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Coincidence detector neurons of the medial superior olive (MSO) are sensitive to interaural time differences in the range of a few tens of microseconds. The biophysical basis for this remarkable acuity is a short integration time constant of the membrane, which is achieved by large low voltage-activated potassium and hyperpolarization-activated inward cation conductances. Additional temporal precision is thought to be achieved through a sub-cellular distribution of low voltage-activated potassium channel expression biased to the soma. To evaluate the contribution of potassium channels, we investigated the presence and sub-cellular distribution profile of seven potassium channel sub-units in adult MSO neurons of gerbils. We find that low- and high voltage-activated potassium channels are present with distinct sub-cellular distributions. Overall, low voltage-activated potassium channels appear to be biased to the soma while high voltage-activated potassium channels are more evenly distributed and show a clear expression at distal dendrites. Additionally, low voltage-activated potassium channel sub-units co-localize with glycinergic inputs while HCN1 channels co-localize more with high voltage-activated potassium channels. Functionally, high voltage-activated potassium currents are already active at low voltages near the resting potential. We describe a possible role of high voltage-activated potassium channels in modulating EPSPs in a computational model and contributing to setting the integration time window of coincidental inputs. Our data shows that MSO neurons express a large set of different potassium channels with distinct functional relevance.

The fine structure of nuptial pad surface of the anuran amphibians Bombina variegata, Pelophylax epeiroticus, Pelophylax ridibundus and Rana dalmatina, was examined by scanning electron microscopy. Nuptial pads are cutaneous secondary sexual characters of males that appear during the breeding season and disappear afterwards following an annual cycle. In males of P. epeiroticus, P. ridibundus and R. dalmatina, nuptial pads were observed on the ventrolateral aspect of the first digit (the thumb) as darkish and remarkably keratinized papillae. In males of B. variegata nuptial pads were almost black and very visible on the thumb, the second and the third digit of the front legs. They also extended on the ventral surface of the forearms. Under scanning electron microscope numerous small papillae were observed rising above pad’s surface. In P. epeiroticus, P. ridibundus and R. dalmatina, these papillae were almost rounded at the base while at the dome shaped top they had many microprocesses organised in groups, thus assuming the shape of a “flower” which differed slightly among these three ranid species. In B. variegata the protuberances were conical with heavily keratinized hooks without microprocesses. Our results show that surface morphology of nuptial pads is unique for each species and could be considered as a species-specific character., Acta Herpetologica, Vol 7 No 1 (2012)