title: Presynaptic self-depression at developing neocortical synapses.
abstract: A central tenet of most theories of synaptic modification during cortical development is that correlated activity drives plasticity in synaptically connected neurons. Unexpectedly, however, using sensory-evoked activity patterns recorded from the developing mouse cortex in vivo, the synaptic learning rule that we uncover here relies solely on the presynaptic neuron. A burst of three presynaptic spikes followed, within a restricted time window, by a single presynaptic spike induces robust long-term depression (LTD) at developing layer 4 to layer 2/3 synapses. This presynaptic spike pattern-dependent LTD (p-LTD) can be induced by individual presynaptic layer 4 cells, requires presynaptic NMDA receptors and calcineurin, and is expressed presynaptically. However, in contrast to spike timing-dependent LTD, p-LTD is independent of postsynaptic and astroglial signaling. This spike pattern-dependent learning rule complements timing-based rules and is likely to play a role in the pruning of synaptic input during cortical development.
authors: Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EG, UK. arodmor@upo.es
authors: Antonio
authors: A
authors: Rodríguez-Moreno
authors: Ana
authors: A
authors: González-Rueda
authors: Abhishek
authors: A
authors: Banerjee
authors: A Louise
authors: AL
authors: Upton
authors: Michael T
authors: MT
authors: Craig
authors: Ole
authors: O
authors: Paulsen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D036881:Long-Term Synaptic Depression / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D019579:Neocortex / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development*; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology*; D017729:Presynaptic Terminals / Q000502:physiology*; D013569:Synapses / Q000502:physiology*