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The Journal of Neuroscience, December 1, 1999, 19(23):10250-10261
Nitric Oxide Signaling Contributes to Late-Phase LTP and CREB
Phosphorylation in the Hippocampus
Yun-Fei
Lu1,
Eric R.
Kandel1, 2, 3, and
Robert D.
Hawkins1, 2
1 Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, College of
Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, 2 New York
State Psychiatric Institute, and 3 Howard Hughes Medical
Institute, New York, New York 10032
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ABSTRACT |
Long-term potentiation (LTP) in the hippocampus has an early phase
(E-LTP) that can be induced by one- or two-train tetanization, lasts ~1 hr, and is cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) and protein synthesis independent and a late phase (L-LTP) that can be induced by
three- or four-train tetanization, lasts >3 hr, and is reduced by
inhibitors of PKA and of protein or RNA synthesis. Nitric oxide (NO) is
thought to be involved in E-LTP, but until now there has been no
information about the role of the NO-signaling pathway in L-LTP. We
examined this question at the Schaffer collateral-CA1 synapses in
slices of mouse hippocampus. An inhibitor of NO synthase blocked L-LTP
induced by three-train tetanization and reduced L-LTP induced by
four-train tetanization, whereas an inhibitor of PKA was more effective
in blocking four-train L-LTP than three-train L-LTP. Three-train L-LTP
was also blocked by inhibitors of guanylyl cyclase or cGMP-dependent
protein kinase (PKG). Conversely, either NO or cGMP analogs paired with
one-train tetanization produced late-phase potentiation, and the
cGMP-induced potentiation was blocked by inhibitors of protein or RNA
synthesis and an inhibitor of PKG, but not by an inhibitor of PKA. To
test a possible downstream target of PKG, we examined changes in
phospho-CRE-binding protein (phospho-CREB) immunofluorescence in the
CA1 cell body area and obtained results similar to those of the
electrophysiology experiments. These results suggest that NO
contributes to L-LTP by stimulating guanylyl cyclase and cGMP-dependent
protein kinase, which acts in parallel with PKA to increase
phosphorylation of the transcription factor CREB.
Key words:
nitric oxide; guanylyl cyclase; cGMP-dependent protein
kinase; long-term potentiation; CREB; hippocampus
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INTRODUCTION |
Long-term potentiation (LTP) is a
long-lasting form of synaptic plasticity that is thought to contribute
to some types of learning and memory (for review, see Bliss and
Collingridge, 1993 ; Hawkins et al., 1993 ). Like memory (Davis and
Squire, 1984 ; Kandel, 1989 ), LTP has been found to exhibit an early
phase that is independent of protein and RNA synthesis and a late phase
that is reduced by inhibitors of those processes (Frey et al., 1988 ;
Huang and Kandel, 1994 ; Nguyen et al., 1994 ; Huang et al., 1996 ;
Nguyen and Kandel, 1997 ). Early-phase LTP (E-LTP) can be induced
by brief tetanization, such as one train of 100 Hz stimulation for 1 sec, and lasts ~1 hr. By contrast, late-phase LTP (L-LTP) is usually induced by three or four trains of tetanization with 5-10 min between
trains and lasts >3 hr (Frey et al., 1993 ; Huang and Kandel, 1994 ;
Huang et al., 1996 ). Early- and late-phase LTP also involve different
signaling pathways. For example, in the CA1 region of the hippocampus,
L-LTP is reduced by inhibitors or genetic disruption of cAMP-dependent
protein kinase (PKA), whereas E-LTP is usually not PKA dependent (Frey
et al., 1993 ; Huang and Kandel, 1994 ; Huang et al., 1996 ; Abel et al.,
1997 ; Nguyen and Kandel, 1997 ; Winder et al., 1998 ).
Nitric oxide (NO) is a diffusible molecule that can act as a novel type
of intercellular messenger in the brain (Bredt and Snyder, 1992 ) and
may act as a retrograde messenger during the induction of LTP (for
review, see Hawkins et al., 1998 ). A number of studies have shown that
inhibitors of NO synthase (NOS), the enzyme for NO production, can
prevent the induction of LTP under some experimental conditions.
Knock-out of both the neuronal and endothelial isoforms of NOS (Son et
al., 1996 ) or adenovirus-mediated inhibition of the endothelial isoform
(Kantor et al., 1996 ) can also block LTP. Conversely, exogenous NO can
produce activity-dependent long-lasting potentiation either in
hippocampal slices (Bohme et al., 1991 ; Zhuo et al., 1993 ; Malen and
Chapman, 1997 ) or in the presynaptic neuron in dissociated cultures of
hippocampal neurons (Arancio et al., 1996 ). However, all of these
studies about the role of NO in LTP have focused on LTP lasting for
~1 hr (i.e., E-LTP). Behavioral studies have shown that NO is
involved in learning several types of tasks, some of which are
remembered for days (for review, see Hawkins, 1996 ), raising the
question of whether NO signaling might also be involved in L-LTP. In
the present study, we examined this question at the synapses from Schaffer collateral fibers onto CA1 pyramidal cells in slices of mouse
hippocampus. Our results indicate that NO is involved in three-train
L-LTP and to a lesser extent in four-train L-LTP and suggest that it
contributes to L-LTP via the activation of guanylyl cyclase,
cGMP-dependent protein kinase, and CRE-binding protein (CREB)
phosphorylation. These results have revealed a new signaling pathway in
the induction of L-LTP that appears to be parallel and complementary to
the PKA-signaling pathway.
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MATERIALS AND METHODS |
Male C57BL6 mice aged 6-9 weeks were housed and killed in
accordance with the guidelines of the Health Sciences Division of Columbia University. The brain was quickly removed and immersed in
ice-cold artificial CSF (ACSF) bubbled with a gas mixture of 95% O2 and 5% CO2, the
hippocampus was dissected, and 400 µm transverse slices were
prepared. The slices were incubated in an interface recording chamber
maintained at 28.5 ± 0.5°C for at least 1.5 hr before recording
and were constantly subfused with gas-saturated ACSF at 1-1.5 ml/min.
The composition of the ACSF was as follows: NaCl, 124 mM;
KCl, 4.4 mM; CaCl2, 2.5 mM; MgSO4, 1.3 mM;
NaH2PO4, 1 mM;
NaHCO3, 26 mM; and glucose, 10 mM.
Electrophysiological experiments. To record the field EPSP,
a glass micropipette filled with ACSF (1-5 M resistance) was placed
in the stratum radiatum of the CA1 region, and a bipolar tungsten-stimulating electrode was placed along the Schaffer collateral fibers. In two-pathway experiments, two stimulating electrodes were
placed on opposite sides of the recording electrode, and stimulation
from the two electrodes was delivered alternately. The intensity of the
stimulation was adjusted to produce an EPSP with a slope that was
~35% of maximum. The test stimulation was delivered once per minute
(0.017 Hz). For inducing LTP, either single or multiple trains of
stimulation at 100 Hz for 1 sec were delivered at the same intensity as
the test stimulation. In the experiments using picrotoxin, the CA3
region was surgically removed from the slice, and the ACSF was adjusted
by increasing both CaCl2 and
MgSO4 to 4 mM to reduce seizure activity.
NO solution was prepared as described previously (Zhuo et al., 1993 ).
Briefly, NO gas was bubbled to saturation in helium-saturated distilled
water and then diluted to 0.1-1.0 µM in ACSF containing 30 units/ml superoxide dismutase. The NO solution was prepared immediately before use and injected directly into the recording chamber.
The following drugs were used: 8-bromo-cGMP (8-Br-cGMP),
8-(4-chlorophenylthio)-cGMP (8-pCPT-cGMP),
-phenyl-1,N2-etheno-8-bromo-guanosine
3',5'-cyclic monophosphothioate (Rp-8-Br-PET-cGMPS), and
Sp-adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphothioate (Sp-cAMPS) from Biolog
Life; KT5823 and KT5720 from Calbiochem (La Jolla, CA); anisomycin,
actinomycin D,
N -nitro-L-arginine, and
picrotoxin from Sigma (St. Louis, MO); 1H-[1,2,4]oxadiazolo[4,3- ]quinoxalin-1-one
(ODQ) from Alexis; and U0126 from Research Biochemicals (Natick, MA).
The drugs were prepared as stock solutions and diluted in ACSF
immediately before application. Rp-8-Br-PET-cGMPS, Sp-cAMPS, KT5823,
KT5720, ODQ, and U0126 were prepared in DMSO, and actinomycin D was
prepared in ethanol. The final concentration of the DMSO or ethanol was 0.1%.
Data are shown as mean (± SEM) percent of the baseline EPSP slope.
Data were analyzed using either t tests to compare two conditions or ANOVA followed by planned comparisons of multiple conditions, and p < 0.05 was considered significant.
Immunocytochemical experiments. Hippocampal slices were
prepared and treated with tetanic stimulation and/or drugs exactly as
described in the electrophysiological experiments. Either 1 or 60 min
after the treatment, the slices were rapidly immersed in ice-cold 4%
paraformaldehyde in PBS, pH 7.4, and fixed for 60 min. The
slices were then washed three times in PBS, permeabilized in 0.3%
Triton X-100 in PBS for 60 min at room temperature, and then washed
three times in PBS again. The free aldehydes were quenched in 50 mM ammonium chloride in PBS for 20 min. Nonspecific antibody binding was blocked by incubation in 10% goat serum in PBS
for 60 min at room temperature. The slices were then incubated with
primary antibody, rabbit polyclonal anti-phospho-CREB (Upstate Biotechnology, Lake Placid, NY), diluted 1:100 in 10% goat serum in
PBS at 4°C for 36 hr. This antibody is thought to be relatively selective for phospho-CREB, although it may have some cross-reactivity with the related molecules CRE modulator (CREM) and activating transcription factor 1 (ATF-1) (Ginty et al., 1993 ). The slices were then washed six times in PBS, for 2 hr each time. The slices were
incubated in goat anti-rabbit antibody conjugated with
indocarbocyanine (Jackson ImmunoResearch, West Grove, PA)
diluted 1:100 in 10% goat serum overnight at 4°C. They were then
washed again in PBS six times, for 2 hr each time.
The slices were viewed using a Bio-Rad (Hercules, CA) MRC1000 laser
confocal-scanning system coupled to a Zeiss Axiovert 100 inverted
microscope. Images were taken using a 5×, 0.25 numerical aperture
(NA) or a 40×, 0.75 NA water immersion objective. Kalman averages of five scans were collected for each image. The mean pixel
intensity in the CA1 cell body area and in an apical dendritic area of
CA3 that was relatively free of cell bodies was determined using
Bio-Rad Comos software. The ratio of intensities in the two areas was
determined in each slice to normalize for differences in background
fluorescence. These values were in turn normalized to the values
obtained from untreated control slices from the same animal. All data
are presented as mean (± SEM) percent of control. The experimental
data were analyzed by a two-way ANOVA (treatment and time) followed by
planned comparisons of individual conditions. The specificity of the
immunofluorescence was confirmed by omitting the primary antibody,
which resulted in a significant reduction in fluorescence intensity.
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RESULTS |
NO signaling is involved in L-LTP
Previous studies have shown that four trains of tetanic
stimulation can induce long-lasting LTP (L-LTP) that is dependent on
PKA in the CA1 region of mouse hippocampus (Abel et al., 1997 ; Winder
et al., 1998 ). We first replicated those studies and found that four
trains of 100 Hz/1 sec stimulation induced stable long-lasting LTP (the
EPSP slope was 227 ± 17% of baseline 3 hr after the end of
tetanization; n = 5; Fig.
1A) that was almost
completely blocked by KT5720 (1 µM), an
inhibitor of PKA [117 ± 7% at 3 hr; n = 6; F(1,28) = 30.89;
p < 0.01 compared with normal saline; Fig.
1B]. In agreement with previous studies, KT5720 also
reduced an intermediate phase of LTP that is expressed within the first
hour after multiple-train tetanization and is mechanistically distinct
from both E-LTP and L-LTP (Blitzer et al., 1995 , 1998 ; Winder et al.,
1998 ). We then tested the effect of
N -nitro-L-arginine
(NO-Arg), an inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase. NO-Arg (100 µM) applied at least 60 min before tetanic
stimulation and throughout the experiment reduced L-LTP by four-train
tetanization but did not completely block it (147 ± 10% at 3 hr;
n = 6; Fig. 1A). These results are
consistent with those of Zhuo et al. (1998) , who found that although
NO-Arg completely blocked E-LTP by one-train tetanization and
significantly reduced E-LTP by two-train tetanization, it only
partially reduced LTP 60 min after four-train tetanization.

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Figure 1.
Inhibitors of NOS or PKA preferentially reduce
L-LTP induced by different stimulation protocols. A,
L-LTP induced by four trains of 100 Hz/1 sec tetanization
(arrows) was reduced but not completely blocked by the
NO synthase inhibitor NO-Arg (100 µM). B,
Four-train L-LTP was blocked by the PKA inhibitor KT5720 (1 µM). C, Three trains of 100 Hz/1 sec
tetanization with 5 min between trains induced stable L-LTP that was
blocked by NO-Arg. NO-Arg was applied at least 1 hr before the tetanic
stimulation and throughout the experiment. Insets,
Representative field EPSPs before and 3 hr after tetanic stimulation
are shown. Calibration: 5 msec, 1 mV. D, Three-train
L-LTP was reduced but not completely blocked by KT5720.
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We next tested whether PKA and the NO-signaling pathway might
contribute differently to L-LTP induced with a weaker stimulation protocol. Three trains of 100 Hz/1 sec stimulation with 5 min between
trains induced stable L-LTP that was slightly smaller than four-train
L-LTP (193 ± 21% at 3 hr; n = 6; Fig.
1C). KT5720 reduced this L-LTP but did not completely block
it (138 ± 17%; n = 5; Fig.
1D), suggesting that three-train L-LTP has a
PKA-independent component. By contrast, NO-Arg almost completely
blocked three-train L-LTP [116 ± 6% at 3 hr; n = 6; F(1,28) = 16.28;
p < 0.01 compared with normal saline; Fig.
1C]. The results with KT5720 and NO-Arg with three-train
tetanization were the reverse of those with four-train tetanization, as
indicated by a significant drug × train number interaction in a
two-way ANOVA [F(1,19) = 6.67;
p < 0.05]. These results suggest that NO signaling
and PKA contribute preferentially to somewhat different components of
L-LTP, with NO contributing importantly to three-train L-LTP and to a
lesser extent to four-train L-LTP.
Previous studies have shown that NO paired with a weak tetanus (50 Hz/0.5 sec) induced LTP that lasted for at least 60 min (Zhuo et al.,
1993 ). To test whether NO also contributes to the induction of L-LTP,
we used a modified protocol in which we paired NO with a single 100 Hz/1 sec train of stimulation. Stimulation alone (100 Hz/1 sec)
produced early-phase LTP (130 ± 14% at 60 min; n = 5) but not L-LTP (114 ± 9% at 3 hr). However, when NO was
paired with one-train tetanization, stable late-phase potentiation was
obtained [163 ± 15% at 3 hr; n = 4;
t(3) = 4.20; p < 0.05; t(7) = 3.21; p < 0.05 compared with
one-train alone; Fig.
2A]. These results,
together with the inhibitory effect of NO-Arg on L-LTP induced by
multiple-train tetanization, suggest that NO signaling is involved in
the formation of L-LTP.

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Figure 2.
NO produces activity-dependent late-phase
potentiation. A, NO solution paired with one-train (100 Hz/1 sec) tetanization produced late-phase potentiation, whereas
one-train tetanus alone induced only early-phase potentiation.
Insets, Representative field EPSPs before and 3 hr after
the tetanus are shown. Calibration: 5 msec, 1 mV. B, NO
paired with one-train tetanus induced late-phase potentiation in the
tetanized pathway but not in an untetanized control pathway in the same
slice. The two pathways were stimulated alternately.
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NO induces early-phase potentiation only when it is paired with weak
tetanic stimulation, and the potentiation is restricted to the
tetanized pathway (Zhuo et al., 1993 ). To test whether this is also the
case for late-phase potentiation, we performed experiments with two
independent input pathways to the same group of CA1 pyramidal cells.
One-train tetanic stimulation was delivered to one pathway while NO
solution was applied to the slice. No tetanization was applied to the
second pathway. In the untetanized pathway there were no detectable
changes of EPSP slope (99 ± 7%; n = 4), whereas
the tetanized pathway showed a significant enhancement of synaptic
transmission [184 ± 17% 3 hr after tetanus; n = 4; t(3) = 4.94; p < 0.02;
t(3) = 4.62; p < 0.05 compared with
the control pathway; Fig. 2B]. These results show
that, as in early-phase potentiation, late-phase potentiation by NO
paired with tetanic stimulation is restricted to the tetanized pathway,
and NO alone produces no potentiation.
cGMP is involved in L-LTP
Because NO is thought to produce early-phase potentiation in part
by activating soluble guanylyl cyclase (East and Garthwaite, 1991 ;
Zhuo et al., 1994 ; Arancio et al., 1995 ; Boulton et al., 1995 ;
Son et al., 1998 ), we tested the possible involvement of cGMP in L-LTP.
We first examined the effect of ODQ, a specific inhibitor of
soluble guanylyl cyclase (Garthwaite et al., 1995 ), on L-LTP induced by
three-train tetanization. ODQ (5 µM) applied to the slice
at least 60 min before tetanization and throughout the experiment
blocked late-phase potentiation induced by three-train tetanization
[111 ± 14% 3 hr after tetanization; n = 4;
t(8) = 2.90; p < 0.05 compared with
normal saline; Fig. 3A]. ODQ
also blocked late-phase potentiation by NO paired with one-train
tetanization [109 ± 14% at 3 hr; n = 4;
t(6) = 3.11; p < 0.05 compared with NO
paired with one-train tetanization in normal saline; Fig.
3B]. These results suggest that guanylyl cyclase is
involved in NO-induced late-phase potentiation.

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Figure 3.
Guanylyl cyclase and cGMP are involved in L-LTP.
A, L-LTP induced by three-train tetanization was blocked
by the guanylyl cyclase inhibitor ODQ (5 µM). ODQ was
added to the perfusion solution at least 1 hr before the tetanization
and throughout the experiment. B, Late-phase
potentiation induced by NO solution paired with one-train tetanus was
also blocked by ODQ. C, D, The cGMP
analogs 8-Br-cGMP (1 µM) or 8-pCPT-cGMP (1 µM) paired with one-train tetanus produced late-phase
potentiation. 8-Br-cGMP or 8-pCPT-cGMP alone had no effect on the
baseline EPSP. The drugs were applied starting 10 min before the
tetanus until 10 min after the tetanus. E, Potentiation
by 8-Br-cGMP (1 µM) paired with one-train tetanization
occluded L-LTP by three-train tetanization. Ninety minutes after
8-Br-cGMP-induced potentiation, the stimulation intensity was reduced
to reset the baseline to a level similar to that at the beginning of
the experiment (downward vertical
arrow), and then three-train 100 Hz/1 sec
tetanization was delivered.
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Because NO-induced potentiation is thought to be produced in part by
activation of guanylyl cyclase resulting in the production of cGMP, we
predicted that exogenous application of cGMP analogs should produce the
same effect as NO. We tested this idea by using 8-Br-cGMP, a
membrane-permeable cGMP analog that is resistant to degradation by
phosphodiesterases. We used a low concentration of 8-Br-cGMP (1 µM) that should specifically activate cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PKG) but not PKA because the
Ka of 8-Br-cGMP is 0.01-0.21
µM for PKG and 12 µM
for PKA (Butt et al., 1992 ; Sekhar et al., 1992 ). Perfusion with
8-Br-cGMP for 10 min before a one-train tetanus produced robust
late-phase potentiation [180 ± 18% at 3 hr; n = 9; t(8) = 4.44; p < 0.01;
t(12) = 2.62; p < 0.05 compared with
perfusion with normal saline; Fig. 3C]. Perfusing the slice with 8-Br-cGMP alone had no effect on the baseline EPSP (92 ± 8%
at 3 hr; n = 3). We also tested 8-pCPT-cGMP, another
cGMP analog that has greater membrane permeability and is also more
selective for stimulating PKG as opposed to other cGMP targets such as
cGMP-stimulated phosphodiesterases (Geiger et al., 1992 ). The
Ka of 8-pCPT-cGMP is 0.04-0.44
µM for PKG and 7.0 µM
for PKA (Butt et al., 1992 ; Sekhar et al., 1992 ). 8-pCPT-cGMP (1 µM) paired with a one-train tetanus produced
robust late-phase potentiation [208 ± 13% at 3 hr;
n = 3; t(2) = 8.31; p < 0.05], whereas 8-pCPT-cGMP alone had no effect on the baseline EPSP
(86 ± 3%; n = 3; Fig. 3D).
The enhanced potentiation by cGMP analogs paired with one-train tetanus
might simply result from increased depolarization of the postsynaptic
cells during the tetanus, perhaps because of disinhibition of GABAergic
interneurons (Wexler et al., 1998 ). However, Son et al. (1998) found no
effect of 8-Br-cGMP on the field EPSP during tetanic stimulation. As
another way to examine this possibility, we tested the effect of
8-Br-cGMP during blockade of GABAergic inhibition. In the presence of
the GABA antagonist picrotoxin (100 µM), 8-Br-cGMP paired
with one-train tetanization still produced late-phase potentiation
[176 ± 5% at 3 hr; n = 3; t(2) = 15.20; p < 0.01]. Picrotoxin itself had no
detectable effect on potentiation induced by one-train tetanization
(109 ± 8% at 3 hr; n = 3).
If late-phase potentiation induced by cGMP analogs paired with
one-train tetanization shares mechanisms with L-LTP induced by
three-train tetanization, potentiation induced by one protocol should
occlude potentiation induced by the other. We found that after
potentiation produced by 8-Br-cGMP paired with one-train tetanization,
three-train tetanization no longer induced L-LTP [100 ± 2% 3 hr
after three-train tetanization; n = 4;
t(8) = 3.47; p < 0.01 compared with
normal L-LTP; Fig. 3E].
PKG is involved in L-LTP
PKG is thought to be a signaling target by which cGMP contributes
to the formation of E-LTP in the hippocampus (Zhuo et al., 1994 ;
Arancio et al., 1995 ; Blitzer et al., 1995 ; Son et al., 1998 ; O. Arancio, I. Antonova, S. Gambaryan, S. M. Lohmann, J. S. Wood, D. S. Lawrence, and R. D. Hawkins, unpublished observations). However, cGMP
may also activate other signaling pathways. For example, cyclic
nucleotide-gated calcium channels and cGMP-activated phosphodiesterases
are also expressed in hippocampal pyramidal cells (Repaske et al.,
1993 ; Kingston et al., 1996 ; Bradley et al., 1997 ). Therefore, we
examined the effects of PKG inhibitors on L-LTP induced by three-train
tetanization. Preincubation with Rp-8-Br-PET-cGMPS (1 µM), a selective PKG inhibitor
(Ki of 0.03-0.035 µM for PKG and 11 µM
for PKA), blocked three-train L-LTP [107 ± 11% at 3 hr;
n = 3; t(7) = 2.76; p < 0.05 compared with normal saline; Fig.
4A]. KT5823 (2 µM), another structurally different PKG
inhibitor (Ki of 0.234 µM for PKG and >10 µM
for PKA), produced a similar blockade of L-LTP induced by three-train
tetanization [120 ± 3% at 3 hr; n = 3;
t(7) = 2.40; p < 0.05 compared with normal saline; Fig. 4A]. Like the nitric oxide
synthase inhibitor NO-Arg (Fig. 1), Rp-8-Br-PET-cGMPS partially reduced
four-train L-LTP but did not completely block it (160 ± 14% at 3 hr; n = 4; Fig. 4B).

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Figure 4.
Effect of PKG inhibitors on L-LTP.
A, L-LTP induced by three-train tetanization was blocked
by the PKG inhibitors KT5823 (2 µM) or Rp-8-Br-PET-cGMPS
(1 µM). The drugs were applied 30 min before until 20 min
after the tetanus, as indicated by the horizontal
bar. B, L-LTP induced by four-train
tetanization was reduced but not completely blocked by
Rp-8-Br-PET-cGMPS. C, Late-phase potentiation induced by
8-Br-cGMP (1 µM) paired with one-train tetanization was
also blocked by KT5823 (2 µM).
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Our results suggest that the NO-cGMP-PKG-signaling pathway is
involved in three-train L-LTP and to a lesser extent in four-train L-LTP. To examine further whether PKG is a downstream target of cGMP,
we tested the effect of a PKG inhibitor on late-phase potentiation induced by a cGMP analog. Perfusion with KT5823 (2 µM)
for 30 min blocked potentiation by 8-Br-cGMP paired with a one-train tetanus [107 ± 14% at 3 hr; n = 4;
t(11) = 2.39; p < 0.05 compared with
normal saline; Fig. 4C]. Therefore, PKG seems to be
involved in cGMP-induced late-phase potentiation.
cGMP-induced late-phase potentiation is dependent on protein and
RNA synthesis
Previous studies have shown that L-LTP produced by multiple-train
tetanization requires protein and RNA synthesis (Frey et al., 1988 ;
Huang and Kandel, 1994 ; Nguyen et al., 1994 ; Huang et al., 1996 ).
Because late-phase potentiation induced by cGMP analogs shares some
common mechanisms with L-LTP induced by three-train tetanization, it
was interesting to know whether cGMP-induced late-phase potentiation is
also protein and RNA synthesis dependent. Replicating previous results
(Huang and Kandel, 1994 ), we found that L-LTP induced by three-train
tetanization was blocked by preincubation with the translational
inhibitor anisomycin (30 µM) for 30 min [128 ± 5%; n = 4; t(8) = 2.47;
p < 0.05 compared with normal saline]. Similarly,
after perfusion with anisomycin, 8-Br-cGMP paired with one-train
tetanization produced fairly normal early-phase potentiation (152 ± 10% at 1 hr) but reduced late-phase potentiation [123 ± 8%
at 3 hr; n = 7; t(14) = 2.46;
p < 0.05 compared with normal saline; Fig.
5A]. Anisomycin had no effect on the baseline EPSP (95 ± 12% at 3 hr; n = 2).
Although anisomycin could have additional molecular actions, these
results suggest that late-phase potentiation induced by cGMP is
dependent on protein synthesis.

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Figure 5.
cGMP analog-induced late-phase potentiation is
dependent on macromolecular synthesis. A, Late-phase
potentiation induced by 8-Br-cGMP (1 µM) paired with
one-train tetanization was blocked by the protein synthesis inhibitor
anisomycin (30 µM), whereas the baseline EPSP was not
affected by anisomycin. Anisomycin was applied from 30 min before until
25 min after the tetanus. B, Late-phase potentiation
induced by 8-Br-cGMP (1 µM) paired with one-train
tetanization was also blocked by the transcriptional inhibitor
actinomycin D (ATD; 40 µM). Actinomycin D
was applied from 30 min before until 25 min after the tetanus.
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If protein synthesis is required for the expression of late-phase
potentiation, the synthesis might occur in the soma of the neurons, but
it could also occur at the synapses. For example, in Aplysia
some of the new protein necessary for long-term facilitation was found
to be synthesized at the synapses by local mRNA (Martin et al., 1997a ).
In the hippocampus, a BDNF-induced enhancement of synaptic transmission
was also shown to be dependent on local protein synthesis and was still
present after removal of both the pre- and postsynaptic cell bodies
(Kang and Schuman, 1996 ). Therefore, the inhibitory effect of
anisomycin may be produced by blockade of the translational mechanism
at the cell body and/or synapse. To distinguish between these
possibilities and as an additional test of the involvement of
macromolecular synthesis, we examined the effect of the transcriptional
inhibitor actinomycin D (40 µM) and found that
it also reduced late-phase potentiation induced by 8-Br-cGMP paired
with one-train tetanus [122 ± 14%; n = 6;
t(13) = 2.19; p < 0.05 compared with
normal saline; Fig. 5B]. These results indicate that like
L-LTP produced by multiple-train tetanization, cGMP-induced
potentiation is protein and RNA synthesis dependent.
Relationship of the PKG- and PKA-signaling pathways in L-LTP
A number of studies have demonstrated the role of PKA in
L-LTP (Frey et al., 1993 ; Huang and Kandel, 1994 ; Abel et al., 1997 ; Winder et al., 1998 ). In the present study we have shown that the
PKG-signaling pathway also appears to be involved in L-LTP by using
cGMP analogs (8-Br-cGMP and 8-pCPT-cGMP) and PKG inhibitors (KT5823 and
Rp-8-Br-PET-cGMP) at relatively low concentrations that were chosen to
selectively affect PKG but not PKA. Therefore, it was interesting to
investigate the relationship of PKA and PKG in the induction of
L-LTP.
One possibility is that cGMP and PKG produce late-phase potentiation by
stimulating PKA. Consistent with this possibility, the type 1 regulatory subunit of PKA (PKAR1) is a substrate for PKG (Geahlen and
Krebs, 1980 ), and phosphorylation of PKAR1 by PKG results in loss of
inhibition of the catalytic subunit of PKA in vitro,
although it is not clear whether this also happens in vivo
(Geahlen et al., 1981 ). However, the finding that PKG and PKA are
preferentially involved in three- and four-train L-LTP, respectively
(Figs. 1, 4), argues against this possibility. As an additional test of
this idea, we examined the effect of a PKA inhibitor on cGMP-induced
potentiation. Preincubation with the PKA inhibitor KT5720 (1 µM) produced only a small reduction of late-phase potentiation by 8-Br-cGMP paired with one-train tetanus (158 ± 11%; n = 3; Fig.
6A). This result
suggests that cGMP does not act by stimulating PKA during the induction
of L-LTP. As a positive control for the effectiveness of the drug, we
found that the same concentration of KT5720 (1 µM) completely blocked the long-lasting
potentiation of synaptic transmission produced by the PKA agonist
Sp-cAMPS (100 µM) (Fig.
6B).

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Figure 6.
Relationship between PKG and PKA in the induction
of late-phase potentiation. A, Late-phase potentiation
induced by 8-Br-cGMP paired with one-train tetanization was not
significantly reduced by the PKA inhibitor KT5720 (1 µM).
KT5720 was applied from 30 min before until 20 min after the tetanus.
B, KT5720 (1 µM) blocked enhancement of
synaptic transmission by the PKA activator Sp-cAMPS (100 µM). C, Potentiation induced by Sp-cAMPS
(100 µM) occluded late-phase potentiation by 8-Br-cGMP
paired with one-train tetanus. Ninety minutes after Sp-cAMPS-induced
potentiation, the stimulation intensity was reduced to obtain a new
baseline similar to that at the beginning of the experiment, and then
8-Br-cGMP was applied paired with one-train tetanus.
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If PKG and PKA activate independent pathways initially but converge at
some later step during the induction of L-LTP, activating one pathway
should occlude potentiation induced by the other pathway. To test this
possibility, we first applied the PKA activator Sp-cAMPS (100 µM) for 15 min. In agreement with previous studies (Frey et al., 1993 ; Nguyen et al., 1994 ; Winder et al., 1998 ), Sp-cAMPS produced inhibition during the application, followed by long-lasting potentiation after washout of the drug [135 ± 5% 90 min after application of Sp-cAMPS; n = 3; t(2) = 7.00; p < .05; Fig. 6C]. The test
stimulation intensity was then reduced to obtain a new baseline similar
to that before Sp-cAMPS application. Under this condition, 8-Br-cGMP
paired with one-train tetanization induced early-phase potentiation but
no late-phase potentiation [106 ± 3% 3 hr after the tetanus;
n = 3; t(10) = 2.57; p < 0.05 compared with normal 8-Br-cGMP-induced potentiation]. This
result suggests that PKG and PKA share some common downstream mechanism
during the induction of L-LTP.
Together with the finding that a PKA inhibitor did not block
cGMP-induced potentiation, these results suggest that PKG and PKA
activate independent pathways initially, but their signaling pathways
merge at some later step. The evidence that both PKG- and PKA-induced
late-phase potentiation are blocked by inhibitors of protein and RNA
synthesis (Fig. 5) (Frey et al., 1993 ) also suggests that they might
share some of the same mechanisms.
cGMP-induced late-phase potentiation is accompanied by
CREB phosphorylation
The late, protein synthesis-dependent phase of LTP is thought to
involve induction of immediate early genes via phosphorylation of CREB,
mediated in part via PKA (Bourtchouladze et al., 1994 ; Impey et al.,
1996 , 1998 ; Matthies et al., 1997 ; Gass et al., 1998 ). Previous studies
in other systems have shown that NO is also involved in gene expression
associated with activation of CREB (Peunova and Enlkolopov, 1993 ; Ohki
et al., 1995 ; Ding et al., 1997 ) and that cGMP and PKG can trigger gene
induction via CREB phosphorylation (Haby et al., 1994 ; Gudi et al.,
1996 , 1997 ). We therefore investigated whether PKG might also cause
CREB phosphorylation during the induction of late-phase potentiation by
examining phospho-CREB immunofluorescence in hippocampal slices that
had received the same treatments described in the electrophysiological
experiments. The slices were fixed either 1 or 60 min after the
treatments, stained with an antibody for CREB phosphorylated at
Ser-133, and viewed on a confocal microscope.
We first examined phospho-CREB immunofluorescence after either four- or
three-train tetanization (Fig. 7). One
minute after the end of four-train tetanization, the intensity of
immunofluorescence in the CA1 cell body area was significantly
increased compared with that in untreated control slices from the same
animals [187 ± 12% of control; n = 7;
F(1,71) = 93.63; p < 0.01]. The increase in phospho-CREB immunofluorescence was almost
completely blocked by an inhibitor of PKA, KT5720 [112 ± 7%;
n = 7; F(1,71) = 35.15; p < 0.01 compared with no inhibitor], and was
also significantly reduced but not completely blocked by an inhibitor
of PKG, KT5823 [132 ± 8%; n = 7;
F(1,71) = 12.33; p < 0.01 compared with control; F(1,71) = 19.00; p < 0.01 compared with no inhibitor]. One
minute after the end of three-train tetanization, there was also a
significant increase in phospho-CREB immunofluorescence that was
somewhat smaller than that after four-train tetanization [148 ± 8%; n = 8; F(1,71) = 32.96; p < 0.01 compared with control;
F(1,71) = 9.89; p < 0.01 compared with four-train]. However, unlike the increase in
immunofluorescence after four-train tetanization, the increase after
three-train tetanization was not reduced by an inhibitor of PKA, KT5720
(156 ± 5%; n = 6), but it was almost completely
blocked by an inhibitor of PKG, KT5823 [112 ± 5%;
n = 6; F(1,71) = 8.16;
p < 0.01 compared with no inhibitor]. Thus, like
L-LTP by three- and four-train tetanization (Figs. 1, 4), the increases
in immunofluorescence after three- and four-train tetanization were
affected differently by inhibitors of PKA and PKG [drug × train
number interaction, F(1,22) = 18.78;
p < 0.01]. These results suggest that PKA and PKG
contribute preferentially to somewhat different components of CREB
phosphorylation, with PKA contributing more importantly than PKG with
four-train tetanization and PKG contributing more importantly than PKA
with three-train tetanization.

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Figure 7.
Increase in phospho-CREB immunofluorescence after
three- or four-train tetanization. A, Representative
examples of hippocampal slices stained with a phospho-CREB antibody.
The slices were fixed 1 min after either no treatment
(Control), four-train tetanization of the
Schaffer collateral pathway, four-train tetanization during perfusion
with the PKA inhibitor KT5720, three-train tetanization, or three-train
tetanization during perfusion with the PKG inhibitor KT5823.
Left, Low-power (5× objective) view of the entire
slice. Right, Higher power (40× objective) view of the
CA1 cell body area. B, Average immunofluorescence
intensity in the CA1 cell body area, compared with untreated control
slices from the same animals. Top, Slices fixed 1 min
after tetanization. Bottom, Slices fixed 60 min after
tetanization. The data are expressed as mean (± SEM) percent of
control. There was a significant effect of group
[F(5,71) = 15.29;
p < 0.01] in a two-way ANOVA (group and time). In
subsequent planned comparisons, *p < 0.05 compared
with control slices; #p< 0.05 compared with slices
with no inhibitor.
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The similarity between the results on phospho-CREB immunofluorescence
and L-LTP supports the idea that CREB phosphorylation is a key step in
the induction of the potentiation. However, there was one case in which
the two sets of results were not parallel: with three-train
tetanization, an inhibitor of PKA significantly reduced L-LTP (Fig.
1D) but had no effect on the increase in phospho-CREB immunofluorescence. This result suggests that PKA may play some role in
L-LTP in addition to CREB phosphorylation, perhaps by acting on another
transcription factor or a coactivator necessary for transcription.
Sixty minutes after these treatments CREB phosphorylation was very
similar to that seen 1 min after the treatments, with one exception:
the increase in immunofluorescence after four-train tetanization was
significantly less at 60 min than at 1 min [158 ± 7%;
n = 7; F(1,71) = 5.26;
p < 0.05 compared with 1 min], although it was still
significantly greater than control
[F(1,71) = 41.37; p < 0.01]. There was no such decline in phospho-CREB immunofluorescence after three-train tetanization, suggesting that these two different training protocols may also produce temporally different patterns of
CREB phosphorylation.
We next examined phospho-CREB immunofluorescence after treatments with
cyclic nucleotide analogs (Fig. 8). There
was a significant increase in immunofluorescence 1 min after treatment
with 8-Br-cGMP paired with 1 train tetanization [169 ± 14%;
n = 7; F(1,115) = 44.76; p < 0.01]. By contrast, there was no
significant change in immunofluorescence after treatment with one-train
tetanization alone (97 ± 8%; n = 6) or 8-Br-cGMP
alone (109 ± 6%; n = 9). The increase in
immunofluorescence by 8-Br-cGMP paired with one-train tetanization was
significantly reduced by an inhibitor of PKG, KT5823 [104 ± 8%;
n = 7; F(1,115) = 19.77; p < 0.01 compared with no inhibitor], but not
by an inhibitor of PKA, KT5720 (179 ± 11%; n = 8). There was also a significant increase in immunofluorescence 1 min
after treatment with the cAMP analog Sp-cAMPS [213 ± 25%; n = 6; F(1,115) = 101.03; p < 0.01] that was significantly reduced by
the PKA inhibitor KT5720 [124 ± 10%; n = 6;
F(1,115) = 31.34; p < 0.01 compared with no inhibitor]. In all of these cases the results on
CREB phosphorylation were similar to the electrophysiological results
on late-phase potentiation (Figs. 4C,
6A,B) and support the idea that PKG and PKA act in
parallel to phosphorylate CREB during the induction of L-LTP.

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Figure 8.
Increase in phospho-CREB immunofluorescence after
treatment with cyclic nucleotide analogs. A,
Representative examples of phospho-CREB immunofluorescence in slices
that were fixed 1 min after treatment with either 8-Br-cGMP paired with
one-train tetanization, 8-Br-cGMP paired with one-train tetanus during
perfusion with the PKG inhibitor KT5823, 8-Br-cGMP paired with
one-train tetanus during perfusion with the PKA inhibitor KT5720,
Sp-cAMPS, or Sp-cAMPS during perfusion with KT5720. B,
Average immunofluorescence intensity in the CA1 cell body area,
compared with untreated control slices. There were significant effects
of group [F(8,115) = 20.61;
p < 0.01], time
[F(1,115) = 7.15;
p < 0.01], and the group × time interaction
[F(8,115) = 2.59;
p < 0.05] in a two-way ANOVA. Perfusion with the
MAP kinase inhibitor U0126 (20 µM) began 60 min before
and ended 20 min after perfusion with the cyclic nucleotide
analogs.
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Recent evidence indicates that MAP kinase also plays an important role
in late-phase potentiation and CREB phosphorylation (English and
Sweatt, 1997 ; Atkins et al., 1998 ; Impey et al., 1998 ) and that cAMP
and PKA may act in part by activating MAP kinase (Martin et al., 1997b ;
Impey et al., 1998 ; Michael et al., 1998 ). Consistent with that idea,
the increase in phospho-CREB immunofluorescence by Sp-cAMPS was almost
completely blocked by an inhibitor of MAP kinase, U0126 [104 ± 2%; n = 9; F(1,115) = 56.47; p < 0.01 compared with no inhibitor], as well
as by the PKA inhibitor KT5720. We therefore investigated whether
cGMP-induced CREB phosphorylation also involves MAP kinase. The
increase in immunofluorescence by 8-Br-cGMP paired with one-train
tetanization was significantly reduced but not completely blocked by
the MAP kinase inhibitor U0126 [138 ± 8%; n = 8; F(1,115) = 15.67; p < 0.01 compared with control;
F(1,115) = 4.76; p < 0.05 compared with no inhibitor]. These results suggest that cGMP may
cause CREB phosphorylation in part via MAP kinase but that it can also cause CREB phosphorylation independent of both MAP kinase and PKA.
Sixty minutes after these treatments CREB phosphorylation was very
similar to that seen 1 min after the treatments, with one exception:
the increase in phospho-CREB immunofluorescence after treatment with
Sp-cAMPS was significantly less at 60 min than at 1 min [141 ± 11%; n = 7; F(1,115) = 22.01; p < 0.01 compared with 1 min], although it
was still significantly greater than control
[F(1,115) = 15.61; p < 0.01]. There was no such decline in phospho-CREB immunofluorescence
after 8-Br-cGMP paired with one-train tetanization [drug × time
interaction, F(1,28) = 4.48; p < 0.05]. These results suggest that the
cGMP-dependent component of late-phase potentiation involves
phosphorylation of CREB that is stable for at least 1 hr after
treatment, whereas the cAMP-dependent component involves more transient
phosphorylation of CREB. We obtained a similar pattern of results with
three- and four-train tetanization, respectively (Fig. 7), consistent
with the idea that four-train tetanization recruits the cAMP-dependent
component relatively more strongly.
 |
DISCUSSION |
The NO-cGMP-PKG-signaling pathway and PKA both contribute
to L-LTP
NO signaling is thought to be involved in E-LTP that is
induced by one or two trains of tetanic stimulation and lasts ~1 hr (for review, see Hawkins et al., 1998 ). By contrast, PKA is not thought
to be involved in E-LTP induced by one-train tetanic stimulation (Huang
and Kandel, 1994 ; Huang et al., 1996 ), although recent evidence
indicates that PKA does make a contribution to a novel, intermediate
phase of LTP that can be produced by two tetani and does not depend on
protein synthesis (Blitzer et al., 1995 , 1998 ; Winder et al., 1998 ) as
well as to L-LTP that is induced by three or four tetani and is protein
synthesis dependent (Frey et al., 1993 ; Huang and Kandel, 1994 ; Huang
et al., 1996 ; Abel et al., 1997 ; Winder et al., 1998 ). In the present
study we found that NO and PKG also contribute to L-LTP induced by
three-train tetanization and to a lesser extent to L-LTP induced by
four-train tetanization, whereas PKA contributes more to four-train
L-LTP than to three-train L-LTP. Taken together, these results indicate
that PKG and PKA are both involved in L-LTP induced by multiple trains
of tetanic stimulation. However, the contribution of PKG evidently
declines as that of PKA grows with increasing numbers of tetani,
suggesting that PKG and PKA play somewhat complementary roles in LTP.
The idea that different molecular mechanisms make different
contributions to LTP depending on the protocol may help to explain some
of the conflicting results on the roles of NO, cGMP, and PKG in E-LTP.
A number of studies have supported the involvement of the
NO-cGMP-PKG-signaling pathway in E-LTP, but other studies have found
either that those molecules are not involved or that they are involved
with some protocols but not others (for review, see Hawkins et al.,
1998 ). For example, one recent study found no effect on E-LTP of a
double knock-out of two isoforms of PKG (Kleppisch et al., 1999 ).
However, that same study also reported no effect of an inhibitor of
soluble guanylyl cyclase, ODQ, whereas previous studies had found that
ODQ produced a clear reduction of E-LTP (Boulton et al., 1995 ; Son et
al., 1998 ). A plausible explanation for these discrepant results is
that the NO-cGMP-PKG pathway contributes to LTP but that other,
independent mechanisms such as PKA signaling also contribute, and their
relative contributions (and thus the experimental results) depend on
the experimental protocol. For example, a number of studies have found
that NO makes a relatively larger contribution to E-LTP when it is
induced by weaker tetanic stimulation (Chetkovich et al., 1993 ; Haley et al., 1993 ; O'Dell et al., 1994 ; Malen and Chapman, 1997 ; Zhuo et
al., 1998 ; but see Gribkoff and Lum-Ragan, 1992 ), and we have now
extended that finding to L-LTP. Similarly, Son et al. (1998) recently
identified experimental variables that affect the contribution of cGMP
to E-LTP. Thus, differences in experimental procedures can account for
some of the discrepant results on the roles of NO, cGMP, and PKG in LTP.
cGMP and PKG increase CREB phosphorylation in parallel with PKA and
MAP kinase
Our results on phospho-CREB immunofluorescence are consistent with
the results of previous studies that have shown that the induction of
L-LTP in hippocampal slices is accompanied by an increase in CREB
phosphorylation (Impey et al., 1996 ; Matthies et al., 1997 ) as well as
CRE-mediated gene expression that depends on PKA (Impey et al., 1996 ).
In addition, we have found that cGMP and PKG can also contribute to
CREB phosphorylation and that this signaling pathway plays a relatively
larger role after three-train tetanization than after four-train
tetanization. The increase in CREB phosphorylation by 8-Br-cGMP paired
with one-train tetanization was not blocked by an inhibitor of PKA,
indicating that cGMP and PKG do not act by stimulating PKA. The
increase in phospho-CREB immunofluorescence was also only partially
reduced by an inhibitor of MAP kinase, indicating that cGMP and PKG
cause CREB phosphorylation, at least in part, via some other pathway.
One possibility is that PKG may directly phosphorylate CREB at the same
site as PKA. PKG can phosphorylate CREB directly in vitro
(Colbran et al., 1992 ) and is thought to act directly in transfected
kidney cells (Gudi et al., 1996 ), but it is not known whether this
occurs in neurons. Another possibility is that PKG may phosphorylate
CREB indirectly via some other kinase such
Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent kinase (CamK),
perhaps by triggering Ca2+ release from
intracellular Ca2+ stores. PKG activates
ADP ribosyl cyclase leading to the production of cyclic ADP ribose,
which in turn acts synergistically with Ca2+ to stimulate ryanodine receptors and
cause release of Ca2+ from intracellular
stores (Galione et al., 1993 ; Lee, 1993 ). Ca2+ release from intracellular stores has
been implicated in the induction of LTP in hippocampal slices (Harvey
and Collingridge, 1992 ; Wang et al., 1996 ), and CamK is important for
CREB phosphorylation during LTP in cultured hippocampal neurons (Bito
et al., 1996 ; Deisseroth et al., 1996 , 1998 ). In agreement with this
possibility, in preliminary experiments we have found that both
late-phase potentiation and the increase in CREB phosphorylation by
8-Br-cGMP paired with one-train tetanization are blocked by prolonged
exposure to ryanodine, which decreases
Ca2+ release from ryanodine-sensitive
intracellular Ca2+ stores (Y.-F. Lu and R. D. Hawkins, unpublished observations).
Roles of NO, cGMP, and PKG in E-LTP and L-LTP
The finding that NO, cGMP, and PKG are involved in L-LTP as well
as E-LTP raises the question of what (if anything) is the relationship
between the roles of these molecules in the different phases of LTP.
During E-LTP, NO is thought to act as a retrograde messenger that
stimulates cGMP and PKG in the presynaptic terminals. Results from a
number of experiments on hippocampal slices are consistent with this
hypothesis (for review, see Hawkins et al., 1998 ), and experiments on
dissociated cultures of hippocampal neurons strongly support it
(Arancio et al., 1995 , 1996 ) (Arancio, Antonova, Gambaryan, Lohmann,
Wood, Lawrence, and Hawkins, unpublished observations). Our
results indicate that NO, cGMP, and PKG are also involved in L-LTP that
requires protein and RNA synthesis. Although there could be local
protein synthesis at the synapses (Kang and Schuman, 1996 ; Martin et
al., 1997a ), the RNA synthesis critical for late-phase potentiation
probably occurs in the cell bodies. Moreover, it most likely occurs in
the postsynaptic neurons because L-LTP is blocked when the dendrites
are surgically separated from the postsynaptic cell bodies (Frey et
al., 1989 ), whereas both L-LTP by tetanic stimulation and late-phase
potentiation by NO or cGMP analogs are normal in slices from which the
presynaptic cell bodies have been surgically removed (our picrotoxin
experiments; Lu and Hawkins, unpublished observations).
Furthermore, we have found that late-phase potentiation is accompanied
by an increase in phospho-CREB immunofluorescence in the postsynaptic
(CA1) cell bodies. Thus, NO, cGMP, and PKG may have different sites of
action for the different phases of potentiation.
One possibility is that NO generated in the postsynaptic neurons may
diffuse not only to the presynaptic terminals to induce E-LTP but also
to postsynaptic dendrites or cell bodies to induce protein- and RNA
synthesis-dependent L-LTP. An interesting implication of this idea is
that NO might also diffuse to neighboring neurons and produce
late-phase potentiation in them as well, much as it is thought to for
early-phase potentiation (Bonhoeffer et al., 1989 ; Schuman and Madison,
1994 ). However, because NO or 8-Br-cGMP must be paired with one-train
tetanization to produce either late-phase potentiation or CREB
phosphorylation, presumably only neighboring neurons with some minimum
level of synaptic activity would undergo the potentiation. This idea is
analogous to the idea that NO and activity act synergistically to
preserve the pathway specificity of early-phase potentiation by a
freely diffusible retrograde messenger molecule (Hawkins et al.,
1993 ).
These arguments suggest that NO may act to produce early- and
late-phase potentiation by two completely independent mechanisms in
different cellular locations. However, the finding that the same
signaling pathway (NO-cGMP-PKG) appears to be involved in both phases
of potentiation suggests that they may be coordinated in some way. One
way that early- and late-phase potentiation might interact is via
synaptic "tagging." Evidence from both hippocampus and
Aplysia suggests that local events that occur during
early-phase LTP or facilitation somehow "tag" the active synapses,
so that those synapses can use the newly synthesized proteins when they arrive from the cell body for the late phase (Frey and Morris, 1997 ;
Martin et al., 1997a ). The finding that NO paired with a single tetanus
to one input pathway produces late-phase potentiation in that pathway
but not in a control pathway in the same slice (Fig.
2B) suggests that late-phase potentiation by NO also
involves synaptic tagging. Because Frey and Morris (1997) and we (data not shown) have found that a single tetanus by itself is not sufficient to tag synapses for late-phase potentiation, these results also suggest
that the NO-signaling pathway may play some role in local synaptic
tagging that could serve to link its other roles in L-LTP and
E-LTP.
 |
FOOTNOTES |
Received May 14, 1999; revised Sept. 10, 1999; accepted Sept. 15, 1999.
This research was supported by the National Institute of Mental Health
Grant MH50733 and by a grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.
We thank K. Martin and L. Zablow for advice and assistance with the
immunocytochemistry, K. Martin, S. Patterson, and D. Winder for their
comments, and M. Pellan and H. Ayers for typing this manuscript.
Correspondence should be addressed to Dr. Robert D. Hawkins, Center for
Neurobiology and Behavior, Columbia University, College of Physicians
and Surgeons, 722 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032. E-mail:
rhawkins{at}pi.cpmc.columbia.edu.
 |
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C. L. M. Bon and J. Garthwaite
On the Role of Nitric Oxide in Hippocampal Long-Term Potentiation
J. Neurosci.,
March 1, 2003;
23(5):
1941 - 1948.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
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E. Ciani, S. Guidi, G. Della Valle, G. Perini, R. Bartesaghi, and A. Contestabile
Nitric Oxide Protects Neuroblastoma Cells from Apoptosis Induced by Serum Deprivation through cAMP-response Element-binding Protein (CREB) Activation
J. Biol. Chem.,
December 13, 2002;
277(51):
49896 - 49902.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
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P. Monfort, M.-D. Munoz, E. Kosenko, and V. Felipo
Long-Term Potentiation in Hippocampus Involves Sequential Activation of Soluble Guanylate Cyclase, cGMP-Dependent Protein Kinase, and cGMP-Degrading Phosphodiesterase
J. Neurosci.,
December 1, 2002;
22(23):
10116 - 10122.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
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A. Burette, U. Zabel, R. J. Weinberg, H. H. H. W. Schmidt, and J. G. Valtschanoff
Synaptic Localization of Nitric Oxide Synthase and Soluble Guanylyl Cyclase in the Hippocampus
J. Neurosci.,
October 15, 2002;
22(20):
8961 - 8970.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
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Y.-F. Lu and R. D. Hawkins
Ryanodine Receptors Contribute to cGMP-Induced Late-Phase LTP and CREB Phosphorylation in the Hippocampus
J Neurophysiol,
September 1, 2002;
88(3):
1270 - 1278.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
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J. C. Selcher, E. J. Weeber, A. W. Varga, J. D. Sweatt, and M. Swank
Book Review: Protein Kinase Signal Transduction Cascades in Mammalian Associative Conditioning
Neuroscientist,
April 1, 2002;
8(2):
122 - 131.
[Abstract]
[PDF]
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K. Tomizawa, J. Ohta, M. Matsushita, A. Moriwaki, S.-T. Li, K. Takei, and H. Matsui
Cdk5/p35 Regulates Neurotransmitter Release through Phosphorylation and Downregulation of P/Q-Type Voltage-Dependent Calcium Channel Activity
J. Neurosci.,
April 1, 2002;
22(7):
2590 - 2597.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
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I. Kemenes, G. Kemenes, R. J. Andrew, P. R. Benjamin, and M. O'Shea
Critical Time-Window for NO-cGMP-Dependent Long-Term Memory Formation after One-Trial Appetitive Conditioning
J. Neurosci.,
February 15, 2002;
22(4):
1414 - 1425.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
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M. Matsushita, K. Tomizawa, A. Moriwaki, S.-T. Li, H. Terada, and H. Matsui
A High-Efficiency Protein Transduction System Demonstrating the Role of PKA in Long-Lasting Long-Term Potentiation
J. Neurosci.,
August 15, 2001;
21(16):
6000 - 6007.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
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C. A. Leamey, C. L. Ho-Pao, and M. Sur
Disruption of Retinogeniculate Pattern Formation by Inhibition of Soluble Guanylyl Cyclase
J. Neurosci.,
June 1, 2001;
21(11):
3871 - 3880.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
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K F Morris, R Shannon, and B G Lindsey
Changes in cat medullary neurone firing rates and synchrony following induction of respiratory long-term facilitation
J. Physiol.,
April 15, 2001;
532(2):
483 - 497.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
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A. Gelperin, J. P. Y. Kao, and I. R. C. Cooke
Gaseous Oxides and Olfactory Computation
Integr. Comp. Biol.,
April 1, 2001;
41(2):
332 - 345.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
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G.-Y. Wu, K. Deisseroth, and R. W. Tsien
Activity-dependent CREB phosphorylation: Convergence of a fast, sensitive calmodulin kinase pathway and a slow, less sensitive mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway
PNAS,
February 15, 2001;
(2001)
51634198.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
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O. Arancio, I. Antonova, S. Gambaryan, S. M. Lohmann, J. S. Wood, D. S. Lawrence, and R. D. Hawkins
Presynaptic Role of cGMP-Dependent Protein Kinase during Long-Lasting Potentiation
J. Neurosci.,
January 1, 2001;
21(1):
143 - 149.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
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G.-Y. Wu, K. Deisseroth, and R. W. Tsien
Activity-dependent CREB phosphorylation: Convergence of a fast, sensitive calmodulin kinase pathway and a slow, less sensitive mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway
PNAS,
February 27, 2001;
98(5):
2808 - 2813.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
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