Use-dependent facilitation of electrical transmission involves changes to postsynaptic K current.

Activity-dependent modulation of electrical transmission typically involves Ca influx acting directly on gap junctions or initiating Ca-dependent pathways that in turn modulate coupling. We now describe short-term use-dependent facilitation of electrical transmission between bag cell neurons from the hermaphroditic snail, , that is instead mediated by changes in postsynaptic responsiveness. Bag cell neurons secrete reproductive hormone during a synchronous afterdischarge of action potentials coordinated by electrical coupling.

Cholinergic depolarization recruits a persistent Ca current in bag cell neurons.

Many behaviors and types of information storage are mediated by lengthy changes in neuronal activity. In bag cell neurons of the hermaphroditic sea snail , a transient cholinergic synaptic input triggers an ∼30-min afterdischarge. This causes these neuroendocrine cells to release egg laying hormone and elicit reproductive behavior.

Hydrogen peroxide and phosphoinositide metabolites synergistically regulate a cation current to influence neuroendocrine cell bursting.

In various neurons, including neuroendocrine cells, non-selective cation channels elicit plateau potentials and persistent firing. Reproduction in the marine snail Aplysia californica is initiated when the neuroendocrine bag cell neurons undergo an afterdischarge, that is, a prolonged period of enhanced excitability and spiking during which egg-laying hormone is released into the blood. The afterdischarge is associated with both the production of hydrogen peroxide (H O ) and activation of phospholipase C (PLC), which hydrolyses phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate into diacylglycerol (DAG) and inositol trisphosphate (IP ).