Sure, debris mRNA may affect neuron electrical potentials. But this would be an extremely wonky way for neurons to regulate electrochemical propagation. One tha

Sure, debris mRNA may affect neuron electrical potentials. But this would be an extremely wonky way for neurons to regulate electrochemical propagation. One that has not been observed irl, afaik. However we know a ton about how neurons directly regulate electrical potentiation by modifying the expression of postsynaptic neurotransmitter receptors. The mechanism is simple... the more receptors in a given synapse, the greater the dendritic membrane will depolarize from each upstream signal (signal being each synaptic release of a neurotransmitter vesicle by the upstream axon). Electrophysiology instruments are so sensitive now-days that we can detect, in a quantized way, the release of single synaptic vesicles. We can then do things to increase synaptic expression of neurotransmitter receptors, and find that each vesicle release results in a greater depolarization of the downstream neuron. Long story short, the quantity of neurotransmitter receptors at postsynaptic membranes is a physical correlate (probably the primary physical correlate) of synaptic weights in artificial neural networks.