Yoshifumi Okochi

Jul 3, 2024 | sciencedirect.com | A. Auerbach |Panos Zanos |Todd Gould |Yoshifumi Okochi

Despite the importance of speed in synaptic transmission, in many synapses, neurotransmitters bind to their receptors at rates that appear to be slower than the diffusion limit. This assessment is generally based on a comparison with the Smoluchowski limit rather than an independent experimental analysis. In many synapses, miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents (mEPSCs) are controlled by the interplay between binding to receptors and diffusion of the neurotransmitter out of the synaptic cleft.