Modeling Hermissenda: I. Differential contributions of IA and IC to type-B cell plasticity

Abstract

We developed a multicompartmental Hodgkin-Huxley model of the Hermissenda type-B photoreceptor and used it to address the relative contributions of reductions of two K+ currents, IA and IC, to changes in cellular excitability and synaptic strength that occur in these cells after associative learning. We found that reductions of [symbol: see text] C, the peak conductance of IC, substantially increased the firing frequency of the type-B cell during the plateau phase of a simulated light response, whereas reductions of [symbol: see text] A had only a modest contribution to the plateau frequency. This can be understood at least in part by the contributions of these currents to the light-induced (nonspiking) generator potential, the plateau of which was enhanced by [symbol: see text] C reductions, but not by [symbol: see text] A reductions. In contrast, however, reductions of [symbol: see text] A broadened the type-B cell action potential, increased Ca2+ influx, and increased the size of the postsynaptic potential produced in a type-A cell, whereas similar reductions of [symbol: see text] C had only negligible contributions to these measures. These results suggest that reductions of IA and IC play important but different roles in type-B cell plasticity.