title: Dendritic calcium spikes are tunable triggers of cannabinoid release and short-term synaptic plasticity in cerebellar Purkinje neurons.
abstract: Understanding the relationship between dendritic excitability and synaptic plasticity is vital for determining how dendrites regulate the input-output function of the neuron. Dendritic calcium spikes have been associated with the induction of long-term changes in synaptic efficacy. Here we use direct recordings from cerebellar Purkinje cell dendrites to show that synaptically activated local dendritic calcium spikes are potent triggers of cannabinoid release, producing a profound and short-term reduction in synaptic efficacy at parallel fiber synapses. Enhancing dendritic excitability by modulating dendritic large-conductance calcium-activated potassium (BK) channels improves the spread of dendritic calcium spikes and enhances cannabinoid release at the expense of spatial specificity. Our findings reveal that dendritic calcium spikes provide a local and tunable coincidence detection mechanism that readjusts synaptic gain when synchronous activity reaches a threshold, and they reveal a tight link between the regulation of dendritic excitability and the induction of synaptic plasticity.
authors.affiliation: Wolfson Institute for Biomedical Research, Department of Physiology, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Ede A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Rancz
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Häusser
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D020013:Calcium Signaling / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D063385:Cannabinoid Receptor Modulators / Q000378:metabolism*; D003712:Dendrites / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D019706:Excitatory Postsynaptic Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D051036:Large-Conductance Calcium-Activated Potassium Channels / Q000378:metabolism; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D026902:Potassium Channel Blockers / Q000494:pharmacology; D011689:Purkinje Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D043884:Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D018094:Receptors, Metabotropic Glutamate / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D013569:Synapses / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D013570:Synaptic Membranes / Q000378:metabolism; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D063385:Cannabinoid Receptor Modulators; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists; D051036:Large-Conductance Calcium-Activated Potassium Channels; D026902:Potassium Channel Blockers; D043884:Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1; D018094:Receptors, Metabotropic Glutamate; C104077:metabotropic glutamate receptor type 1; D002118:Calcium