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Gain Control of Synaptic Response Function in Cerebellar Nuclear Neurons by a Calcium-Activated Potassium Conductance

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Abstract

Small conductance Ca2+-activated potassium (SK) current provides an important modulator of excitatory synaptic transmission, which undergoes plastic regulation via multiple mechanisms. We examined whether inhibitory input processing is also dependent on SK current in the cerebellar nuclei (CN) where inhibition provides the only route of information transfer from the cerebellar cortical Purkinje cells. We employed dynamic clamping in conjunction with computer simulations to address this question. We found that SK current plays a critical role in the inhibitory synaptic control of spiking output. Specifically, regulation of SK current density resulted in a gain control of spiking output, such that low SK current promoted large output signaling for large inhibitory cell input fluctuations due to Purkinje cell synchronization. In contrast, smaller nonsynchronized Purkinje cell input fluctuations were not amplified. Regulation of SK density in the CN therefore would likely lead to important consequences for the transmission of synchronized Purkinje cell activity to the motor system.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by grants from the national Institute of Mental Health R01-MH065634 and National Institute of Neurological Disorder and Stroke R21 NS074296 to Dieter Jaeger

Conflict of Interest

The authors have no financial or personal relationships that might bias this work, such as consultancies, stock ownership, equity interests, or patent-licensing arrangements. The writing was entirely carried out by the authors without any additional help.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, Emory University, 1510 Clifton Rd., Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA

    Steven Si Feng, Risa Lin, Volker Gauck & Dieter Jaeger

  2. Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA

    Steven Si Feng & Risa Lin

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Correspondence to Dieter Jaeger.

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Feng, S.S., Lin, R., Gauck, V. et al. Gain Control of Synaptic Response Function in Cerebellar Nuclear Neurons by a Calcium-Activated Potassium Conductance. Cerebellum 12, 692–706 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12311-013-0476-9

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