Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 24, 2026
09:30
Assessment of Long-term Depression Induction in Adult Cerebellar Slices
Published on: October 16, 2019
Parasynaptic signalling by fast neurotransmitters: the cerebellar cortex.
1Laboratoire de Neurobiologie, CNRS UMR 8544, Ecole Normale Supérieure, 46 rue d'Ulm 75005, Paris, France.
Neuroscience
|April 11, 2009
Summary
Parasynaptic signaling, distinct from classic synaptic transmission, involves neurotransmitters like glutamate, GABA, and glycine acting outside traditional boundaries. This research explores its forms, detection, and functions in the brain, particularly the cerebellum.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cellular Biology
- Neurotransmission
Background:
- Classic synaptic transmission relies on localized neurotransmitter release and receptor activation at specialized junctions.
- Evidence suggests neurotransmitters like glutamate, GABA, and glycine can also signal beyond synaptic boundaries, termed parasynaptic signaling.
- Understanding these non-synaptic mechanisms is crucial for a complete picture of brain information processing.
Purpose of the Study:
- To define and differentiate parasynaptic signaling from classic synaptic transmission.
- To review methodologies for identifying parasynaptic signaling events.
- To explore the prevalence and functional significance of parasynaptic signaling, especially within the cerebellar cortex.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies reporting neurotransmitter signaling outside synaptic clefts.
- Analysis of anatomical and physiological data distinguishing synaptic from parasynaptic events.
- Examination of research focusing on the cerebellar cortex as a model system.
Main Results:
- Parasynaptic signaling by glutamate, GABA, and glycine occurs through various mechanisms beyond the classic synaptic framework.
- Specific methods exist to distinguish these parasynaptic events from traditional synaptic transmission.
- Numerous instances of parasynaptic signaling have been documented in the cerebellar cortex.
Conclusions:
- Parasynaptic signaling represents a significant mode of communication in the brain, complementing classic synaptic transmission.
- In the cerebellar cortex, parasynaptic transmission influences network activity, glial cells, and synaptic plasticity.
- Further research is needed to understand how diverse signaling pathways coexist and interact to regulate neural function.
Related Concept Videos
01:09Synaptic Signaling
Neurons communicate at synapses, or junctions, to excite or inhibit the activity of other neurons or target cells, such as muscles. Synapses may be chemical or electrical.
Most synapses are chemical, meaning an electrical impulse or action potential spurs the release of chemical messengers called neurotransmitters. The neuron sending the signal is called the presynaptic neuron, and the neuron receiving the signal is the postsynaptic neuron.
The presynaptic neuron fires an action potential that...
Most synapses are chemical, meaning an electrical impulse or action potential spurs the release of chemical messengers called neurotransmitters. The neuron sending the signal is called the presynaptic neuron, and the neuron receiving the signal is the postsynaptic neuron.
The presynaptic neuron fires an action potential that...
01:12Synaptic Signaling
Neurons communicate at synapses, or junctions, to excite or inhibit the activity of other neurons or target cells, such as muscles. Synapses may be chemical or electrical.
01:28Major Somatic Sensory Pathways
Sensory impulses related to touch, pressure, vibration, and proprioception from various body parts, such as the limbs, trunk, neck, and posterior head, travel to the cerebral cortex through the posterior column-medial lemniscus pathway. The pathway’s name derives from the two white-matter tracts that convey the impulses: the spinal cord's posterior column and the brainstem's medial lemniscus. First-order sensory neurons extend their axons into the spinal cord, forming the posterior columns...
02:47The 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.
01:28Neuronal Communication
Neurons, the fundamental units of the brain and nervous system, communicate through complex electrochemical signals that underpin all cognitive and bodily functions. This communication is primarily facilitated by a process involving the generation and propagation of an action potential along the axon of the neuron. When the internal electrical charge of a neuron surpasses a certain threshold, an action potential is triggered. This rapid change in voltage travels swiftly along the axon to the...
01:26Chemical Synapses
Chemical synapses are specialized sites between two neurons or between a neuron and a non-neuronal cell like a muscle, glandular or sensory cell.
Because chemical synapses depend on the release of neurotransmitter molecules from synaptic vesicles to pass on their signal, there is an approximately one millisecond delay between when the axon potential reaches the presynaptic terminal and when the neurotransmitter leads to opening of postsynaptic ion channels. Additionally, this signaling is...
Because chemical synapses depend on the release of neurotransmitter molecules from synaptic vesicles to pass on their signal, there is an approximately one millisecond delay between when the axon potential reaches the presynaptic terminal and when the neurotransmitter leads to opening of postsynaptic ion channels. Additionally, this signaling is...