title: BDNF regulates NMDA receptor activity in developing retinal ganglion cells.
abstract: Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) modulates glutamate receptors of the NMDA type in many areas of the brain. We assessed whether BDNF exerts an effect on NMDA receptor properties in retinal ganglion cells during early postnatal development. Electrophysiological responses to the glutamate agonist NMDA (500 microM-2 mM) in retinal slices of wildtype and BDNF deficient mice (bdnf-/-) were recorded using the whole-cell patch-clamp technique. Retinal ganglion cells of bdnf-/- mice displayed significantly smaller NMDA currents than those of age-matched wildtype mice. Remarkably, NMDA receptor activity was restored by incubating retinal slices of bdnf-/- mice in BDNF (50 ng/ml) for 1-3 h. We suggest that BDNF plays a role in the activation of functional NMDA receptors in early ganglion cell development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathophysiology of Vision and Neuro-Ophthalmology, Division of Experimental Opthalmology, University Eye Hospital, Röntgenweg 11, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ladewig
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fellner
authors.forename: Eberhart
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Zrenner
authors.forename: Konrad
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kohler
authors.forename: Elke
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Guenther
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000502:physiology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004347:Drug Interactions; D025802:Electric Capacitance; D006579:Heterozygote; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D016202:N-Methylaspartate / Q000494:pharmacology; D009564:Nitracrine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques / Q000379:methods; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000819:agonists / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000502:physiology*; D012160:Retina / Q000166:cytology* / Q000254:growth & development; D012165:Retinal Ganglion Cells / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; C024890:C 137; D016202:N-Methylaspartate; D009564:Nitracrine