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Updated: May 21, 2026

Inducing Long-Term Plasticity of Intrinsic Neuronal Excitability in Neurons of the Dorsal Lateral Geniculate Nucleus
Published on: September 20, 2024
Dopamine induces LTP differentially in apical and basal dendrites through BDNF and voltage-dependent calcium channels
Sheeja Navakkode1, Sreedharan Sajikumar, Martin Korte
1Division of Cellular Neurobiology, Zoological Institute, Braunschweig D-38106, Germany. sheejanavakkode@yahoo.com.uk
Abstract:
The dopaminergic modulation of long-term potentiation (LTP) has been studied well, but the mechanism by which dopamine induces LTP (DA-LTP) in CA1 pyramidal neurons is unknown. Here, we report that DA-LTP in basal dendrites is dependent while in apical dendrites it is independent of activation of L-type voltage-gated calcium channels (VDCC). Activation via NMDAR is critical for the induction of DA-LTP in both apical and basal dendrites, but only BDNF is required for the induction and maintenance of DA-LTP in apical dendrites. We report that dopaminergic modulation of LTP is lamina-specific at the Schaffer collateral/commissural synapses in the CA1 region.
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