16 - LTP and Memory Flashcards
“Mental exercise facilitates a greater development of … the nervous collaterals in the part of the brain in se. In this way, preexisting connections between groups of cells could be reinforced”
Modern parlance?
Strengthening of synapses may occur as a mechanism for learning
Cells that fire together, wire together. What molecular basis for this idea was shown?
NMDA receptor - coincidence detector at synapses
The hippocampus is critical for what process (memory)
Memory consolidation
converting STM into Long term memory
IMAGE SLIDE 4 (?)
How is long term memory classified?
Long term memory
Hippocampal neurons can act as ____ cells
Hippocampal neurons can act as place cells
-regions of space in which the cell shows preferential firing (ie fire when animal is in a specific location)
Four functions of the hippocampus
- memory formation
- spatial learning and spatial memory
- non-spatial learning such as visual recognition of objects
- forming associations between events occurring in close temporal succession to each other
2 hypotheses for hippocampal fxn
- you are here and not there
- Relational memory theory
- you are here in respect to other areas
What is long-term potentiation?
Brief bursts of high frequency stimuli caused a long-lasting increase in the size of subsequent EPSPs
ie synaptic strength increases instantaneously and stays increased for several hours - summation
What is long term depression?
Activity dependent reduction in the efficacy of neuronal synapses lasting hours or longer following a long-patterned stimulus
occurs when postsynaptic spikes precede presynaptic spikes by up to 20-50ms
Properties of LTP
- Cooperativity
- Need to activate enough afferent fibers (presynaptic axons) to elicit LTP - Associativity
- Pairing stimulation of weak and strong pathways elicits LTP - Specificity
- LTP is restricted to the stimulated pathway
how to record ltp
take baseline (20-30min)
pause stimulator
use pulse or more of 100hz to give high freq stim
ltp characterized by sharp/sudden increase in EPSPs
long-lasting ltp depends on protein synthesis translation - linked to long term memory in mice
Mechanisms of LTP: Post-synaptic alteration
Key mechanism for LTP expression:
Trafficking of AMPA receptors
ie ampa receptors added to post-synaptic membrane = amplifies sound
Mechanisms of LTP: post-synaptic alteration
What happens during tetanus? (high freq stimulus)
Unblocking of NMDA receptors → entry of Ca++ into post synaptic dendritic spine → activates kinases such as CaMKII, PKC, tyrosine kinases PKA
Additional properties that makes LTP excellent synaptic mechanism for memory storage:
- LTP is ____ (requires only a very brief burst of stimulation)
- LTP is ____ (can last for up to a year in intact lab animals)
- LTP-like plasticity occurs during ____
- Signaling requirements for ____ mirror those for LTP
- Like long-term memory, LTP requires ____
- LTP is rapidly induced (requires only a very brief burst of stimulation)
- LTP is long-lasting (can last for up to a year in intact lab animals)
- LTP-like plasticity occurs during associative learning
- Signaling requirements for memory storage mirror those for LTP
- Like long-term memory, LTP requires protein synthesis
2 Caveats to Ltp as synaptic mechanism for memory storage:
- LTP is required, but is not sufficient, for some forms of learning and memory.
- LTD is also critical for some forms of learning and memory, such as spatial memory formation in the water maze.
LTP and LTD induction involve different levels of ____ influx
LTP and LTD induction involve different levels of calcium influx
DESCRIBE the IMAGE
high frequency stim (HFS) leading to LTP → substantial increase in ____ → activates a number of ____ → culminates in ____
In contrast:
Lower frequency stimulation (LFS) leads to a more modest increase in ____ → preferentially activates ____which remove ____ from proteins and therefore favours ____ influx
high frequency stim leading to LTP → substantial increase in post-synaptic calcium → activates a number of protein kinases which phosphorylate other proteins → culminates in LTP
In contrast:
Lower frequency stimulation (LFS) leads to a more modest increase in calcium → preferentially activates protein phosphatases which remove *phosphate groups *from proteins and therefore favours LTD
What is the most intensely studied excitatory synapse in the mammalian brain?
Schaeffer Collateral Pathway - extends from area CA3 to pyramidal neurons of area CA1 in the hippocampus
The Schaeffer collateral pathway extends from ____ to ____ in the hippocampus
Schaeffer Collateral Pathway - extends from area CA3 to pyramidal neurons of area CA1 in the hippocampus
How does Hippocampal LTP show cooperativity, associativity and input specificity?
- Cooperativity:
- The likelihood of inducing LTP increases when the number of stimulated fibres is increased
- Associativity:
- If two separate pathways (A and B) converging onto the same postsynaptic target cell are present, such that both can be stimulated to geve weak (A) and strong (B) inputs, then LTP can be induced in the weak pathway ONLY when its activity is associated or paired with activity from the strong pathway
- Specificity:
- LTP is evident only at activated synapses
What is typically measured during field potential recordings?
Initial slope of the EPSP
Voltage shown as downward deflection because tip of electrode is outside the cell
long-lasting ltp depends on ____- linked to long term memory in mice
long-lasting ltp depends on protein synthesis translation - linked to long term memory in mice
All AMPARs consist of ____ subunits, usually a dimer of ____ plus a dimer of ____
All AMPARs consist of *4 subunits, usually a dimer of GluR2 *plus a dimer of Glu⅓/4
Most AMPARs in the hippocampus contain ____ subunits
Most AMPARs in the hippocampus contain GluR2 subunits
GluR2 enables outward and inward currents to occur, depending on the membrane potential
Most AMPARs in the hippocampus contain GluR2 subunits
which enables:
Most AMPARs in the hippocampus contain *GluR2 *subunits
GluR2 enables outward and inward currents to occur, depending on the membrane potential
Activity induces insertion of ____ receptors which cause ____
Activity induces insertion of *GluR1/GluR2 heteromeric *receptors which cause LTP
Maintaining synaptic transmission at a given level involves replacing ____ receptors with ____
Maintaining synaptic transmission at a given level involves replacing *GluR1-containing receptors with GluR2 containing *receptors (eg GluR2/GluR3 heteromers)
AMPA receptors containing GluR1 help regulate ____ during LTP
AMPA receptors containing GluR1 help regulate insertion during LTP
Ampa receptors containing GluR2 control ____of receptors
Ampa receptors containing GluR2 control removal/endocytosis of receptors = LTD
NMDA receptors have ____ subunits; in hippocampus consist of two mandatory ____ subunits combined with ____ and/or ____
NMDA receptors have 4 subunits; in hippocampus consist of two mandatory NR1 subunits combined with *NR2A *and/or NA2B
NMDA receptors with NR2A subunits are predominantly at the ____
And NR2B receptors are mainly located ____
NMDA receptors with NR2A subunits are predominantly at the synapse
And NR2B receptors are mainly located distal from synapses
Research has shown that NR2A receptors are needed for ____ whereas NR2B receptors are needed for ____
Research has shown that NR2A receptors are needed for LTP induction whereas NR2B receptors are needed for LTD
Not all forms of LTP share the same mechanisms. Eg LTP is known to consist of at least 2 temporal phases:
An early phase (E-LTP)
A late phase (L-LTP)
L-LTP but not E-LTP requires ____ and activation of ____ for its stable expression
L-LTP but not E-LTP requires *protein synthesis (translation) *and activation of cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) for its stable expression
When would synthesis of new proteins and activation of genes be required?
Only long-lasting changes in synaptic strength require the synthesis of new proteins and activation of genes