Influence of the Latency Fluctuations and the Quantal Process of Transmitter Release on the End-Plate Potentials' Amplitude Distribution

Abstract

Spontaneous synaptic potentials and their relation to the end-plate potential (e.p.p.) are studied. It has been suggested earlier that the e.p.p. at a single nerve-muscle junction is built up statistically of small all-or-none units which are identical in size with the spontaneous miniature end-plate potentials (m.e.p.p.'s). In this paper, a more general theory is developed which takes into account latency fluctuations of the unit components. A general equation for e.p.p. amplitude probability distribution is derived. This probability distribution is a function of the latency distribution, m.e.p.p.'s pulse shape, m.e.p.p.'s amplitude distribution, and the mean quantal content. The time course of transmitter release, or latency distribution, is derived from a histogram of synaptic delays in a frog muscle, but obtained equations can be used for other distribution functions as well.