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PMID: 8781 Published · ppublish English Journal Article Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S. Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

Evoked neurotransmitter release: statistical effects of nonuniformity and nonstationarity.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America ·Vol. 73 ·No. 8 ·1976-08-00 ·Pages 2913-7

Brown TH, Perkel DH, Feldman MW

Abstract

Recent studies of the mechanism of quantal neurotransmitter release have assumed that the number of quanta released at each stimulation is binomially distributed and have sought to estimate the binomial parameters n and p. Mathematical analysis and computer simulations show that temporal variation in the number of eligible or filled release sites and either spatial or temporal variation in the probability of release at a site can drastically bias such estimates, while the experimental histograms remain statistically indistinguishable from those predicted by the binomial law. Interpretation of the estimates n and p in terms of ultrastructural or physiological characteristics of the nerve terminal is liable to significant error if departures from the binomial assumptions are not suitably assessed.

MeSH Terms
Computers Models, Neurological Neurotransmitter Agents/metabolism Secretory Rate Synapses/metabolism
Chemicals
Neurotransmitter Agents
Authors & Affiliations
3 authors, click to expand affiliations / ORCID
Brown T H
Perkel D H
Feldman M W
References (23)
23 references, click to expand
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Article Info
Journal
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Abbr.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
ISSN
0027-8424
DOI
10.1073/pnas.73.8.2913
Published
1976-08-00
Pages
2913-7
Language
English
Region
United States
NLM ID
7505876
PMCID
PMC430800
Subset
IM
External Links
PubMed source DOI: 10.1073/pnas.73.8.2913 PMC Full Text View journal details
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