Excitatory synaptic actions between pairs of neighboring pyramidal tract cells in the motor cortex.

1. By spike-triggered averaging, we documented recurrent individual excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) produced in 33 pyramidal tract (PT) cells (target) by the activity of axon collaterals of neighboring single PT cells (reference) in the motor cortex of the cat. 2. The computer was triggered by the spontaneous activity of reference PT cells or by current pulses applied to reference PT cells through the extracellular recording electrode. 3. The threshold for direct activation of PT cells was less than 0.1 microA with an anodal current pulse and 0.2-0.3 microA with a cathodal current pulse. 4. Application of an anodal current pulse directly activated only a single reference PT cell, the surface membrane of which was presumably touched by and sucked with the extracellular recording electrode. 5. When a cathodal current pulse was used, simultaneous activation of neurons or axons other than the reference PT cell was checked by changing the stimulus parameters along the characteristic strength-duration curve for the reference PT cell and/or by comparing averaged EPSPs obtained by cathodal stimulation with those obtained from spontaneous spikes of the reference PT cell. 6. Recurrent individual EPSPs were produced in fast PT cells by activation of neighboring slow PT cells and also of neighboring fast PT cells. Some recurrent individual EPSPs were also observed in slow PT cells. 7. The mean latencies of recurrent individual EPSPs produced by the spontaneous activity of reference slow and fast PT cells were 1.61 (n = 12) and 1.12 ms (n = 8), respectively. Their amplitudes ranged between 30 and 390 microV (n = 33). The rise time observed in fast PT cells with activation of slow and fast PT cells ranged from 1.6 to 3.6 ms (n = 20) and from 0.8 to 1.9 ms (n = 10), respectively. 8. The average conduction velocity of axon collaterals of slow and fast PT cells was estimated to be as slow as that of unmyelinated fibers in the cat. 9. It is suggested that axon collaterals of slow PT cells synapse onto more distal dendrites of fast PT cells than axon collaterals of fast PT cells.