"Ca2+-triggered synchronous neurotransmitter release is well described, but asynchronous release-in fact, its very existence-remains enigmatic. Here we report a quantitative description of asynchronous neurotransmitter release in calyx-of-Held synapses. ... Our results reveal that release triggered in wild-type synapses at low Ca2+ concentrations is physiologically asynchronous, and that asynchronous release completely empties the readily releasable pool of vesicles during sustained elevations of Ca2+. We propose a dual-Ca2+-sensor model of release that quantitatively describes the contributions of synchronous and asynchronous release under conditions of different presynaptic Ca2+ dynamics."
Model Type: Synapse
Model Concept(s): Calcium dynamics
Simulation Environment: IGOR Pro
References:
Sun J et al. (2007). A dual-Ca2+-sensor model for neurotransmitter release in a central synapse. Nature 450 [PubMed]