title: LTP induction dependent on activation of Ni2+-sensitive voltage-gated calcium channels, but not NMDA receptors, in the rat dentate gyrus in vitro.
abstract: LTP induction dependent on activation of Ni2+-sensitive voltage-gated calcium channels, but not NMDA receptors, in the rat dentate gyrus in vitro. J. Neurophysiol. 78: 2574-2581, 1997. A N-methyl--aspartate receptor (NMDAR)-independent long-term potentiation (LTP) has been investigated in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus in vitro in the presence of the NMDAR antagonist, -2-amino-phosphonopentanoate (50-100 mu M), at a concentration that completely blocked NMDAR-mediated excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs). LTP of patch-clamped EPSCs was induced by pairing low-frequency evoked EPSCs (1 Hz) with depolarizing voltage pulses designed to predominately open low-voltage-activated (LVA) Ca2+ channels. Voltage pulses alone induced only a short-term potentiation. The LTP was blocked by intracellular application of the rapid Ca2+ chelator bis-(o-aminophenoxy)-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid, demonstrating that a rise in intracellular Ca2+ is required for the NMDAR-independent LTP induction. The NMDAR-independent LTP induction also was blocked by Ni2+ at a low extracellular concentration (50 mu M), which is known to strongly block LVA Ca2+ channels. However, Ni2+ did not inhibit the NMDAR-dependent LTP induced by high-frequency stimulation (HFS). The NMDAR-independent LTP induction was not blocked by high concentrations of the L-type Ca2+ channel blocker nifedipine (10 mu M). The NMDAR-independent LTP was inhibited by the metabotropic glutamate receptor ligand (+)-alpha-methyl-4-carboxyphenylglycine. These experiments demonstrate the presence of a NMDAR-independent LTP induced by Ca2+ influx via Ni2+-sensitive, nifedipine-insensitive voltage-gated Ca2+ channels, probably LVA Ca2+ channels. Induction of the NMDAR-independent LTP was inhibited by prior induction of HFS-induced NMDAR-dependent LTP, demonstrating that although the NMDAR-dependent and NMDAR-independent LTP use a different Ca2+ channel for Ca2+ influx, they share a common intracellular pathway.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Rowan
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Anwyl
mesh_terms: D015763:2-Amino-5-phosphonovalerate / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D015220:Calcium Channels / Q000502:physiology*; D018891:Dentate Gyrus / Q000502:physiology*; D004533:Egtazic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D019706:Excitatory Postsynaptic Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D015640:Ion Channel Gating / Q000502:physiology; D017774:Long-Term Potentiation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D009532:Nickel / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009543:Nifedipine / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D011930:Reaction Time; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D015220:Calcium Channels; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; C096637:2-amino-5-phosphono-3-pentenoic acid; D004533:Egtazic Acid; D015763:2-Amino-5-phosphonovalerate; D009532:Nickel; D009543:Nifedipine; C025603:1,2-bis(2-aminophenoxy)ethane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid