Mechanisms for the resonant property in rodent neurons.

The plasma membrane of some neurons has an intrinsic electrical property for responding to inputs with a specific frequency. This band-pass property is called the resonant behaviour or resonant property, and is thought to be the basis for the frequency response of neurons. Resonance is mediated by a capacitor and resister inherent to the plasma membrane, while ion channels act as phenomenological inductors. A variety of ion channels have been proposed as candidates, such as hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated potassium (HCN) channels, persistent sodium channels (INaP), T-type voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels, and M-type K+ channels. Individual ion channels have unique frequency characteristics and membrane potential dependency. In many neurons, coordinated interactions of two or more ion channels are crucial for generation of resonance. In this review, lines of experimental evidence on ion channel contribution to resonance in rodent brain are summarized.