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Spikelets in Pyramidal Neurons: Action Potentials Initiated in the Axon Initial Segment That Do Not Activate the Soma.

PLoS computational biology | 2017

Spikelets are small spike-like depolarizations that can be measured in somatic intracellular recordings. Their origin in pyramidal neurons remains controversial. To explain spikelet generation, we propose a novel single-cell mechanism: somato-dendritic input generates action potentials at the axon initial segment that may fail to activate the soma and manifest as somatic spikelets. Using mathematical analysis and numerical simulations of compartmental neuron models, we identified four key factors controlling spikelet generation: (1) difference in firing threshold, (2) impedance mismatch, and (3) electrotonic separation between the soma and the axon initial segment, as well as (4) input amplitude. Because spikelets involve forward propagation of action potentials along the axon while they avoid full depolarization of the somato-dendritic compartments, we conjecture that this mode of operation saves energy and regulates dendritic plasticity while still allowing for a read-out of results of neuronal computations.

Pubmed ID: 28068338 RIS Download

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RRID:SCR_007271

Curated database of published models so that they can be openly accessed, downloaded, and tested to support computational neuroscience. Provides accessible location for storing and efficiently retrieving computational neuroscience models.Coupled with NeuronDB. Models can be coded in any language for any environment. Model code can be viewed before downloading and browsers can be set to auto-launch the models. The model source code has to be available from publicly accessible online repository or WWW site. Original source code is used to generate simulation results from which authors derived their published insights and conclusions.

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RRID:SCR_005393

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