Lecture 10 & 11 Outline Flashcards
What are synapses?
connection b/t 2 neurons (or a neuron & another cell)
- the connection is specialized for the transfer of info
Synapses can be classified in several ways:
1) Functional
- electrical & chemical synapses
2) Location on post-synaptic cell
- axodendritic, axosomatic, axoaxonic
Describe “Synaptic Activity”
causes graded potentials in the postsynaptic cell
- EPSP
- IPSP
EPSP
a DEpolarizing synaptic potential is called an excitatory postsynaptic potential (EPSP)
IPSP
a HYPERpolarizing synaptic potential is called an inhibitory postsynaptic potential (IPSP)
The grand sum of EPSP & IPSP at the axon hillock WILL determine:
if the threshold potential is exceeded & an AP is stimulated
Electrical synapse definition
pass an electrical signal, or current, directly from the cytoplasm of one cell to another through the pores of gap junction proteins
Electrical synapse anatomy
gap junctions: ion channels that connect presynaptic neuron to a postsynaptic neuron
each “connexon” (or hemi-channel) made of 6 “connexin” monomers
2 connexons (half channels) for a functional gap junction
gap junctions from 2 cells must align to forma functional channel
Electrical synapse properties
electrical info (an AP for ex) passes directly b/t 2 cells
- carried by the movement of ions b/t cells (ions)
- small molecules can also diffuse thru GAP junctions (ATP, cAMP, some other 2nd messengers…)
present in some neurons, common in cardiac & smooth muscle
- relatively uncommon in neurons
electrical signal can be bidirectional
fast (VERY short synaptic delay, 0.2 ms)
cells with gap junctions are said to be connected by cytoplasm
allows groups of cells to fire APs nearly synchronously
Chemical synapse definition
use neurocrine molecules to carry info from one cell to the next
Chemical synapse anatomy
presynaptic cell and postsynaptic cell with a synaptic cleft of (20-40 nM) along other things
Chemical synapse properties
specialized form of exocytosis
release of neurotransmitter from PREsynaptic cells to influence electrical activity in POSTsynaptic cell
- neurons communicate with post-synaptic targets
- other neurons
- muscle cells
- glands
estimated 100-600 trillion synapses in brain
- 0.5-1 billion per mm3 in some areas of brain
electrical signal from one neuron is converted to a chemical signal to cross a synaptic cleft, then is often converted back to an electrical signal
What is the difference in size of synaptic cleft in a chemical & electrical synapse?
20-40 nM in a CHEMICAL synapse (distance is farther)
3-4 nM in an ELECTRICAL synapse (the neurons are very electrically close to each other)
What are the many types of neurotransmitters?
Classic neurotransmitters
- Acetylcholine
- Amines
- norepinephrine, dopamine
- histamine, serotonin - Amino acids
- glutamate
- gama-amino-butyric acid (GABA)
“Novel neurotransmitters”
- Peptides
- oxytocin, melanocortin - Purines
- ATP
What receptors do peptides & purines use?
peptides usually act by G-protein c. receptors (GPCRs)
purines act by a receptor channel
What is the general mechanism that leads to the release of a neurotransmitter from a synaptic terminal?
- AP travels down axon
- depolarization opens VG Ca2+ channels
- this allows Ca2+ to enter presynaptic terminals - Ca2+ entry causes some synaptic vesicles to fuse with presynaptic membrane & release their neurotransmitter contents into the synaptic cleft
- Neurotransmitter binds to postsynaptic receptors
- some receptors are ion channels, some are GPCR
- the postsynaptic response depends on the type of receptor (receptor channel or GPCR)
- time taken to diffuse across & cause postsynaptic response is SYNAPTIC DELAY (about 2 ms) - Neurotransmitter is removed from the cleft
What is the difference in the synaptic delay for an electrical synapse & chemical synapse?
chemical synapse: ~2 ms
electrical synapse: ~0.2 ms
therefore, a chemical synapse is gonna be much slower than what you will see @ an electrical synapse
What are the 4 main ways that a neurotransmitter is removed from the cleft?
- DESTROYED in the synaptic cleft by a degradative enzyme or
- TRANSPORTED BACK into the terminal by active transport
- recycled & repackaged back into vesicles - DIFFUSES AWAY from synapse
- TAKEN UP into postsynaptic cell by ENDOCYTOSIS
Describe the 4 steps of synthesis & recycling of Acetylcholine
- ACETYLCHOLINE (ACh) is made from choline & acetyl CoA
- In the synaptic cleft ACh is rapidly broken down into choline & acetic acid by the enzyme ACETYLCHOLINESTERASE
- Choline is transported BACK into the axon terminal by cotransport with Na+ (SECONDARY ACTIVE)
- Recycled choline is used to make more ACh
Acetylcholine described
neurotransmitter at a CHOLINERGIC synapse
neurotransmitter used by
- motorneurons to cause excitation of skeletal muscle
- every pathway of the ANS
- used diffusely throughout the CNS as a neuromodulator
What are the 2 main kinds of receptors for ACh
- Receptor channels (nicotinic receptor)
- called this b/c nicotine binds to this receptor channel & causes it to open so nicotine is angonist for ACh receptor channels - GPCR (muscarinic receptor)
- called this b/c there is a chemical from specific kind of mushroom called muscarin & it acts as an agonist for the ACh GPCR
What can we call receptor channels (nicotinic receptor)?
IONOtropic b/c they allow movement of ion across the cell membrane
What can we call the GPCR (muscarinic receptor)
METAbotropic receptors b/c once a GPCR is activated, it stimulates a whole series of events within a cell - metabolic
Describe the Fast EPSP of Acetylcholine (via nicotinic receptor)
binding of ACh to receptor channel causes:
- opening of channel
- entry of Na+ (& exit of a small amount of K+)
movement of + charge into cell causes depolarization
the postsynaptic depolarization is excitatory = EPSP
FAST!!! (happens after a delay of milliseconds)
Describe the Slow EPSP of Acetylcholine (via muscarinic receptor)
Binding of ACh to GPCR causes:
- generation of 2nd messengers
- activation of kinases
- phosphorylation of proteins in the postsynaptic membrane
- some of the proteins that get phosphorylated are phosphorylation gated ion channels
- phosphorylation gates K+ leakage channels CLOSED (will cause depolarization of MP)
- SLOW (happens after a delay of seconds)
What is a neuromodulator?
slowly, & subtly change the electrical behaviour of a cell
- doesn’t immediately stimulate APs or immediately inhibit them
Ex: might make it easier to bring it to threshold to fire APs or might make it harder
Not all GPCR neurotransmitter receptors will cause closure of K+ channels…
there are MANY POSSIBLE TARGETS in post-synaptic cells
- depends on the cell & the receptor!!
- in some cell types, Na+ leakage channels may be targeted, Ca2+ channels, etc
AKA: just b/c it is a G-protein on post-synaptic cell, doesn’t mean it is gonna be depolarized. It could be hyperpolarized. It can change shape of AP, it is a highly variable response
Describe Norepinephrine
called a NORADRENERGIC synapse
neurotransmitter used diffusely throughout the CNS & by the sympathetic branch of the ANS
several types of receptors
- all are GPCR (ALPHA & BETA RECEPTORS)
- variable effect b/c we can phosphorylate a # of post-synaptic channels
NO ligand-gated ion channels
Glutamate
called a GLUTAMATERGIC synapse
main EXCITATORY neurotransmitter used throughout the CNS
What are the 2 main types of glutamate receptors?
Receptor channels (IONOtropic)
- NMDA receptor
- (N-Methyl-D-aspartate) - AMPA receptor
- (2-amino-3-(3-hydroxy-5-methyl-isoxazol-4-yl)propanoic acid)
GPCR (METAbotropic glutamate receptors)
- several subtypes