Neuropeptide in fast and slow synaptic transmission: A discovery of a calyx of Held - like synapse in the rodent forebrain and its physiological implications
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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.
Date: 5 September 2025, 11:00
Venue: Pharmacology, off Mansfield Road OX1 3QT
Venue Details: David Smith Lecture Theatre and via Teams
Speaker: Professor Limei Zhang (Department of Physiology, National Autonomous University of Mexico)
Organising department: Department of Pharmacology
Organiser: Carolyn Thackrah (University of Oxford, Department of Pharmacology)
Organiser contact email address: carolyn.thackrah@pharm.ox.ac.uk
Host: Associate Professor Tim Viney (Department of Pharmacology, University of Oxford)
Part of: Pharmacology, Anatomical Neuropharmacology and Drug Discovery Seminars
Booking required?: Not required
Audience: Members of the University only
Editor: Carolyn Thackrah