Note to users. If you're seeing this message, it means that your browser cannot find this page's style/presentation instructions -- or possibly that you are using a browser that does not support current Web standards. Find out more about why this message is appearing, and what you can do to make your experience of our site the best it can be.

Sci. STKE, 8 May 2007
Vol. 2007, Issue 385, p. tw162
[DOI: 10.1126/stke.3852007tw162]

EDITORS' CHOICE

Neuroscience Synaptic Communication

Peter Stern

Science, AAAS, Cambridge CB2 1LQ, UK

The traditional view of pyramidal neurons, which are excitatory, is that they can only excite their downstream target cells. However, Ren et al. report that cortical pyramidal neurons can elicit an inhibitory synaptic current in another neighboring pyramidal neuron. These unusual responses were caused by axo-axonic disynaptic connections onto {gamma}-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-releasing terminals located on or near the soma of the postsynaptic pyramidal cell. These so-called interpyramidal inhibitory postsynaptic currents were remarkably large and frequent, which suggests that they play an important role.

M. Ren, Y. Yoshimura, N. Takada, S. Horibe, Y. Komatsu, Specialized inhibitory synaptic actions between nearby neocortical pyramidal neurons. Science 316, 758-761 (2007). [Abstract] [Full Text]

Citation: P. Stern, Synaptic Communication. Sci. STKE 2007, tw162 (2007).

To Advertise     Find Products

Science Signaling. ISSN 1937-9145 (online), 1945-0877 (print). Pre-2008: Science's STKE. ISSN 1525-8882