Spatial organization of synaptic plasticity in cerebellar parallel fiber : Purkinje cell synapses
Not much is known about spatial patterns of Parallel fiber-Purkinje cell long-term depression (PF-PC LTD). For this reason, I visualized the distribution of PF-PC LTD in relation to the area of conjunctive stimulation by using voltage-sensitive dye imaging. During stimulation, the basic optical r...
Saved in:
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Final Year Project |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2009
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/10356/16319 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| Institution: | Nanyang Technological University |
| Language: | English |
| Summary: | Not much is known about spatial patterns of Parallel fiber-Purkinje cell long-term
depression (PF-PC LTD). For this reason, I visualized the distribution of PF-PC LTD in
relation to the area of conjunctive stimulation by using voltage-sensitive dye imaging.
During stimulation, the basic optical response was observed to have an early “spiky”
component and a slower trailing component. Following a 1 Hz train of stimuli, LTD was
induced and could be visualized as a decrease in the response elicited by subsequent
stimuli. Such LTD was restricted to the molecular layer of the cerebellum, consistent
with a decrease in transmission at the PF-PC synapse. Ratio imaging allowed me to
further characterize the spatial range of LTD. Line scan analysis revealed that the
amount of LTD generally decreased with distance from the stimulation site,
demonstrating a gradient limited by the distribution of activated PF synapses. In addition,
LTD extended for 80 μm further than the peak area of PF activation, consistent with
previously indications of the spread of LTD beyond active PF synapses. I conclude that
LTD spread is likely to be limited by 2 things: (1) the distribution of activated PF
synapses; and (2) the spread of chemical signals generated during LTD. |
|---|