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Afferent‐specific modulation of short‐term synaptic plasticity by neurotrophins in dentate gyrus
Author(s) -
Asztely Fredrik,
Kokaia Merab,
Olofsdotter Klara,
Örtegren Unn,
Lindvall Olle
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
european journal of neuroscience
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.346
H-Index - 206
eISSN - 1460-9568
pISSN - 0953-816X
DOI - 10.1046/j.1460-9568.2000.00956.x
Subject(s) - neuroscience , dentate gyrus , perforant path , granule cell , synaptic plasticity , hippocampal formation , neurotrophin , excitatory postsynaptic potential , synaptic fatigue , biology , inhibitory postsynaptic potential , receptor , biochemistry
Neurotrophins modulate synaptic transmission and plasticity in the adult brain. We here show a novel feature of this synaptic modulation, i.e. that two populations of excitatory synaptic connections to granule cells in the dentate gyrus, lateral perforant path (LPP) and medial perforant path (MPP), are differentially influenced by the neurotrophins BDNF and NT‐3. Using field recordings and whole‐cell patch‐clamp recordings in hippocampal slices, we found that paired‐pulse (PP) depression at MPP–granule cell synapses was impaired in BDNF knock‐out (+/–) mice, but PP facilitation at LPP synapses to the same cells was not impaired. In accordance, scavenging of endogenous BDNF with TrkB–IgG fusion protein also impaired PP depression at MPP–granule cell synapses, but not PP facilitation at LPP–granule cell synapses. Conversely, in NT‐3 +/– mice, PP facilitation was impaired at LPP–granule cell synapses whilst PP depression at MPP–granule cell synapses was unaffected. These deficits could be reversed by application of exogenous neurotrophins in an afferent‐specific manner. Our data suggest that BDNF and NT‐3 differentially regulate the synaptic impact of different afferent inputs onto single target neurons in the CNS.