Release Probability of the Readily Releasable Vesicles during Short Term Plasticity

In this thesis, we first examined how the calyx of Held forms during the first postnatal days and what the function of calyceal filopodia is (Chapter 2). Furthermore, we investigated whether forms of synaptic plasticity longer than facilitation, could be induced at the calyx of Held synapse. In contrast to a study that showed post-tetanic depression (Forsythe et al., 1998), we found that EPSCs were much larger after prolonged stimulation (Chapter 3). We set out to examine what made this synapse double its output after a period of high activity. We used several experimental approaches to try and answer this question. In particular we started by looking at spontaneous release, trains of action potentials and levels of residual calcium. We combined pre- and postsynaptic recordings of electrical activity and investigated calcium influx and calcium buffering during a single action potential (Chapter 4). Lastly, we compared changes in Pr and RRP more closely duri! ng the decay of PTP and extended our analysis to PTP at physiological temperature (Chapter 5).

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