Short-term potentiation at the parallel fiber-Purkinje cell synapse.
Changes in synaptic efficacy at the parallel fiber (PF)-Purkinje cell (PC) synapse are postulated to be a cellular basis for motor learning. Although long-term efficacy changes lasting more than an hour at this synapse, i.e., long-term potentiation and depression, have been extensively studied, relatively short lasting synaptic efficacy changes, namely short-term potentiation (STP) lasting for tens of minutes, have not been discussed to date. Here we report that this synapse shows an apparent STP reliably by a periodic burst pattern of homosynaptic stimulation. This STP is presynaptically expressed, since it accompanies with a reduced paired-pulse facilitation and is resistant to postsynaptic Ca(2+) reduction by BAPTA injection or in P/Q-type Ca channel knockout cerebella. This novel type of synaptic plasticity at the PF-PC synapse would be a clue for understanding the presynaptic mechanisms of plasticity at this synapse.
Division of Molecular Neurobiology, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Shirokanedai, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8639 Japan.
Jun-Ichi
J
Goto
Takafumi
T
Inoue
Akinori
A
Kuruma
Katsuhiko
K
Mikoshiba
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D020864:Calcium Channels, N-Type / Q000172:deficiency; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000166:cytology*; D002614:Chelating Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000379:methods; D004533:Egtazic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D004558:Electric Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D019706:Excitatory Postsynaptic Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000502:physiology* / Q000528:radiation effects; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D011689:Purkinje Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D013569:Synapses / Q000502:physiology* / Q000528:radiation effects; D013997:Time Factors
D020864:Calcium Channels, N-Type; D002614:Chelating Agents; D004533:Egtazic Acid; C025603:1,2-bis(2-aminophenoxy)ethane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid; D002118:Calcium