title: Coincident pre- and postsynaptic activity downregulates NKCC1 to hyperpolarize E(Cl) during development.
abstract: In the mature CNS, coincident pre- and postsynaptic activity decreases the strength of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)(A)-mediated inhibition through a Ca2+-dependent decrease in the activity of the neuron-specific K+-Cl- cotransporter KCC2. In the present study we examined whether coincident pre- and postsynaptic activity can also modulate immature GABAergic synapses, where the Na+-K+-2Cl- (NKCC1) cotransporter maintains a relatively high level of intracellular chloride ([Cl-](i)). Dual perforated patch-clamp recordings were made from cultured hippocampal neurons prepared from embryonic Sprague-Dawley rats. These recordings were used to identify GABAergic synapses where the reversal potential for Cl- (ECl) was hyperpolarized with respect to the action potential threshold but depolarized with respect to the resting membrane potential. At these synapses, repetitive postsynaptic spiking within +/- 5 ms of GABAergic synaptic transmission resulted in a hyperpolarizing shift of ECl by 10.03 +/- 1.64 mV, increasing the strength of synaptic inhibition. Blocking the inward transport of Cl- by NKCC1 with bumetanide (10 microm) hyperpolarized ECl by 16.14 +/- 4.8 mV, and prevented this coincident activity-induced shift of ECl. The bumetanide-induced hyperpolarization of ECl occluded furosemide, a K+-Cl- cotransporter antagonist, from producing further shifts in ECl. Together, this indicates that brief coincident pre- and postsynaptic activity strengthens inhibition through a regulation of NKCC1. This study further demonstrates ionic plasticity as a mechanism underlying inhibitory synaptic plasticity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell & Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Trevor
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Balena
authors.forename: Melanie A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Woodin
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000502:physiology; D009433:Neural Inhibition / Q000502:physiology*; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D028021:Sodium-Potassium-Chloride Symporters / Q000378:metabolism*; D064506:Solute Carrier Family 12, Member 2; D013569:Synapses / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: C578879:Slc12a2 protein, rat; D028021:Sodium-Potassium-Chloride Symporters; D064506:Solute Carrier Family 12, Member 2