Abstract
Synaptic strength can be altered by a variety of pre- or postsynaptic modifications. Here we test the hypothesis that long-term depression (LTD) involves a decrease in the number of glutamate receptors that are clustered at individual synapses in primary cultures of hippocampal neurons. Similar to a prominent form of LTD observed in hippocampal slices, LTD in hippocampal cultures required NMDA receptor activation and was accompanied by a decrease in the amplitude and frequency of miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents. Immunocytochemical analysis revealed that induction of LTD caused a concurrent decrease in the number of AMPA receptors clustered at synapses but had no effect on synaptic NMDA receptor clusters. These results suggest that a subtype-specific redistribution of synaptic glutamate receptors contributes to NMDA receptor-dependent LTD.
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Acknowledgements
We thank Sue Giller for preparation of the cultures. M.V.Z. and R.A.N. are supported by grants from the NIH. R.C.M. is supported by grants from the NIH and the Human Frontier Science Program and an Investigator Award from the McKnight Endowment Fund for Neuroscience. R.C.C. is supported by an NRSA from NINDS.
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Carroll, R., Lissin, D., Zastrow, M. et al. Rapid redistribution of glutamate receptors contributes to long-term depression in hippocampal cultures. Nat Neurosci 2, 454–460 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1038/8123
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/8123
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