Tonic zinc inhibits spontaneous firing in dorsal cochlear nucleus principal neurons by enhancing glycinergic neurotransmission.

ABSTRACT: In many synapses of the CNS, mobile zinc is packaged into glutamatergic vesicles and co-released with glutamate during neurotransmission. Following synaptic release, the mobilized zinc modulates ligand- and voltage-gated channels and receptors, functioning as an inhibitory neuromodulator. However, the origin and role of tonic, as opposed to phasically released, zinc are less well understood. We investigated tonic zinc in the dorsal cochlear nucleus (DCN), a zinc-rich, auditory brainstem nucleus. Our results show that application of a high-affinity, extracellular zinc chelator (ZX1) enhances spontaneous firing in DCN principal neurons (fusiform cells), consistent with inhibition of this neuronal property by tonic zinc. The enhancing effect was prevented by prior application of strychnine, a

SUBMITTER: Perez-Rosello T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4575225 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature