Properties of single fibre excitatory post-synaptic potentials in triceps surae motoneurones

1. E.p.s.p.s and terminal potentials (t.p.s) produced by the action of single medial gastrocnemius Ia afferent fibres were examined with intracellular microelectrodes in cat triceps surae motoneurones. 2. Simple terminal potentials (t.p.s) appeared as positive-negative diphasic waves with a single positive peak. Shape indices of excitatory post-synaptic potentials (e.p.s.p.s) recorded in conjunction with simple t.p.s indicate that these e.p.s.p.s were generated at an electrotonically confined compartment on the motoneurone somadendritic membrane. 3. Compound t.p.s. were similar ones, except that they had two or more positive peaks. Shape indices of e.p.s.p.s recorded in conjunction with compound t.p.s indicate that these e.p.s.p.s were generated at two or more electrotonically separate compartments. 4. E.p.s.p. latency and post-synaptic electrotonic delay were determined for a group of single fibre e.p.s.p.s with simple t.p.s. The shortest recorded latency was 0.26 msec. By subtracting estimated electrotonic delay, the shortest synaptic delay obtained for a medial gastrocnemius Ia single fibre e.p.s.p. was 0.17 msec. 5. The finding of a significant synaptic delay supports the hypothesis that the Ia-motoneurone synapse is a chemically mediated synapse.