Abstract
Gap junctions provide the basis for electrical synapses between neurons. Early studies in well-defined circuits in lower vertebrates laid the foundation for understanding various properties conferred by electrical synaptic transmission. Knowledge surrounding electrical synapses in mammalian systems unfolded first with evidence indicating the presence of gap junctions between neurons in various brain regions, but with little appreciation of their functional roles. Beginning at about the turn of this century, new approaches were applied to scrutinize electrical synapses, revealing the prevalence of neuronal gap junctions, the connexin protein composition of many of those junctions, and the myriad diverse neural systems in which they occur in the mammalian CNS. Subsequent progress indicated that electrical synapses constitute key elements in synaptic circuitry, govern the collective activity of ensembles of electrically coupled neurons, and in part orchestrate the synchronized neuronal network activity and rhythmic oscillations that underlie fundamental integrative processes. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Gap Junction Proteins edited by Jean Claude Herve.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Journal | Biochimica et Biophysica Acta - Biomembranes |
| DOIs | |
| State | Accepted/In press - Feb 13 2017 |
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Keywords
- Cell localization
- Connexins
- Mixed chemical/electrical synapses
- Neuronal gap junctions
- Protein composition
- Ultrastructural diversity
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Biophysics
- Biochemistry
- Cell Biology
Cite this
Electrical synapses in mammalian CNS : Past eras, present focus and future directions. / Nagy, James I.; Pereda, Alberto E.; Rash, John E.
In: Biochimica et Biophysica Acta - Biomembranes, 13.02.2017.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Electrical synapses in mammalian CNS
T2 - Past eras, present focus and future directions
AU - Nagy, James I.
AU - Pereda, Alberto E.
AU - Rash, John E.
PY - 2017/2/13
Y1 - 2017/2/13
N2 - Gap junctions provide the basis for electrical synapses between neurons. Early studies in well-defined circuits in lower vertebrates laid the foundation for understanding various properties conferred by electrical synaptic transmission. Knowledge surrounding electrical synapses in mammalian systems unfolded first with evidence indicating the presence of gap junctions between neurons in various brain regions, but with little appreciation of their functional roles. Beginning at about the turn of this century, new approaches were applied to scrutinize electrical synapses, revealing the prevalence of neuronal gap junctions, the connexin protein composition of many of those junctions, and the myriad diverse neural systems in which they occur in the mammalian CNS. Subsequent progress indicated that electrical synapses constitute key elements in synaptic circuitry, govern the collective activity of ensembles of electrically coupled neurons, and in part orchestrate the synchronized neuronal network activity and rhythmic oscillations that underlie fundamental integrative processes. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Gap Junction Proteins edited by Jean Claude Herve.
AB - Gap junctions provide the basis for electrical synapses between neurons. Early studies in well-defined circuits in lower vertebrates laid the foundation for understanding various properties conferred by electrical synaptic transmission. Knowledge surrounding electrical synapses in mammalian systems unfolded first with evidence indicating the presence of gap junctions between neurons in various brain regions, but with little appreciation of their functional roles. Beginning at about the turn of this century, new approaches were applied to scrutinize electrical synapses, revealing the prevalence of neuronal gap junctions, the connexin protein composition of many of those junctions, and the myriad diverse neural systems in which they occur in the mammalian CNS. Subsequent progress indicated that electrical synapses constitute key elements in synaptic circuitry, govern the collective activity of ensembles of electrically coupled neurons, and in part orchestrate the synchronized neuronal network activity and rhythmic oscillations that underlie fundamental integrative processes. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Gap Junction Proteins edited by Jean Claude Herve.
KW - Cell localization
KW - Connexins
KW - Mixed chemical/electrical synapses
KW - Neuronal gap junctions
KW - Protein composition
KW - Ultrastructural diversity
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U2 - 10.1016/j.bbamem.2017.05.019
DO - 10.1016/j.bbamem.2017.05.019
M3 - Article
JO - Biochimica et Biophysica Acta - Biomembranes
JF - Biochimica et Biophysica Acta - Biomembranes
SN - 0005-2736
ER -