Properties of GABA(A) receptor-mediated transmission at newly formed Golgi-granule cell synapses in the cerebellum.

Cerebellar granule cells receive inhibitory synaptic input from Golgi cells, which is mediated by gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) acting on GABA(A) receptors. In the present study we examined the properties of GABAergic inhibitory postsynaptic currents (IPSCs) in granule cells of the rat at a time when they first receive synaptic contacts from Golgi cells. Our results demonstrate that granule cells receive functional GABAergic synaptic input as early as postnatal day three (P3). The kinetic properties of these early IPSCs and the single-channel conductance of the synaptic receptors are similar to those seen at the end of the first postnatal week, suggesting a stable subunit composition during this initial period of development. However, at P3, unlike the situation at more mature synapses, two distinct patterns of synaptic activity are evident, with IPSCs occurring either regularly or in bursts. In addition we find that Golgi cells are spontaneously active during early development, and at P7 most IPSCs are action potential-dependent. Moreover, paired Golgi-granule cell recordings suggest a high level of connectivity and a high release probability at these early synapses.