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Postsynaptic BDNF signalling regulates long‐term potentiation at thalamo‐amygdala afferents
Author(s) -
Meis S.,
Endres T.,
Lessmann V.
Publication year - 2012
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.2011.220434
Subject(s) - long term potentiation , excitatory postsynaptic potential , neuroscience , synaptic plasticity , postsynaptic potential , brain derived neurotrophic factor , chemistry , ltp induction , tropomyosin receptor kinase b , postsynaptic density , neurotrophic factors , inhibitory postsynaptic potential , biology , receptor , biochemistry
Non‐technical summary Long‐term potentiation (LTP) in the lateral amygdala (LA) is a widely accepted cellular correlate of fear learning. In the present study we analysed the involvement of the neurotrophin brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in amygdala LTP by stimulating selectively thalamic or cortical sensory inputs into the LA. In heterozygous BDNF knockout mice we observed that LTP in the cortico‐amygdala pathway remained intact, whereas LTP in the thalamo‐amygdala pathway was abolished. Likewise, acute interference with BDNF/TrkB signalling in wild‐type mice by application of a BDNF scavenger (TrkB‐IgG) led to inhibition of LTP in this pathway. In addition, postsynaptic inhibition of TrkB receptors, which mediate BDNF effects, blocked LTP in the thalamic pathway. Thus, our data demonstrate for the first time a crucial role for postsynaptic BDNF signalling in mediating LTP selectively in the thalamo‐amygdala pathway in the LA.