Oxford Events, the new replacement for OxTalks, will launch on 16th March. The two-week OxTalks freeze period starts on Monday 2nd March. During this time, there will be no facility to publish or edit events. The existing OxTalks site will remain available to view during this period. Once Oxford Events launches, you will need a Halo login to submit events. Full details are available on the Staff Gateway.
Giant calyx of Held synapses are renowned for delivering spikes with millisecond precision – but so far they were thought to be confined to auditory brainstem circuits. We report a second calyx-like architecture in the rodent extended amygdala that contains glutamate, acetylcholine, and multiple neuropeptides within a single terminal. Originating from the pontine Kölliker–Fuse nucleus, these synapses engage capsular neurons of the central amygdala and oval neurons of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis within minutes of acute hypotension, preceding the slower hypothalamo-pituitary vasopressin response. The discovery (i) expands the calyx concept beyond sensory relays, (ii) links a limbic structure directly to fast sympathetic rescue of blood pressure, and (iii) highlights a multimodal transmitter strategy for integrating visceral and emotional information – insights with potential relevance for stress, cardiovascular function, and affective disorders.
