Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Action Potentials01:41

Action Potentials

Overview
Action Potential: Phases of Stimulation01:28

Action Potential: Phases of Stimulation

The action potential is a complex electrical event that occurs in excitable cells, such as neurons and muscle cells. It consists of several distinct phases, each with specific characteristics.
Resting Phase:
In this phase, the cell's membrane is at its resting potential, typically around -70 millivolts (mV) for neurons. Inside the cell, there is a higher concentration of potassium ions (K+) and a lower concentration of sodium ions (Na+). Voltage-gated sodium channels are closed, and...
Action Potential01:14

Action Potential

Neurons communicate by firing action potentials—the electrochemical signal that is propagated along the axon. The signal results in the release of neurotransmitters at axon terminals, thereby transmitting information to the nervous system. An action potential is a specific "all-or-none" change in membrane potential that results in a rapid spike in voltage.
Membrane potential in neurons
Neurons typically have a resting membrane potential of about -70 millivolts (mV). When they receive...
Action Potential01:14

Action Potential

Neurons communicate by firing action potentials—the electrochemical signal that is propagated along the axon. The signal results in the release of neurotransmitters at axon terminals, thereby transmitting information to the nervous system. An action potential is a specific "all-or-none" change in membrane potential that results in a rapid spike in voltage.
Membrane potential in neurons
Neurons typically have a resting membrane potential of about -70 millivolts (mV). When they receive...
The Synapse02:47

The Synapse

Neurons communicate with one another by passing on their electrical signals to other neurons. A synapse is the location where two neurons meet to exchange signals. At the synapse, the neuron that sends the signal is called the presynaptic cell, while the neuron that receives the message is called the postsynaptic cell. Note that most neurons can be both presynaptic and postsynaptic, as they both transmit and receive information.
Propagation of Action Potentials01:23

Propagation of Action Potentials

The propagation of an action potential refers to the process by which a nerve impulse, or "action potential," travels along a neuron.
Neurons (nerve cells) have a resting membrane potential, with a slightly negative charge inside compared to outside. This is maintained by ion channels, such as sodium (Na+) and potassium (K+) channels, which control the flow of ions. When a stimulus, like a touch or a signal from another neuron, triggers the neuron, sodium channels open, allowing sodium ions to...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Immune receptor LAG3 regulates microglia function during Alzheimer's disease.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Immune receptor LAG3 regulates microglia function during Alzheimer's disease.

Neurobiology of disease·2026
Same author

From Synaptic Plasticity and Critical Periods to Social Behavior and Stress: Getting to, and Staying in, CA2.

Hippocampus·2026
Same author

Mineralocorticoid receptor deletion alters spontaneous behavior in an automated home-cage monitoring apparatus.

Hormones and behavior·2025
Same author

Mineralocorticoid receptor knockout alters hippocampal CA2 neurons to become like those in CA1.

Communications biology·2025
Same author

Perineuronal Nets on CA2 Pyramidal Cells and Parvalbumin-Expressing Cells Differentially Regulate Hippocampal-Dependent Memory.

The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience·2024
Same journal

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase 4 in lung disease: a review of its biology and therapeutic potential.

Experimental biology and medicine (Maywood, N.J.)·2026
Same journal

Phenotypic profiling of Pathogen Box compounds MMV667494 and MMV028694 in bloodstream-form <i>Trypanosoma brucei brucei</i>.

Experimental biology and medicine (Maywood, N.J.)·2026
Same journal

High systolic blood pressure and stroke: evidence from the NHANES 1999-2023 and global burden of disease 2021.

Experimental biology and medicine (Maywood, N.J.)·2026
Same journal

Scaling human liver microphysiological systems: implementing a higher-throughput liver acinus microphysiological system platform.

Experimental biology and medicine (Maywood, N.J.)·2026
Same journal

Race, oxygen exposure, and retinopathy of prematurity: re-examining a persistent epidemiologic paradox.

Experimental biology and medicine (Maywood, N.J.)·2026
Same journal

Peripheral immune cells and glycation indices as potential diagnostic biomarkers in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Experimental biology and medicine (Maywood, N.J.)·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 6, 2026

The Ex vivo Preparation of Spinal Cord Slice for the Whole-Cell Patch-Clamp Recording in Motor Neurons During Spinal Cord Stimulation
06:55

The Ex vivo Preparation of Spinal Cord Slice for the Whole-Cell Patch-Clamp Recording in Motor Neurons During Spinal Cord Stimulation

Published on: September 8, 2023

Action potentials: to the nucleus and beyond.

Ramendra N Saha1, Serena M Dudek

  • 1Laboratory of Neurobiology, National Institute of Environmental Health Services, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709, USA.

Experimental Biology and Medicine (Maywood, N.J.)
|March 28, 2008
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Neurons signal the nucleus about synaptic plasticity through biochemical messengers or action potentials. Action potential signaling offers unique computational advantages for regulating gene expression related to long-term synaptic changes.

More Related Videos

Subcellular Patch-clamp Recordings from the Somatodendritic Domain of Nigral Dopamine Neurons
09:17

Subcellular Patch-clamp Recordings from the Somatodendritic Domain of Nigral Dopamine Neurons

Published on: November 2, 2016

Voltage-sensitive Dye Recording from Axons, Dendrites and Dendritic Spines of Individual Neurons in Brain Slices
12:51

Voltage-sensitive Dye Recording from Axons, Dendrites and Dendritic Spines of Individual Neurons in Brain Slices

Published on: November 29, 2012

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 6, 2026

The Ex vivo Preparation of Spinal Cord Slice for the Whole-Cell Patch-Clamp Recording in Motor Neurons During Spinal Cord Stimulation
06:55

The Ex vivo Preparation of Spinal Cord Slice for the Whole-Cell Patch-Clamp Recording in Motor Neurons During Spinal Cord Stimulation

Published on: September 8, 2023

Subcellular Patch-clamp Recordings from the Somatodendritic Domain of Nigral Dopamine Neurons
09:17

Subcellular Patch-clamp Recordings from the Somatodendritic Domain of Nigral Dopamine Neurons

Published on: November 2, 2016

Voltage-sensitive Dye Recording from Axons, Dendrites and Dendritic Spines of Individual Neurons in Brain Slices
12:51

Voltage-sensitive Dye Recording from Axons, Dendrites and Dendritic Spines of Individual Neurons in Brain Slices

Published on: November 29, 2012

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Molecular Biology
  • Cellular Signaling

Background:

  • The neuronal nucleus is crucial for long-term synaptic plasticity.
  • Efficient communication between synapses and the nucleus is essential for this process.
  • Challenges include spatial distance and signal amplification at the nucleus.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review and validate two primary modes of signal transduction to the neuronal nucleus.
  • To explore the role of action potential-dependent signaling in transcriptional regulation.
  • To compare synapse-to-nucleus biochemical signaling with action potential-based signaling.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature and experimental evidence.
  • Analysis of theoretical models for signal transduction pathways.
  • Comparison of computational advantages of different signaling mechanisms.

Main Results:

  • Two main signaling pathways to the nucleus exist: synapse-to-nucleus biochemical messengers and action potential-dependent signaling.
  • Action potential-dependent signaling, initiated near the nucleus, offers distinct computational benefits.
  • Evidence supports the role of action potentials in transcriptional regulation for long-term plasticity.

Conclusions:

  • Both biochemical and action potential-based pathways contribute to nuclear signaling.
  • Action potential-dependent signaling is a viable and important mechanism for regulating gene expression related to synaptic plasticity.
  • Further validation of the action potential model is warranted.