The shape of the presynaptic action potential (AP) has a strong impact on neurotransmitter release. Because of the small size of most terminals in the central nervous system, little is known about the regulation of their AP shape during natural firing patterns in vivo. The calyx of Held is a giant axosomatic terminal in the auditory brainstem, whose biophysical properties have been well studied in slices. Here, we made whole-cell recordings from calyceal terminals in newborn rat pups. The calyx showed a characteristic burst firing pattern, which has previously been shown to originate from the cochlea. Surprisingly, even for frequencies over 200 Hz, the AP showed little or no depression. Current injections showed that the rate of rise of the AP depended strongly on its onset potential, and that the membrane potential after the AP (V after ) was close to the value at which no depression would occur during high-frequency activity. Immunolabeling revealed that Na v 1.6 is already present at the calyx shortly after its formation, which was in line with the fast recovery from AP depression that we observed in slice recordings. Our findings thus indicate that fast recovery from depression and an inter-AP membrane potential that minimizes changes on the next AP in vivo, together enable high timing precision of the calyx of Held already shortly after its formation.A ction potentials (APs) are followed by a period of decreased excitability called the refractory period. High-frequency firing thus requires special adaptations to minimize this refractory period and maintain AP stability. The changes in the AP waveform that occur at high firing frequencies are especially relevant in presynaptic terminals, where the shape of the AP critically controls calcium influx via voltage-dependent calcium channels, and thus transmitter release (1, 2). Following the AP, the membrane potential during the recovery period has a large influence on the speed of the recovery from inactivation of voltage-dependent sodium channels and deactivation of voltagedependent potassium channels, which are two major determinants of the refractory period (2). In some terminals, the AP is followed by a depolarizing afterpotential (DAP) (3-9), whereas in others a hyperpolarizing afterpotential (HAP) has been observed (10-14). The sign of this afterpotential depends on the resting potential (6,7,15), suggesting that the membrane potential following the AP (V after ) might be more important than the sign of the afterpotential.The calyx of Held is a glutamatergic axosomatic terminal whose biophysical properties have been well studied (16). Its many release sites enable it to act as an inverting relay synapse within the auditory brainstem that reliably drives its postsynaptic partner, a principal neuron in the medial nucleus of the trapezoid body (MNTB), even at firing frequencies >200 Hz (17). Shortly after its formation, around postnatal day 2 (P2) in rodents (18)(19)(20), it already fires in characteristic high-frequency bursts in vivo (21,22). In slice studi...

Key pointsr Neurons in the medial nucleus of the trapezoid body of anaesthetized rats of postnatal day (P)2-6 showed burst firing with a preferred interval of about 100 ms, which was stable, and a second preferred interval of 5-30 ms, which shortened during development.r In 3 out of 132 cases, evidence for the presence of two large inputs was found. r In vivo whole-cell recordings revealed that the excitability of the principal neuron and the size of its largest synaptic inputs were developmentally matched.r At P2-4, action potentials were triggered by barrages of small synaptic events that summated to plateau potentials, while at later stages firing depended on a single, large and often prespike-associated input, which is probably the nascent calyx of Held.r Simulations with a Hodgkin-Huxley-like model, which was based on fits of the intrinsic postsynaptic properties, suggested an essential role for the low-threshold potassium conductance in this transition. AbstractIn the adult, principal neurons of the medial nucleus of the trapezoid body (MNTB) are typically contacted by a single, giant terminal called the calyx of Held, whereas during early development a principal neuron receives inputs from many axons. How these changes in innervation impact the postsynaptic activity has not yet been studied in vivo. We therefore recorded spontaneous inputs and intrinsic properties of principal neurons in anaesthetized rat pups during the developmental period in which the calyx forms. A characteristic bursting pattern could already be observed at postnatal day (P)2, before formation of the calyx. At this age, action potentials (APs) were triggered by barrages of summating EPSPs causing plateau depolarizations. In contrast, at P5, a single EPSP reliably triggered APs, resulting in a close match between preand postsynaptic firing. Postsynaptic excitability and the size of the largest synaptic events were developmentally matched. The developmental changes in intrinsic properties were estimated by fitting in vivo current injections to a Hodgkin-Huxley-type model of the principal neuron. Our simulations indicated that the developmental increases in I h , low-threshold K + channels and leak currents contributed to the reduction in postsynaptic excitability, but that low-threshold K + channels specifically functioned as a dampening influence in the near-threshold range, thus precluding small inputs from triggering APs. Together, these coincident changes help to propagate bursting activity along the auditory brainstem, and are essential steps towards establishing the relay function of the calyx of Held synapse.

Brain function and behavior undergo significant plasticity and refinement, particularly during specific critical and sensitive periods. In autistic and intellectual disability (ID) neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) and their corresponding genetic mouse models, impairments in many neuronal and behavioral phenotypes are temporally regulated and in some cases, transient. However, the links between neurobiological mechanisms governing typically normal brain and behavioral development (referred to also as “neurotypical” development) and timing of NDD impairments are not fully investigated. This perspective highlights temporal patterns of synaptic and neuronal impairment, with a restricted focus on autism and ID types of NDDs. Given the varying known genetic and environmental causes for NDDs, this perspective proposes two strategies for investigation: (1) a focus on neurobiological mechanisms underlying known critical periods in the (typically) normal-developing brain; (2) investigation of spatio-temporal expression profiles of genes implicated in monogenic syndromes throughout affected brain regions. This approach may help explain why many NDDs with differing genetic causes can result in overlapping phenotypes at similar developmental stages and better predict vulnerable periods within these disorders, with implications for both therapeutic rescue and ultimately, prevention.

Highlights d Neighboring retinal ganglion cells cooperate to co-stabilize their axonal arbors d Axonal arbor co-stabilization involves cAMP signaling d cAMP independently controls axon co-stabilization and spontaneous activity