Elementary and compound postsynaptic potentials in the defensive command neurons of Helix lucorum

The present communication concerns with the analysis of elementary and the compound excitatory postsynaptic potentials (eEPSPs and cEPSPs) recorded by intracellular microelectrode from an identified defensive command neuron of the snail Helix lucorum. The eEPSPs were evoked by single presynaptic action potentials (APs) elicited by cationic current injection into one of the identified sensory neurons synapsing on the respective command neuron. The cEPSPs were elicited by local brief tactile stimuli on the skin or internal organs. It was shown that the cEPSPs amplitudes depend mainly on the number of activated sensory neurons. Compound EPSPs depend also on frequency and the number of APs in the bursts occurring in a single neuron. Presynaptic APs having frequency 2-10 Hz evoke high frequency depression of that eEPSPs after an interval is followed by post-tetanic potentiation of single eEPSPs. Preceding stimulation of a pneumostom area facilitates the cEPSPs elicited by repeated stimulation of viscera. The eEPSPs from the same visceral area demonstrate no heterosynaptic facilitation in experiments with double parallel intracellular recording from responsive sensory and command neurons. The different types of the eEPSPs plasticity are discussed according to their contribution cEPSPs plastic changes.