Affiliation:
1. Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Experimental Medicine Graduate Program, Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
Abstract
Ionotropic acetylcholine receptors mediate brief synaptic communication, including in bag cell neurons of the sea snail Aplysia. However, this study demonstrates that cholinergic depolarization can open a voltage-gated persistent Ca2+ current, which extends the bag cell neuron response to acetylcholine. Bursting in these neuroendocrine cells results in hormone release and egg laying. Thus, this emphasizes the role of ionotropic signaling in reaching a depolarized level to engage Ca2+ influx and perpetuating the activity necessary for behavior.
Funder
Gouvernement du Canada | Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Publisher
American Physiological Society
Subject
Physiology,General Neuroscience