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Properties of mEPSCs recorded in layer II neurones of rat barrel cortex
Author(s) -
Simkus Christopher R. L.,
Stricker Christian
Publication year - 2002
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.2002.022095
Subject(s) - excitatory postsynaptic potential , barrel cortex , tetrodotoxin , chemistry , neuroscience , biophysics , postsynaptic current , somatosensory system , ampa receptor , inhibitory postsynaptic potential , electrophysiology , sodium channel , slice preparation , nmda receptor , biology , sodium , receptor , biochemistry , organic chemistry
Voltage‐clamp recordings from layer II neurones in somatosensory cortex of rats aged between 12 and 17 days showed a high frequency of spontaneous postsynaptic currents (sPSCs), which on average was 33 ± 13 Hz ( s.d .). sPSCs were mediated largely by glutamatergic AMPA receptors. Their rates and amplitudes were independent of blocking sodium channels with 1 μ m tetrodotoxin (TTX). Most of them, therefore, represent genuine miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents (mEPSCs). The rise time of the fastest (10 %) mEPSCs was 288 ± 86 μs (10‐90 %) and the half‐width was 1073 ± 532 μs. The amplitude was −5.9 ± 1.1 pA with a coefficient of variation (CV) of 0.44 ± 0.14. The rate of mEPSCs was very temperature sensitive with a Q 10 (33‐37 °C) of 8.9 ± 0.9. Due to this temperature sensitivity, we estimated that the microscope lamp contributed an increase in temperature of about 4 °C to the tissue in the focal volume of the condenser. Cell‐type differences in the rate of mEPSCs were found between pyramidal/multipolar and bipolar cells. The latter had a frequency of about a third of that seen in the other cell groups. Recordings in layer II are ideally suited to investigate mechanisms of spontaneous transmitter release.