title: Spike timing-dependent LTP/LTD mediates visual experience-dependent plasticity in a developing retinotectal system.
abstract: Sensory experience plays an instructive role in the development of the nervous system. Here we showed that visual experience can induce persistent modification of developing retinotectal circuits via spike timing-dependent plasticity (STDP). Pairing light stimuli with spiking of the tectal cell induced persistent enhancement or reduction of light-evoked responses, with a dependence on the relative timing between light stimulus and postsynaptic spiking similar to that for STDP. Using precisely timed sequential three-bar stimulation to mimic a moving bar, we showed that spike timing-dependent LTP/LTD can account for the asymmetric modification of the tectal cell receptive field induced by moving bar. Furthermore, selective inhibition of signaling mediated by brain-derived neurotrophic factor and nitric oxide, which are respectively required for light-induced LTP and LTD, interfered with moving bar-induced temporally specific changes in the tectal cell responses. Together, these findings suggest that STDP can mediate sensory experience-dependent circuit refinement in the developing nervous system.
authors.affiliation: Division of Neurobiology, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, USA. mpoo@uclink.berkeley.edu
authors.forename: Yangling
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mu
authors.forename: Mu-Ming
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Poo
mesh_terms: D015763:2-Amino-5-phosphonovalerate / Q000494:pharmacology; D000200:Action Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology* / Q000528:radiation effects; D000818:Animals; D002227:Carbazoles / Q000494:pharmacology; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D026121:Indole Alkaloids; D017774:Long-Term Potentiation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects; D036881:Long-Term Synaptic Depression / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects; D009039:Motion Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester / Q000494:pharmacology; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques / Q000379:methods; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D012160:Retina / Q000502:physiology*; D013477:Superior Colliculi / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D013997:Time Factors; D014795:Visual Pathways / Q000502:physiology*; D014982:Xenopus laevis
chemical_list: D002227:Carbazoles; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists; D026121:Indole Alkaloids; D015763:2-Amino-5-phosphonovalerate; C049985:staurosporine aglycone; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester