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Comparison of synaptic transmission and plasticity between sensory and cortical synapses on relay neurons in the ventrobasal nucleus of the rat thalamus
Author(s) -
Hsu ChingLung,
Yang HsiuWen,
Yen ChengTung,
Min MingYuan
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
the journal of physiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.802
H-Index - 240
eISSN - 1469-7793
pISSN - 0022-3751
DOI - 10.1113/jphysiol.2010.192864
Subject(s) - neuroscience , thalamus , ampa receptor , postsynaptic potential , neurotransmission , somatosensory system , sensory system , synapse , synaptic plasticity , glutamate receptor , chemistry , biology , receptor , biochemistry
Relay neurons in the ventrobasal nucleus of the thalamus transmit somatosensory information to the cerebral cortex and receive sensory and cortical (feedback) synaptic inputs via, respectively, medial lemniscal (ML) and corticothalamic (CT) fibres. Here, we report that calcium‐permeable AMPA receptors are expressed at CT synapses, but not ML synapses, and that the NMDA receptor (NMDAR)‐mediated/non‐NMDAR‐mediated synaptic current ratio is significantly larger at CT synapses than at ML synapses. Moreover, NMDAR‐dependent LTP and L‐type voltage‐gated calcium channel‐dependent LTD are readily induced at CT synapses, but not ML synapses. In particular, LTD of CT synaptic transmission is induced by spiking of postsynaptic relay neurons in continuous mode, but not burst mode, in current‐clamp recordings. These results show that the strength of the cortical input to thalamic relay neurons is selectively subjected to use‐dependent modification, which could be a mechanism for regulation of thalamocortical–corticothalamic interactions and the underlying sensory processing.