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Brain-derived neurotrophic factor modulates hippocampal synaptic transmission by increasing N-methyl-D-aspartic acid
E S Levine1, R A Crozier, I B Black
1Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School/University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, 675 Hoes Lane, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA.
Abstract:
Neurotrophins (NTs) have recently been found to regulate synaptic transmission in the hippocampus. Whole-cell and single-channel recordings from cultured hippocampal neurons revealed a mechanism responsible for enhanced synaptic strength. Specifically, brain-derived neurotrophic factor augmented glutamate-evoked, but not acetylcholine-evoked, currents 3-fold and increased N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptor open probability. Activation of trkB NT receptors was critical, as glutamate currents were not affected by nerve growth factor or NT-3, and increased open probability was prevented by the tyrosine kinase inhibitor K-252a. In addition, the NMDA receptor antagonist MK-801 blocked brain-derived neurotrophic factor enhancement of synaptic transmission, further suggesting that NTs modulate synaptic efficacy via changes in NMDA receptor function.