Mechanisms for Synapse Specificity during Striatal Long-Term Depression
- Nancy Pritzker Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, California 94304
- Correspondence should be addressed to Robert C. Malenka, Department of Psychiatry, Stanford Medical Center, 1201 Welch Road, Room P105, Palo Alto, CA 94304-5485. malenka{at}stanford.edu
Abstract
Endocannabinoid (eCB)-mediated forms of long-term synaptic plasticity occur in several brain regions, but much remains unknown about their basic properties and underlying mechanisms. Here, we present evidence that eCB-mediated long-term depression (eCB-LTD) at excitatory synapses on medium spiny neurons in the striatum requires presynaptic activity coincident with CB1 receptor activation. This dual requirement for CB1 activation and presynaptic activity is a mechanism by which eCB-LTD may be made synapse specific.
- Copyright © 2007 Society for Neuroscience 0270-6474/07/275260-05$15.00/0
