The brain's record of experience: kindling-induced enlargement of the active zone in hippocampal perforated synapses.
Kindling is a consequence of intermittent electrical stimulation of a local forebrain area leading to a durable augmentation of synaptic responsiveness in the stimulated circuit. The basis for this functional change is unknown, but there is evidence suggesting that it entails a structural modification of synapses. The present report demonstrates that hippocampal kindling induces a selective enlargement of active zones in perforated axospinous synapses formed by stimulated axons. Since the active zone is the site of intracellular transmission, its enlargement involving only a certain subpopulation of synapses provides a likely structural substrate of synaptic plasticity associated with kindling.
Geinisman
Y
Y
Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, IL 60611.
deToledo-Morrell
L
L
Morrell
F
F
D000818:Animals; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D007696:Kindling, Neurologic; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity; D051381:Rats; D013569:Synapses / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure