[Advancement in mechanisms of long-term potentiation]

Synaptic plasticity in mammalian brain is one of the most widely studied topics in neuroscience over the last decade. Long-term potentiation (LTP), mainly involving post-synaptic mechanisms, is a reflection of neural plasticity. Study on the mechanisms of LTP was formerly focused on the properties of NMDA receptor and the intracellular cascade of reaction after activation of the receptor. However, the definition of "silent synapses" with only NMDA receptors without AMPA receptors was frequently referred in LTP study, showing the importance of AMPA receptor in post-synaptic mechanism of LTP.