SATURATION OF POSTSYNAPTIC RECEPTORS AT CENTRAL SYNAPSES

A fundamental issue in synaptic physiology is whether the postsynaptic response to a quantum of transmitter is limited by the number of rece ptors available. Fierce debate over the past few years has yielded no consensus. The majority of evidence suggests that the degree of recept or occupancy is likely to be sensitive to a number of factors, includi ng the detailed anatomy of the synaptic cleft and the time course of t ransmitter clearance, and is probably different from one synapse to th e next.