Voltage-dependent properties of electrical synapses formed between identified leech neurones in vitro

1. The voltage-dependent properties of rectifying and non-rectifying electrical synapses formed between identified leech neurones were quantified during their regeneration in vitro. 2. Junctional conductance increased with time in culture. This was evaluated by making comparisons between cell pairs maintained in vitro for differing amounts of time, as well as by taking repeated measurements from a single cell pair at different time intervals. 3. Non-rectifying electrical synapses were formed between certain identified neurones of the same type. Thus, Leydig cells cultured with Leydig cells established non-rectifying electrical connections, as did Retzius cells, longitudinal motoneurones (L cells) and anterior pagoda (AP) cells, each paired with its own cell type. 4. Rectifying synapses developed when sensory neurones (P cells or N cells) were paired with the other neurones mentioned above that form non-rectifying connections between themselves. The cell combinations examined were L cell-P cell. Leydig cell-N cell, and AP cell-P cell. The direction of current flow across these rectifying synapses was consistently from the sensory neurone to the other cell in the pair. 5. Non-rectifying connections early in the process of synapse regeneration (1-3 days) showed non-linearities greater than those observed in established non-rectifying synapses. There was a subtle, but clear, voltage dependence even at the later stages of synapse formation (4-18 days). 6. In contrast to non-rectifying connections, rectifying synapses formed between cells at early times in culture showed less voltage dependence than those observed at later times. 7. The marked non-linearities of the non-rectifying connections at early stages in synapse formation along with the reduced voltage dependence of the rectifying connections within the same time period revealed unexpected similarities between the two. At the early stages of synapse formation, the two types of electrical synapse were essentially indistinguishable for one direction of junctional current.