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Evaluation of Synaptic Multiplicity Using Whole-cell Patch-clamp Electrophysiology
Published on: April 23, 2019
Interactions between synaptic homeostatic mechanisms: an attempt to reconcile BCM theory, synaptic scaling, and
Tara Keck1, Mark Hübener2, Tobias Bonhoeffer2
1Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, 21 University Street, London, WC1E 6DE, UK.
Abstract:
Homeostatic plasticity is proposed to be mediated by synaptic changes, such as synaptic scaling and shifts in the excitation/inhibition balance. These mechanisms are thought to be separate from the Bienenstock, Cooper, Munro (BCM) learning rule, where the threshold for the induction of long-term potentiation and long-term depression slides in response to changes in activity levels. Yet, both sets of mechanisms produce a homeostatic response of a relative increase (or decrease) in strength of excitatory synapses in response to overall activity-level changes. Here we review recent studies, with a focus on in vivo experiments, to re-examine the overlap and differences between these two mechanisms and we suggest how they may interact to facilitate firing-rate homeostasis, while maintaining functional properties of neurons.
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