BIO254:Silent: Difference between revisions

A '''silent synapse''' is a special type of excitatory glutamatergic synapse that relies on NMDA receptors to the exclusion of AMPA receptors. The voltage dependency of NMDA receptors causes them to act as logical AND gates, requiring both postsynaptic depolarization and glutamate binding to trigger an excitatory postsynaptic potential (EPSP).

Several experiments demonstrate that excitatory synapses can effectively regulate their postsynaptic glutamate receptors. For instance, when some glutamatergic synapses are stimulate, no postsynaptic electrical signal is generated when the postsynaptic cell is at a normal resting membrane potential. In contrast, when these same postsynaptic cells are depolarized, these "silent synapses" are able to transmit strong postsynaptic responses that are detectable using electrophysiological methods (such as patch clamp). Because these silent synapses have the potential to be turned on or off in response to postsynaptic activity, this mechanism demonstrates a simple means for modifying and regulating neural activity.