Reyes FD, Walters ET. Long-lasting synaptic potentiation induced by depolarization under conditions that eliminate detectable Ca signals. J Neurophysiol 103: 1283–1294, 2010. First published December 30, 2009; doi:10.1152/jn.00704.2009. Activity-dependent alterations of synaptic transmission important for learning and memory are often induced by Ca signals generated by depolarization. While it ...

The yeast actin cytoskeleton is polarized during most of the cell cycle. Certain environmental factors and mutations are associated with depolarization of the actin cytoskeleton. Is depolarization of the actin cytoskeleton a specific response, or is it a nonspecific reaction to harsh conditions or poor metabolism? If depolarization is a nonspecific response, then any mutation that slows growth ...

Neuronal gap junctional hemichannels, composed of pannexin-1 subunits, have been suggested to play a crucial role in epilepsy and brain ischaemia. After a few minutes of anoxia or ischaemia, neurons in brain slices show a rapid depolarization to ∼-20 mV, called the anoxic depolarization. Glutamate receptor blockers can prevent the anoxic depolarization, suggesting that it is produced by a catio...

The effect of subthreshold depolarization on mechanical threshold was investigated in tetrodotoxin-poisoned mammalian and amphibian skeletal muscle fibers using a two-microelectrode voltage-clamp technique. Mechanical threshold was determined with a 2-ms test pulse. The immediate effect of depolarization was inhibition of the mechanical system. The consequent increase in the test pulse threshol...

Depolarization promotes neuronal survival through moderate increases in Ca(2+) influx, but the effects of survival-promoting depolarization (vs conventional trophic support) on neuronal signaling are poorly characterized. We found that chronic, survival-promoting depolarization, but not conventional trophic support, selectively decreased the somatic Ca(2+) current density in hippocampal and cer...

The resting potential of identified cells (Parker cells) in the abdominal ganglion of Elysia chlorotica (Gould) depolarizes by about 30 mV in response to a 50% reduction in osmolality and returns to the original potential in 20 min. Cell volume recovery requires approximately 2 h. Thus, recovery of the resting potential is not dependent on recovery of cell volume. The hypo-osmotic depolarizatio...

Koizumi, Amane, Shu-Ichi Watanabe, and Akimichi Kaneko. Persistent Na current and Ca current boost graded depolarization of rat retinal amacrine cells in culture. J Neurophysiol 86: 1006–1016, 2001. Retinal amacrine cells are depolarized by the excitatory synaptic input from bipolar cells. When a graded depolarization exceeds the threshold level, trains of action potentials are generated. There...