Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 8, 2026

Single Synapse Indicators of Glutamate Release and Uptake in Acute Brain Slices from Normal and Huntington Mice
Published on: March 11, 2020
Dopaminergic control of corticostriatal long-term synaptic depression in medium spiny neurons is mediated by
Zhongfeng Wang1, Li Kai, Michelle Day
1Department of Physiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA.
Abstract:
Long-term depression (LTD) of the synapse formed between cortical pyramidal neurons and striatal medium spiny neurons is central to many theories of motor plasticity and associative learning. The induction of LTD at this synapse is thought to depend upon D(2) dopamine receptors localized in the postsynaptic membrane. If this were true, LTD should be inducible in neurons from only one of the two projection systems of the striatum. Using transgenic mice in which neurons that contribute to these two systems are labeled, we show that this is not the case. Rather, in both cell types, the D(2) receptor dependence of LTD induction reflects the need to lower M(1) muscarinic receptor activity-a goal accomplished by D(2) receptors on cholinergic interneurons. In addition to reconciling discordant tracts of the striatal literature, these findings point to cholinergic interneurons as key mediators of dopamine-dependent striatal plasticity and learning.
Related Concept Videos
Cholinergic Neurons: Neurotransmission
Neurochemical Transmission: Sites of Drug Action
Excitatory and Inhibitory Effects of Neurotransmitters
Long-term Depression
Long-term Depression
Calcium Ion Concentration Mechanism
If over time, all...
Indirect-Acting Cholinergic Agonists: Pharmacological Actions
At the neuromuscular junction, these agents work by inhibiting the breakdown of acetylcholine, allowing it to remain bound to the receptor and bind to nearby receptors. This process leads to repetitive firing of the endplate, causing muscle...
