Time-coded neurotransmitter release at excitatory and inhibitory synapses

Abstract

Neurotransmitter exocytosis and short-term synaptic plasticity (STSP) regulate large-scale brain electrical activity. This study is the first, to our knowledge, proposing a multiple-time-scale model that bridges between the microscopic and mesoscopic scales. It is parsimonious, yet with enough descriptive power to express, on the one hand, the interactions between the SNARE and Sec1/Munc18 (SM) protein complexes mediating all forms of neurotransmitter release and STSP and, on the other hand, the electrical activity required for neuronal communication. A key finding is the discovery of a mathematical structure, termed activity-induced transcritical canard, which quantifies and explains delayed and irregular exocytosis. This structure also provides a previously unidentified way to understand delayed and irregular processes sensitive to initial conditions across various biology processes.

Document Details

Document Type
Pub Defense Publication
Publication Date
Feb 08, 2016
Source ID
10.1073/pnas.1525591113

Entities

People

  • Afia B. Ali
  • Jesus M. Cortes
  • Martin Krupa
  • Mathieu Desroches
  • Serafim Rodrigues
  • Terrence J. Sejnowski

Organizations

  • Gurutzetako Unibertsitate Ospitalea
  • Howard Hughes Medical Institute
  • Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique
  • Medical Research Council
  • National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering
  • Office of Naval Research
  • Salk Institute for Biological Studies
  • University College London
  • University of California, San Diego
  • University of Plymouth
  • University of the Basque Country

Tags

Fields of Study

  • Biology

Readers

  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)
  • Neuroscience