Experience-dependent homeostasis of 'noise' at inhibitory synapses preserves information coding in adult visual cortex.

ABSTRACT: Synapses are intrinsically 'noisy' in that neurotransmitter is occasionally released in the absence of an action potential. At inhibitory synapses, the frequency of action potential-independent release is orders of magnitude higher than that at excitatory synapses raising speculations that it may serve a function. Here we report that the frequency of action potential-independent inhibitory synaptic 'noise' (i.e. miniature inhibitory postsynaptic currents, mIPSCs) is highly regulated by sensory experience in visual cortex. Importantly, regulation of mIPSC frequency is so far the predominant form of functional plasticity at inhibitory synapses in adults during the refractory period for plasticity and is a locus of rapid non-genomic actions of oestrogen. Models predict that regulating the fre

SUBMITTER: Gao M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5247588 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature