title: A point mutant of GAP-43 induces enhanced short-term and long-term hippocampal plasticity.
abstract: The growth-associated protein GAP-43 (or neuromodulin or B-50) plays a critical role during development in mechanisms of axonal growth and formation of synaptic networks. At later times, GAP-43 has also been implicated in the regulation of synaptic transmission and properties of plasticity such as long-term potentiation. In a molecular approach, we have analyzed transgenic mice overexpressing different mutated forms of GAP-43 or deficient in GAP-43 to investigate the role of the molecule in short-term and long-term plasticity. We report that overexpression of a mutated form of GAP-43 that mimics constitutively phosphorylated GAP-43 results in an enhancement of long-term potentiation in CA1 hippocampal slices. This effect is specific, because LTP was affected neither in transgenic mice overexpressing mutated forms of non-phosphorylatable GAP-43 nor in GAP-43 deficient mice. The increased LTP observed in transgenic mice expressing a constitutively phosphorylated GAP-43 was associated with an increased paired-pulse facilitation as well as an increased summation of responses during high frequency bursts. These results indicate that, while GAP-43 is not necessary for LTP induction, its phosphorylation may regulate presynaptic properties, thereby affecting synaptic plasticity and the induction of LTP.
authors.affiliation: Neuropharmacology, Centre Médical Universitaire, rue M. Servet 1, 1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hulo
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Alberi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Laux
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Muller
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Caroni
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence / Q000235:genetics; D000818:Animals; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D019706:Excitatory Postsynaptic Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D018756:GABA Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D019922:GAP-43 Protein / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000235:genetics; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism*; D017774:Long-Term Potentiation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics*; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques; D010641:Phenotype; D015240:Phorbol 12,13-Dibutyrate / Q000494:pharmacology; D010766:Phosphorylation; D017354:Point Mutation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics*; D011493:Protein Kinase C / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists; D018756:GABA Antagonists; D019922:GAP-43 Protein; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; D015240:Phorbol 12,13-Dibutyrate; D011493:Protein Kinase C