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Propagation of activity-dependent synaptic depression in simple neural networks

Nature volume 388, pages 439–448 (1997)Cite this article

Abstract

Triple whole-cell recordings from simple networks of cultured hippocampal neurons show that induction of long-term depression at glutamatergic synapses is accompanied by a back propagation of depression to input synapses on the dendrite of the presynaptic neuron. The depression also propagates laterally to divergent outputs of the presynaptic neuron and to convergent inputs on the postsynaptic neuron. There is no forward propagation of depression to the output of the postsynaptic neuron and no presynaptic propagation accompanying long-term depression at GABAergic synapses. Activity-induced synaptic modification is therefore not restricted to the activated synapse, but selectively propagates throughout the neural network.

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Figure 1: Simple networks of hippocampal neurons in culture.
Figure 2: Induction of LTD at glutamatergic and GABAergic synapses in hippocampal cultures.
Figure 3: Back propagation of synaptic depression following the induction of LTD at glutamatergic synapses.
Figure 4: Absence of back propagation of depression following the induction of LTD at GABAergic synapses.
Figure 5: Absence of forward propagation of depression.
Figure 6: Lateral propagation of LTD.
Figure 7: a, b, Correlation between the degree of back propagation of synaptic depression and synaptic properties.

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Acknowledgements

We thank T. Mau for preparing cell cultures, and Y. Dan, B. Berninger and A.Schinder for discussion. This work was supported by grants from the NIH and the NSF.

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  1. Department of Biology, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, 92093-0357, California, USA

    Reiko Maki Fitzsimonds, Hong-jun Song & Mu-ming Poo

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Correspondence to Mu-ming Poo.

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Fitzsimonds, R., Song, Hj. & Poo, Mm. Propagation of activity-dependent synaptic depression in simple neural networks. Nature 388, 439–448 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1038/41267

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