title: A synaptically controlled, associative signal for Hebbian plasticity in hippocampal neurons.
abstract: The role of back-propagating dendritic action potentials in the induction of long-term potentiation (LTP) was investigated in CA1 neurons by means of dendritic patch recordings and simultaneous calcium imaging. Pairing of subthreshold excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) with back-propagating action potentials resulted in an amplification of dendritic action potentials and evoked calcium influx near the site of synaptic input. This pairing also induced a robust LTP, which was reduced when EPSPs were paired with non-back-propagating action potentials or when stimuli were unpaired. Action potentials thus provide a synaptically controlled, associative signal to the dendrites for Hebbian modifications of synaptic strength.
authors.affiliation: Division of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA. jmagee@ptp.bcm.tmc.edu.
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Magee
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Johnston
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000502:physiology; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000494:pharmacology; D015220:Calcium Channels / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D003712:Dendrites / Q000502:physiology*; D005246:Feedback; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D017774:Long-Term Potentiation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D017966:Pyramidal Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000378:metabolism; D013569:Synapses / Q000502:physiology*; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000187:drug effects; D013779:Tetrodotoxin / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D015220:Calcium Channels; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; D013779:Tetrodotoxin; D002118:Calcium