Glutamate release during LTD at cerebellar climbing fiber-Purkinje cell synapses.
It is widely thought that persistent, use-dependent alterations in synaptic strength such as long-term synaptic potentiation (LTP) and depression (LTD) underlie at least a portion of memory traces in the brain, but the exact cellular locus of expression for these alterations remains to be determined. They could be expressed presynaptically as a decrease in transmitter release, postsynaptically as a decrease in the synaptic current evoked by a fixed delivery of transmitter, as an increase in the number of functional synaptic contacts, or by a combination of these mechanisms. Here we report that LTD at the climbing fiber-Purkinje cell synapse in rat cerebellum was not associated with changes in a synaptic cleft glutamate transient, indicating that this type of LTD is most likely expressed postsynaptically.
Shen
Ying
Y
Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 725 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA.
Hansel
Christian
C
Linden
David J
DJ
D000818:Animals; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D019706:Excitatory Postsynaptic Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000378:metabolism*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D009433:Neural Inhibition / Q000502:physiology; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D011689:Purkinje Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D018091:Receptors, AMPA / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D013569:Synapses / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D013696:Temperature; D013995:Time
D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists; D018091:Receptors, AMPA; D018698:Glutamic Acid