B. Walmsley, SIGNALING AT THE SYNAPSE - REGULATION OF THE POSTSYNAPTIC RESPONSE TOQUANTAL TRANSMITTER RELEASE, Immunology and cell biology, 76(5), 1998, pp. 430-435
Communication between neurones in the central nervous system occurs at
specialized synaptic contacts. The strength of a synaptic signal is p
recisely regulated, and modification of synaptic strength is important
in complex brain functions such as learning, and in the formation of
appropriate neural maps during development. The fundamental building b
lock of synaptic signalling is the post-synaptic current generated in
response to the pre-synaptic release of a quantum of neurotransmitter.
The present short review examines the factors that determine the quan
tal post-synaptic current, and provides direct evidence from a recent
study in the author's laboratory that regulation of quantal size is im
portant during development of excitatory transmission in the auditory
system.