Access

Brief Communication

Nature Neuroscience 11, 744–745 (1 July 2008) | doi:10.1038/nn.2125

Spike timing|[ndash]|dependent long-term depression requires presynaptic NMDA receptors

Antonio Rodr|[iacute]|guez-Moreno & Ole Paulsen

NMDA receptors are necessary for both synaptic potentiation and depression, but the precise location of these receptors has not been established. By loading MK-801 into pre- or postsynaptic neurons during paired recordings of synaptically connected layer 4 and layer 2/3 neurons in mouse barrel cortex, we found that synaptic potentiation requires postsynaptic, but not presynaptic, NMDA receptors, whereas synaptic depression requires presynaptic, but not postsynaptic, NMDA receptors.