal parameters of monoquantal EPSCs and monoquantal and multiquantal mEPSCs at adult cerebellar MF–gc synapses.
Figure 3: Evidence for the multiquantal nature of mEPSCs at some adult MF–gc synapses.
Figure 4: Monoquantal mEPSCs at mature MF–gc synapses in the presence of 2.4 mM strontium.
Figure 5: EPSCs and mEPSCs at immature MF–gc synapses do not show quantal fluctuations in amplitude.
Figure 6: The variation in mEPSC amplitude at immature synapses does not seem to be due to multivesicular release.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by The Wellcome Trust. We are grateful for comments on on an earlier version of the manuscript from Hywel Bufton, Graeme Henderson, John Isaac, Neil Marrion and Elizabeth Tringham. We thank John Isaac for suggesting the paired-pulse experiments and Hywel Bufton for recording some of the EPSCs and mEPSCs in young animals.

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  1. Department of Pharmacology, University of Bristol, University Walk, Bristol, BS8 1TD, UK

    Mark J. Wall & Maria M. Usowicz

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Correspondence to Maria M. Usowicz.

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Wall, M., Usowicz, M. Development of the quantal properties of evoked and spontaneous synaptic currents at a brain synapse. Nat Neurosci 1, 675–682 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1038/3677

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