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Updated: Jul 6, 2026
09:39
Improved Preparation and Preservation of Hippocampal Mouse Slices for a Very Stable and Reproducible Recording of Long-term Potentiation
Published on: June 26, 2013
A role for the spine apparatus in LTP and spatial learning
Peter Jedlicka1, Andreas Vlachos, Stephan W Schwarzacher
1Institute of Clinical Neuroanatomy, J.W. Goethe-University of Frankfurt, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
Behavioural Brain Research
|April 9, 2008
Summary
The spine apparatus, a neuronal organelle, is crucial for synaptic plasticity and information storage. Its absence impairs long-term potentiation (LTP) and spatial learning in mice.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cell Biology
- Synaptic Plasticity
Background:
- Long-term potentiation (LTP) is vital for information storage.
- Dendritic spine calcium and protein synthesis are key to LTP.
- The spine apparatus is a neuronal organelle potentially influencing these processes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the role of the spine apparatus in different forms of LTP.
- To discuss the impact of the spine apparatus on learning and memory.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on spine apparatus function.
- Analysis of synaptopodin-deficient mouse models exhibiting LTP deficits.
Main Results:
- Synaptopodin-deficient mice show impaired LTP and spatial learning.
- The spine apparatus appears to be involved in synaptic plasticity and memory.
Conclusions:
- The spine apparatus plays a significant role in synaptic plasticity.
- Understanding the spine apparatus may elucidate mechanisms of learning and memory.
Related Concept Videos
01:35Long-term Potentiation
Long-term potentiation, or LTP, is one of the ways by which synaptic plasticity—changes in the strength of chemical synapses—can occur in the brain. LTP is the process of synaptic strengthening that occurs over time between pre- and postsynaptic neuronal connections. The synaptic strengthening of LTP works in opposition to the synaptic weakening of long-term depression (LTD) and together are the main mechanisms that underlie learning and memory.
01:25Long-term Potentiation
Long-term potentiation, or LTP, is one of the ways by which synaptic plasticity—changes in the strength of chemical synapses—can occur in the brain. LTP is the process of synaptic strengthening that occurs over time between pre and postsynaptic neuronal connections. The synaptic strengthening of LTP works in opposition to the synaptic weakening of long-term depression (LTD) and together are the main mechanisms that underlie learning and memory.
Hebbian LTP
LTP can occur when presynaptic neurons...
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01:03Long-term Depression
Long-term depression, or LTD, is one of the ways by which synaptic plasticity—changes in the strength of chemical synapses—can occur in the brain. LTD is the process of synaptic weakening that occurs over time between pre and postsynaptic neuronal connections. The synaptic weakening of LTD works in opposition to synaptic strengthening by long-term potentiation (LTP) and together are the main mechanisms that underlie learning and memory.
Calcium Ion Concentration Mechanism
If over time, all...
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01:05Long-term Depression
Long-term depression, or LTD, is one of the ways by which synaptic plasticity—changes in the strength of chemical synapses—can occur in the brain. LTD is the process of synaptic weakening that occurs over time between pre and postsynaptic neuronal connections. The synaptic weakening of LTD works in opposition to synaptic strengthening by long-term potentiation (LTP) and together are the main mechanisms that underlie learning and memory.