Electrogenic tuning of the axon initial segment

Action potentials (APs) provide the primary means of rapid information transfer in the nervous system. Where exactly these signals are initiated in neurons has been a basic question in neurobiology and the subject of extensive study. Converging lines of evidence indicate that APs are initiated in a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inThe Neuroscientist (Baltimore, Md.) Vol. 15; no. 6; p. 651
Main Authors Clark, Brian D, Goldberg, Ethan M, Rudy, Bernardo
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States 01.12.2009
Subjects
Action Potentials - physiology
Animals
Axons - physiology
Cell Membrane - physiology
Cell Membrane - ultrastructure
Cell Shape - physiology
Electrophysiology - methods
Electrophysiology - trends
gamma-Aminobutyric Acid - metabolism
Humans
Ion Channels - physiology
Neural Inhibition - physiology
Potassium Channels - physiology
Sodium Channels - physiology
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Summary:Action potentials (APs) provide the primary means of rapid information transfer in the nervous system. Where exactly these signals are initiated in neurons has been a basic question in neurobiology and the subject of extensive study. Converging lines of evidence indicate that APs are initiated in a discrete and highly specialized portion of the axon-the axon initial segment (AIS). The authors review key aspects of the organization and function of the AIS and focus on recent work that has provided important insights into its electrical signaling properties. In addition to its main role in AP initiation, the new findings suggest that the AIS is also a site of complex AP modulation by specific types of ion channels localized to this axonal domain.
ISSN:1089-4098
DOI:10.1177/1073858409341973