Skip to main content
NCBI home page
The Journal of Physiology logoLink to The Journal of Physiology
. 1981 Sep;318:207–221. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1981.sp013859

Prolonged depolarization elicited in Purkinje cell dendrites by climbing fibre impulses in the cat.

C F Ekerot, O Oscarsson
PMCID: PMC1245486  PMID: 7320889

Abstract

1. Responses evoked in Purkinje cell dendrites by impulses in climbing fibres were studied by recording from the cat cerebellar cortex. Intra- and extracellular responses from dendrites of single Purkinje cells were recorded, as well as field responses from the intact cerebellar surface. The intracellular responses were presumably recorded from relatively proximal dendrites. The resting potential usually was 20-40 mV. The responses consisted of an initial spike-like component (amplitude 10-30 mV) followed by a plateau-like component (amplitude 2-12 mV) with a duration of about 100 ms. The duration of consecutive responses varied little. 3. The extracellular unitary responses were recorded from more distal dendrites. These responses were negative deflexions consisting of an initial component followed by a plateau-like component (amplitude 5-15 mV). The duration of consecutive responses varied widely from about 25 ms to more than 1 s. The negative deflexions are assumed to correspond to dendritic depolarizations. 4. The field responses recorded from the cerebellar surface consisted of a positivity followed by a negativity lasting several hundred milliseconds. The positivity signals the e.p.s.p.s generated by the climbing fibre synapses which do not extend to the most distal dendrites. The negativity presumably signals the plateau-like dendritic depolarizations which would involve also the most distal dendrites. 5. The nature and significance of the plateau-like depolarizations evoked by climbing fibre impulses in the purkinje cell dendrites are discussed.

Full text

PDF
207

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Andersson G., Oscarsson O. Projections to lateral vestibular nucleus from cerebellar climbing fiber zones. Exp Brain Res. 1978 Aug 15;32(4):549–564. doi: 10.1007/BF00239552. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Armstrong D. M., Cogdell B., Harvey R. J. Discharge patterns of Purkinje cells in cats anaesthetized with alpha-chloralose. J Physiol. 1979 Jun;291:351–366. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1979.sp012818. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Armstrong D. M. Functional significance of connections of the inferior olive. Physiol Rev. 1974 Apr;54(2):358–417. doi: 10.1152/physrev.1974.54.2.358. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Armstrong D. M., Rawson J. A. Activity patterns of cerebellar cortical neurones and climbing fibre afferents in the awake cat. J Physiol. 1979 Apr;289:425–448. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1979.sp012745. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Bloedel J. R., Roberts W. J. Action of climbing fibers in cerebellar cortex of the cat. J Neurophysiol. 1971 Jan;34(1):17–31. doi: 10.1152/jn.1971.34.1.17. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Ekerot C. F., Oscarsson O. Prolonged dendritic depolarizations evoked in Purkinje cells by climbing fibre impulses. Brain Res. 1980 Jun 16;192(1):272–275. doi: 10.1016/0006-8993(80)91028-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Fujita Y. Activity of dendrites of single Purkinje cells and its relationship to so-called inactivation response in rabbit cerebellum. J Neurophysiol. 1968 Mar;31(2):131–141. doi: 10.1152/jn.1968.31.2.131. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Fujita Y. Origin of the negative potential shift of all-or-nothing character in the cerebellar cortex of the rabbit. Jpn J Physiol. 1969 Jun 15;19(3):280–292. doi: 10.2170/jjphysiol.19.280. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. GRANIT R., PHILLIPS C. G. Excitatory and inhibitory processes acting upon individual Purkinje cells of the cerebellum in cats. J Physiol. 1956 Sep 27;133(3):520–547. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1956.sp005606. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Heinemann U., Pumain R. Extracellular calcium activity changes in cat sensorimotor cortex induced by iontophoretic application of aminoacids. Exp Brain Res. 1980;40(3):247–250. doi: 10.1007/BF00237788. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Ito M. Recent advances in cerebellar physiology and pathology. Adv Neurol. 1978;21:59–84. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Llinas R., Nicholson C. Electrophysiological properties of dendrites and somata in alligator Purkinje cells. J Neurophysiol. 1971 Jul;34(4):532–551. doi: 10.1152/jn.1971.34.4.532. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Llinás R., Sugimori M. Electrophysiological properties of in vitro Purkinje cell dendrites in mammalian cerebellar slices. J Physiol. 1980 Aug;305:197–213. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1980.sp013358. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Marr D. A theory of cerebellar cortex. J Physiol. 1969 Jun;202(2):437–470. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1969.sp008820. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Miledi R. Intracellular calcium and desensitization of acetylcholine receptors. Proc R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 1980 Sep 26;209(1176):447–452. doi: 10.1098/rspb.1980.0106. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Murphy J. T., Sabah N. H. Cerebellar Purkinje cell responses to afferent inputs. I. Climbing fiber activation. Brain Res. 1971 Feb 5;25(3):449–467. doi: 10.1016/0006-8993(71)90454-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Oscarsson O., Sjölund B. The ventral spino-olivocerebellar system in the cat. I. Identification of five paths and their termination in the cerebellar anterior lobe. Exp Brain Res. 1977 Jul 15;28(5):469–486. doi: 10.1007/BF00236471. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Oscarsson O. Termination and functional organization of the ventral spino-olivocerebellar path. J Physiol. 1968 May;196(2):453–478. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1968.sp008518. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Reid M. D., Westerman R. A. Purkinje cell giant spikes in the trout, Salmo gairdneri (Richardson). Comp Biochem Physiol A Comp Physiol. 1975 Feb 1;50(2):253–257. doi: 10.1016/0300-9629(75)90007-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. SUDA I., AMANO T. AN ANALYSIS OF EVOKED CEREBELLAR ACTIVITY. Arch Ital Biol. 1964 Apr 18;102:156–182. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Schwartzkroin P. A., Slawsky M. Probable calcium spikes in hippocampal neurons. Brain Res. 1977 Oct 21;135(1):157–161. doi: 10.1016/0006-8993(77)91060-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Stöckle H., Ten Bruggencate G. Fluctuation of extracellular potassium and calcium in the cerebellar cortex related to climbing fiber activity. Neuroscience. 1980;5(5):893–901. doi: 10.1016/0306-4522(80)90158-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from The Journal of Physiology are provided here courtesy of The Physiological Society

RESOURCES