Vertebrate central nervous system: same neurons mediate both electrical and chemical inhibitions.

Identified goldfish medullary interneurons previously shown to inhibit the Mauthner cell electrically also produce a classical postsynaptic inhibition of that cell. Failure of active spike propagation in the processes of these interneurons underlies generation of the electrical component, and the resultant electrotonic terminal depolarization is sufficient to evoke inhibitory transmitter release.