Chunk #14 — Activation of metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) or muscarinic Ach receptors (mAchRs) induces rhythmic bursting at α/θ frequencies in TC neurons
channels (von Krosigk et al. 1999; Turner and Salt 2000; Hughes et al. 2002), it is reasonable to assume that mGluR-dependent HT bursting is reliant on a strong suppression of dendritic K+ conductance which in turn facilitates the generation of local Ca2+ spikes. In support of this, activity in TC neurons that is essentially indistinguishable from mGluR-induced HT bursting can also be instated by non-selectively reducing K+ conductance through the application 0.5 mM Ba2+ (Fig. 1D), whereas artificially reducing linear K+ conductance solely at the soma, using the dynamic clamp technique (see Hughes et al. 1999, 2002 and Blethyn et al. 2006), is unable to recreate HT bursting (data not shown).
