The Synaptic Organization of the Nervous System

For 2000: to come

For 1998

For Jan 19:

  1. Read Chpt 1 in SOBIV, Introduction to Synaptic Circuits, Shepherd and Koch
  2. Read Deitch, JS and Banker, GA (1993). An electron microscopic analysis of hippocampal neurons developing in culture: early stages in the emergence of polarity. Journal of Neuroscience 13(10):4301-4315. - Adam
  3. Write a one sentence definition for each of the following: axon, synapse, excitation, inhibition, dendrite, neurotransmitter, and neuromodulator
For Jan 26:
  1. Read Chpt 5 in SOBIV, Olfactory Bulb, Shepherd and Greer
  2. Read Yokoi M, Mori K, Nakanishi S (1995). Refinement of odor molecule tuning by dendrodendritic synaptic inhibition in the olfactory bulb. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, Apr 11; 92(8):3371-3375 - Angela
  3. Read Mombaerts P, Wang F, Dulac C, Chao SK, Nemes A, Mendelsohn M, Edmondson J, and Axel R (1996). Visualizing an olfactory sensory map. Cell Nov 15;87(4):675-686 - Chou
For Feb 2:
  1. Read Chpt 2 in SOBIV, Membrane Properties and Neurotransmitter Actions, McCormick
  2. Read McCormick DA and Pape HC (1990). Properties of a hyperpolarization-activated cation current and its role in rhythmic oscillation in thalamic relay neurones. J Physiol (Lond). Dec; 431: 291-318. -
For Feb 9:
  1. Read Chpt 6 in SOBIV, Retina, Sterling
  2. Read Mills SL and Massey SC (1995). Differential properties of two gap junctional pathways made by AII amacrine cells. Nature. Oct 26;377(6551):734-737. and read the News and Views Sterling P (1995). Vision. Tuning retinal circuits. Nature. Oct 26;377(6551):676-677. - Iris
For Feb 16:
  1. Read Chpt 8 in SOBIV, Thalamus, Sherman and Koch
  2. Read Guido W and Weyand T (1995). Burst responses in thalamic relay cells of the awake behaving cat. Neurophysiol Oct;74(4):1782-1786 - Jason - and
    read Godwin DW, Vaughan JW, Sherman SM (1996). Metabotropic glutamate receptors switch visual response mode of lateral geniculate nucleus cells from burst to tonic. J Neurophysiol Sep;76(3):1800-1816. - Prof. Williamson
For Feb 23:
  1. Read Chpt 3 in SOBIV, Spinal Cord: Ventral Horn, Burke
  2. Read Burke RE and Glenn LL (1996). Horseradish peroxidase study of the spatial and electrotonic distribution of group Ia synapses on type-identified ankle extensor motoneurons in the cat. J Comp Neurol Aug 26;372(3):465-485. - Marco
For Mar 2:
  1. Read Chpt 4 in SOBIV, Cochlear Nucleus, Young
  2. Read Golding NL, Robertson D, and Oertel D (1995) Recordings from slices indicate that octopus cells of the cochlear nucleus detect coincident firing of auditory nerve fibers with temporal precision. J Neurosci. Apr;15(4):3138-3153 - Kazuto
For Mar 23:
  1. Read Chpt 7 in SOBIV, Cerebellum, Llinas and Walton
  2. Read Dittman JS and Regehr WG (1997) Mechanism and kinetics of heterosynaptic depression at a cerebellar synapse. J Neurosci. Dec 1;17(23):9048-9059 - Chou
For March 30:
  1. Read Chpt 9 in SOBIV, Basal Ganglia, Wilson
  2. Read Nisenbaum ES, Wilson, CJ, Foehring, RC, and Surmeier, DJ (1996). Isolation and characterization of a persistent potassium current in neostriatal neurons. J Neurophysiol 1996 Aug;76(2):1180-1194 - John
For April 6:
  1. Read Chpt 11 in SOBIV, Hippocampus, Johnston and Amaral
  2. Read Buckmaster and Schwartzkroin (1995) Interneurons and inhibition in the dentate gyrus of the rat in vivo. J. Neurosci. 15 (1) 775-789. - Adam
For April 13:
  1. Read Shepherd GM (1996). The dendritic spine: a multifunctional integrative unit. Neurophysiol 1996 Jun;75(6):2197-2210
  2. Read Woolley CS, Weiland NG, McEwen BS, and Schwartzkroin PA (1997). Estradiol increases the sensitivity of hippocampal CA1 pyramidal cells to NMDA receptor-mediated synaptic input: correlation with dendritic spine density. J Neurosci 1997 Mar 1;17(5):1848-1859 - Marco
For April 20:
  2. Read Fitzsimonds RM, Song HJ, Poo MM (1997). Propagation of activity dependent synaptic depression in simple neural networks. Nature 388:439-447. There is a news and views on this article by Malenka and Nicoll p 427-428. - Angela
For April 27:
  1. Read Chpt 12 in SOBIV, Neocortex, Douglas and Martin
  2. Read Nelson DA, Katz LC (1995). Emergence of functional circuits in ferret visual cortex visualized by optical imaging. Neuron Jul;15(1):23-34 - Iris?