title: Hippocampal long-term depression: arachidonic acid as a potential retrograde messenger.
abstract: Long-term depression (LTD) was studied in hippocampal slices from neonatal rats at the synapse between CA3 and CA1 pyramidal neurons. The induction of LTD requires the pairing of Ca2+ influx into the postsynaptic CA1 neuron through voltage-gated calcium channels with activation of metabotropic glutamate receptors. The expression of this LTD is at least partly presynaptic, implying the need for a retrograde messenger. We present evidence that arachidonic acid might serve such a function. Thus, arachidonic acid applications simulate LTD whereas blockade of arachidonic acid release inhibits LTD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA.
authors.forename: V Y
authors.initials: VY
authors.lastname: Bolshakov
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Siegelbaum
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016718:Arachidonic Acid / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015220:Calcium Channels / Q000502:physiology; D004594:Electrophysiology; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*; D017966:Pyramidal Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D018094:Receptors, Metabotropic Glutamate / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D015220:Calcium Channels; D018094:Receptors, Metabotropic Glutamate; D016718:Arachidonic Acid