The Journal of General Physiology
Axon Instruments microelectrode amplifiers
  Home | Help | Feedback | Subscriptions | Archive | Search | Table of Contents
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF, 1242K)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Services
Right arrow Email this article
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new content in the JGP
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via CrossRef
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Watanabe, A.
Right arrow Articles by Akiyama, T.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Watanabe, A.
Right arrow Articles by Akiyama, T.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Complore   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us   Add to Digg   Add to Reddit   Add to Technorati  
What's this?
The Journal of General Physiology, Vol 54, 212-231, Copyright © 1969 by The Rockefeller University Press

ARTICLE

Acceleratory Synapses on Pacemaker Neurons in the Heart Ganglion of a Stomatopod, Squilla oratoria

Akira Watanabe 1, Shosaku Obara 1, and Toyohiro Akiyama 1

1 From the Department of Physiology, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan.

Dr. Akiyama's present address is the Department of Neurology, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York 10032

The pacemaker neurons of the heart ganglion are innervated from the CNS through two pairs of acceleratory nerves. The effect of acceleratory nerve stimulation was examined with intracellular electrodes from the pacemaker cells. The major effects on the pacemaker potential were an increase in the rate of rise of the spontaneous depolarization and in the duration of the plateau. The aftereffect of stimulation could last for minutes. No clear excitatory postsynaptic potential (EPSP) was observed, however. On high frequency stimulation, a small depolarizing response (the initial response) was sometimes observed, but the major postsynaptic event was the following slow depolarization, or the enhancement of the pacemaker potential (the late response). With hyperpolarization the initial response did not significantly change its amplitude, but the late response disappeared, showing that the latter has the property of the local response. The membrane conductance did not increase with acceleratory stimulation. The injection of depolarizing current increased the rate of rise of the spontaneous depolarization, but only slightly in comparison with acceleratory stimulation, and did not increase the burst duration. It is concluded that the acceleratory effect is not mediated by the EPSP but is due to a direct action of the transmitter on the pacemaker membrane.

Submitted on February 10, 1969


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Complore Complore   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to Technorati Technorati    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 J. Exp. Biol.Home page
H. Ando and K. Kuwasawa
Neuronal and neurohormonal control of the heart in the stomatopod crustacean, Squilla oratoria
J. Exp. Biol., December 15, 2004; 207(26): 4663 - 4677.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Biol. Bull.Home page
I. M. Cooke
Reliable, Responsive Pacemaking and Pattern Generation With Minimal Cell Numbers: the Crustacean Cardiac Ganglion
Biol. Bull., April 1, 2002; 202(2): 108 - 136.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 ScienceHome page
D. Russell and D. Hartline
Bursting neural networks: a reexamination
Science, April 28, 1978; 200(4340): 453 - 456.
[Abstract] [PDF]


  Home | Help | Feedback | Subscriptions | Archive | Search | Table of Contents