title: Learning discloses abnormal structural and functional plasticity at hippocampal synapses in the APP23 mouse model of Alzheimer's disease.
abstract: B6-Tg/Thy1APP23Sdz (APP23) mutant mice exhibit neurohistological hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease but show intact basal hippocampal neurotransmission and synaptic plasticity. Here, we examine whether spatial learning differently modifies the structural and electrophysiological properties of hippocampal synapses in APP23 and wild-type mice. While no genotypic difference was found in the pseudotrained mice, training elicited a stronger increase in spine density and a more rapid decay of long-term potentiation (LTP) in APP23 mutants. Thus, learning discloses mutation-related abnormalities regarding dendritic spine formation and LTP persistence, thereby suggesting that although unaltered in naïve synapses, plasticity becomes defective at the time it comes into play.
authors.affiliation: CNR Institute for Neuroscience, S. Lucia Foundation, Rome 00143, Italy. s.middei@hsantalucia.it
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Middei
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Roberto
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Berretta
authors.forename: Maria Beatrice
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Panico
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lista
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bernardi
authors.forename: Nicola B
authors.initials: NB
authors.lastname: Mercuri
authors.forename: Martine
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ammassari-Teule
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nisticò
mesh_terms: D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D016564:Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor / Q000235:genetics*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001703:Biophysics / Q000379:methods; D049229:Dendritic Spines / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004558:Electric Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D019706:Excitatory Postsynaptic Potentials / Q000235:genetics; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007859:Learning Disabilities / Q000209:etiology* / Q000235:genetics; D008124:Locomotion / Q000235:genetics; D017774:Long-Term Potentiation / Q000235:genetics*; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics; D009474:Neurons / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques / Q000379:methods; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000235:genetics; D016622:Silver Staining / Q000379:methods; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D016564:Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor