Pereda Alberto E.

No Thumbnail Available
Last Name
Pereda
First Name
Alberto E.
ORCID

Filters

2014 - 2018 2
2
2
Reset filters

Settings

Search Results

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
  • Article
    Hemichannel composition and electrical synaptic transmission : molecular diversity and its implications for electrical rectification
    (Frontiers Media, 2014-10-15) Palacios-Prado, Nicolas ; Huetteroth, Wolf ; Pereda, Alberto E.
    Unapposed hemichannels (HCs) formed by hexamers of gap junction proteins are now known to be involved in various cellular processes under both physiological and pathological conditions. On the other hand, less is known regarding how differences in the molecular composition of HCs impact electrical synaptic transmission between neurons when they form intercellular heterotypic gap junctions (GJs). Here we review data indicating that molecular differences between apposed HCs at electrical synapses are generally associated with rectification of electrical transmission. Furthermore, this association has been observed at both innexin and connexin (Cx) based electrical synapses. We discuss the possible molecular mechanisms underlying electrical rectification, as well as the potential contribution of intracellular soluble factors to this phenomenon. We conclude that asymmetries in molecular composition and sensitivity to cellular factors of each contributing hemichannel can profoundly influence the transmission of electrical signals, endowing electrical synapses with more complex functional properties.
  • Article
    Two forms of electrical transmission between neurons
    (Frontiers Media, 2018-11-21) Faber, Donald S. ; Pereda, Alberto E.
    Electrical signaling is a cardinal feature of the nervous system and endows it with the capability of quickly reacting to changes in the environment. Although synaptic communication between nerve cells is perceived to be mainly chemically mediated, electrical synaptic interactions also occur. Two different strategies are responsible for electrical communication between neurons. One is the consequence of low resistance intercellular pathways, called “gap junctions”, for the spread of electrical currents between the interior of two cells. The second occurs in the absence of cell-to-cell contacts and is a consequence of the extracellular electrical fields generated by the electrical activity of neurons. Here, we place present notions about electrical transmission in a historical perspective and contrast the contributions of the two different forms of electrical communication to brain function.