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Stochastic properties of spontaneous transmitter release at the crayfish neuromuscular junction
Author(s) -
Cohen Ira,
Kita Hiroshi,
Van Der Kloot William
Publication year - 1974
Publication title -
the journal of physiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.802
H-Index - 240
eISSN - 1469-7793
pISSN - 0022-3751
DOI - 10.1113/jphysiol.1974.sp010439
Subject(s) - crayfish , neuromuscular junction , amplitude , exponential function , excitatory postsynaptic potential , neuromuscular transmission , physics , anatomy , mathematics , biophysics , chemistry , neuroscience , biology , mathematical analysis , endocrinology , optics , inhibitory postsynaptic potential , fishery
1. Miniature excitatory junctional potentials (min.e.j.p.s) were recorded with an intracellular electrode from the adductor muscle of the dactyl of the first or second walking leg of the crayfish, Orconectes virilis . 2. The intervals between the min.e.j.p.s were compared to the exponential prediction by five goodness of fit tests. The results indicate that the intervals are not exponentially distributed. 3. The autocorrelogram of intervals shows that the intervals are unlikely to be independent. 4. A stochastic analysis that includes the power spectrum of intervals, the variance—time curve, and the ln‐survivor curve suggest that there is a clustering of min.e.j.p.s. The results are similar to those on the frog neuromuscular junction. 5. An autocorrelogram of the min.e.j.p. amplitudes suggests that sizes are not independently distributed. 6. These results, which are similar to those previously reported from the frog neuromuscular junction, support the use of the branching Poisson process as a theoretical model for the stochastic properties of spontaneous quantal release of transmitter.