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Updated: Aug 11, 2026

Spinal Cord Electrophysiology
Published on: January 18, 2010
Development of inhibitory synaptic transmission to motoneurons
1Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA. jhsinger@codon.nih.gov
Abstract:
The inhibitory effects of the neurotransmitters glycine and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) on motoneurons and their role in mediating the timing of motor output have been understood for some years. Recent work, however, has revealed that these neurotransmitters function very differently in developing motor circuits. Most strikingly, both GABA and glycine depolarize neonatal motoneurons, and, in many instances, provide excitatory drive to developing motor networks. Additionally, the relative contributions of GABA and glycine to inhibitory synaptic transmission in a circuit or, indeed, within the same synapse, change with postnatal development. Here, we review three fundamental properties of inhibitory neurotransmission that are altered postnatally and may be important in shaping the unique behaviors of these synapses early in development.
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