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The Journal of Neuroscience, June 15, 2002, 22(12):5034-5041
Calcineurin Plays Different Roles in Group II Metabotropic
Glutamate Receptor- and NMDA Receptor-Dependent Long-Term
Depression
Sheng-Tian
Li1, 3,
Kunio
Kato2,
Kazuhito
Tomizawa3,
Masayuki
Matsushita3,
Akiyoshi
Moriwaki3,
Hideki
Matsui3, and
Katsuhiko
Mikoshiba1, 4, 5, 6
1 Mikoshiba Calciosignal Net Project, Exploratory
Research for Advanced Technology, Japan Science and Technology
Corporation, Tokyo 113-0021, Japan, 2 Department of
Neuropsychiatry, Kochi Medical School, Kochi 783-8505, Japan,
3 Department of Physiology, Graduate School of Medicine and
Dentistry, Okayama University, Okayama 700-8558, Japan,
4 Division of Molecular Neurobiology, Department of Basic
Medical Science, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo,
Tokyo 108-8639, Japan, 5 Calcium Oscillation Project, Japan
Science and Technology Corporation, Tokyo 108-8639, Japan, and
6 Laboratory for Developmental Neurobiology, RIKEN Brain
Science Institute, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
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ABSTRACT |
We investigated metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR)-dependent
long-term depression (LTD) in hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons of 6- to 8-d-old [postnatal days 6-8 (P6-P8)] and 21- to 25-d-old
(P21-P25) rats. In P6-P8 rats, induction of LTD depended on the
activity of group II mGluRs. In P21-P25 rats, however, this LTD
disappeared, and instead, NMDA receptor (NMDAR)-dependent LTD
appeared. A bath containing a specific calcineurin (CaN) inhibitor restored the group II mGluR-dependent LTD in the neurons of the P21-P25 rats. Although postsynaptic injection of CaN inhibitors suppressed NMDAR-dependent LTD, it did not affect induction of group II
mGluR-dependent LTD. These results demonstrate that CaN plays different
roles in the induction of two forms of LTD: presynaptic CaN inhibits
group II mGluR-dependent LTD, whereas postsynaptic CaN facilitates
NMDAR-dependent LTD. These findings are the first demonstration
in vitro of group II mGluR-dependent LTD that is negatively regulated by CaN via an age-dependent mechanism.
Key words:
synaptic plasticity; long-term potentiation; LTD; mGluR; NMDA receptor; hippocampus
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INTRODUCTION |
Synaptic plasticity, such as
long-term potentiation and long-term depression (LTD), is
believed to form the cellular basis of learning and memory in mammalian
brains (Bliss and Collingridge, 1993 ; Lisman, 1994 ). Two
mechanistically distinct forms of LTD coexist in synapses in the CA1
region of the hippocampus (Oliet et al., 1997 ; Nicoll et al., 1998 ).
Induction of one form depends on activation of NMDA receptors (NMDARs)
(Malenka and Nicoll, 1993 ; Bear and Malenka, 1994 ; Thiels et al.,
1996 ), and induction of the other depends on activation of metabotropic
glutamate receptors (mGluRs) (Stanton et al., 1991 ; Bolshakov and
Siegelbaum, 1994 ; Yang et al., 1994 ; Oliet et al., 1997 ; Overstreet et
al., 1997 ; Nicoll et al., 1998 ). It is now well established that
protein dephosphorylation by protein phosphatase 2B [also called
calcineurin (CaN)], the only protein phosphatase that is activated by
Ca2+/calmodulin in the CNS, has a
critical role in the induction of NMDAR-dependent LTD (Mulkey et al.,
1994 ; Hodgkiss and Kelly, 1995 ).
In contrast, little is known about the mechanisms of mGluR-dependent
LTD. Several studies indicate that mGluR-dependent LTD was induced in
neonatal rat hippocampal CA1 neurons (of rats 3-12 d old) but not in
rats older than 28 d (Bolshakov and Siegelbaum, 1994 ; Overstreet
et al., 1997 ), suggesting that an age-dependent mechanism may be
involved in the induction of mGluR-dependent LTD. On the other hand,
although three groups (I, II, and III) of mGluRs have been reported,
each exhibiting different subcellular localization and functions (Pin
and Duvoisin, 1995 ; Petralia et al., 1996 ; Wright and Schoepp, 1996 ;
Anwyl, 1999 ), little is known about which group is involved in
mGluR-dependent LTD in neonatal rat CA1 neurons. We investigated the
mGluR-dependent LTD by using a specific group I and/or group II mGluR
agonist or antagonist in 6- to 8-d-old [postnatal days 6-8 (P6-P8)]
and 21- to 25-d-old (P21-P25) rats. Our results show that CaN
negatively regulates group II mGluR-dependent LTD in an age-dependent
manner and that presynaptic and postsynaptic CaN plays different roles
in induction of NMDAR- and group II mGluR-dependent LTD.
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MATERIALS AND METHODS |
Hippocampal slices were prepared from P6-P8 and P21-P25
Sprague Dawley rats as described previously (Kato et al., 1991 ). Rats were anesthetized with diethyl ether and decapitated, and the hippocampi were then rapidly dissected. Transverse slices
(500-µm-thick) of the hippocampus were cut at 0-4°C on a rotary
tissue slicer and maintained for at least 2 hr in the presence of a gas
(95% O2-5%
CO2)-saturated extracellular solution containing
(in mM): 124 NaCl, 3 KCl, 2 CaCl2, 2 MgSO4, 22.5 NaHCO3, and 10 glucose (at 25-26°C). Before each experiment, individual slices were
transferred to a submersion-recording chamber, in which they were
superfused continuously (2 ml/min) with extracellular solution at
28°C.
Extracellular field potentials were recorded in the stratum radiatum by
using glass electrodes (5-15 M resistance, filled with 0.5 M NaCl). Whole-cell patch-clamp recordings were made from
CA1 pyramidal cell bodies by using a blind patch-clamp technique. The
patch electrodes (glass with filament, 5-8 M resistance; World
Precision Instruments, Sarasota, FL) were filled with internal solution containing (in mM): 130 cesium methanesulfonate,
10 tetraethylammonium chloride, 5 NaCl, 0.25 BAPTA, 2 ATP, 0.3 GTP, and 10 HEPES, pH 7.3 adjusted with CsOH (osmolarity, 290-300
mOsm). In some experiments, either 10 µM FK506, a
specific CaN inhibitor, or 500 µM CaN-AIP (CaN
auto-inhibitory peptide) was included in the internal solution to
inhibit postsynaptic CaN activity. Whole-cell recordings were made of
the CA1 pyramidal layer. The cell type was identified from the
half-width of the action potential: the action potential of
interneurons is short [usually 0.5 msec (known as a fast spike)], in
contrast to 1 msec for pyramidal neurons. During the course of the
experiment, the membrane potential of the postsynaptic cell was held at
80 mV (with an Axopatch-200B amplifier; Axon Instruments, Foster
City, CA), except when an LTD-inducing stimulus was applied, when it
was held under current-clamp configuration. Series and input
resistances were monitored throughout each experiment. Cells were
excluded from data analysis if more than a 20% change in series or
input resistance occurred during the course of the experiment. Data
were collected and analyzed (filtered at 2 kHz, sampled at 5 kHz) on a
personal computer running the Axobasic program (Axon Instruments).
The Schaffer collateral-commissural fibers in the stratum radiatum of
the CA1 region were stimulated every 20 sec through a concentric
bipolar electrode with 0.3 msec constant-current pulses at an intensity
sufficient to evoke 50-60% of the maximum synaptic response. The
amplitudes of the field EPSPs were calculated as the initial
slope of the EPSP. The amplitudes of the EPSCs were measured by taking
the average of a 2 msec window around the peak of the EPSC relative to
the baseline. Low-frequency stimulation (LFS)-induced LTD was obtained
by using a 1 Hz stimulus for 15 min in field potential recording or 10 min in whole-cell patch-clamp recording. LTD values were calculated as
the ratio of the average of the stable response after induction
(typically at 55-60 min for field potential recordings and at 35-40
min for whole-cell recordings after LFS) and that before the induction
of LTD (at 0-20 min before LFS).
FK506 was a gift from Fujisawa Pharmaceutical (Osaka, Japan); rapamycin
and CaN-AIP were obtained from Calbiochem-Novabiochem (La Jolla, CA);
BAPTA was obtained from Sigma-Aldrich (St. Louis, MO);
(RS)- -methyl-4-carboxyphenylglycine (MCPG),
[CRS]-1-aminoindan-1,5-dicarboxylic acid (AIDA),
2-methyl-6-(phenylethynyl)pyridine (MPEP),
[2s]- -ethylglutamic acid (EGLU),
(RS)- -methylserine-o-phosphate monophenyl
ester (MSOPPE),
(±)-1-aminocyclopentane-trans-1,3-dicarboxylic acid (trans-ACPD),
(2S,3S,4S)-CCG/(2S,1S,2S)-2-(carboxycyclopropyl) (L-CCG-1), and kynurenic acid were obtained from
Tocris Cookson (Ballwin, MO). FK506 and rapamycin were dissolved in
dimethylsulfoxide. AIDA, EGLU, MSOPPE, trans-ACPD, and
L-CCG-1 were dissolved in NaOH (100 mM). Other substances were dissolved in distilled
water. These substances were diluted to final concentrations with
standard extracellular solution.
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RESULTS |
LTD induction in P6-P8 rat hippocampal neurons was dependent on
activation of mGluRs but not NMDARs
Typical field potential LTD was observed in slices from P6-P8
rats ( 29.7 ± 5.3%; n = 5; data not shown).
This LTD was not blocked by bath application of the selective
NMDAR antagonist D-AP-5 (50 µM; 33.4 ± 2.1%; n = 5) (Fig. 1A). In the
presence of the groups I/II mGluR antagonist MCPG (500 µM), only a transient depression in synaptic
transmission occurred and not LTD ( 2.1 ± 2.3%;
n = 7) (Fig. 1B). These results
confirm previous reports that the activity of mGluRs is required for
LTD induction in P6-P8 rat CA1 neurons (Bolshakov and Siegelbaum,
1994 ). To further investigate which group of mGluRs is involved in this
LTD, we next examined the effect of specific antagonists for groups I
and II mGluRs on this LTD induction. Neither group I mGluR antagonists
AIDA (500 µM) nor MPEP (10 µM) suppressed LTD induction [Fig.
1C: AIDA, filled circles ( 27.7 ± 3.2%; n = 7); MPEP, open
triangles ( 23.4 ± 5.8%; n = 5)],
although MPEP slightly inhibited the transient depression after LFS.
Because MPEP is a more selective antagonist of mGluR5 than AIDA
(Mannaioni et al., 2001 ), the difference in the transient depression
could be explained by the different function of each receptor subtype
in synaptic transmission. In contrast, both selective group II mGluR
antagonists EGLU (50 µM; 2.2 ± 1.6%;
n = 6) (Fig. 1D, filled
circles) and MSOPPE (50 µM; 1.3 ± 5.9%; n = 6) (Fig. 1D, open
triangles) completely blocked this LTD. These results demonstrate
that induction of LTD in P6-P8 rat CA1 neurons requires activation of
group II mGluRs.

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Figure 1.
In P6-P8 rats, LTD induction is fully dependent
on group II mGluR activity. The figure shows averaged field potential
recordings. The initial slopes of field EPSPs were normalized to the
baseline value preceding the induction of LTD. Each data
point represents mean ± SEM. Open bars
indicate LFS of 1 Hz for 15 min. A, LFS given in the
presence of D-AP-5 evoked LTD (n = 5).
Inset, Representative field EPSPs before and 50 min
after LFS. Calibration: 20 msec, 1 mV. B-D, This
induction was blocked by bath application of MCPG
(n = 7), EGLU (n = 6), and
MSOPPE (n = 6) but not by AIDA
(n = 7) or MPEP (n = 5).
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Is activation of group II mGluRs alone sufficient to induce LTD? To
address this issue, we applied mGluR agonists without giving LFS. Bath
application of trans-ACPD (50 µM),
an agonist of groups I/II mGluRs, for 20 min evoked LTD ( 15.9 ± 3.8%; n = 6) (Fig.
2A). Furthermore, bath
application of L-CCG-1 (20 µM), a specific group II mGluR agonist
(Neugebauer et al., 2000a ,b ), also induced LTD ( 37.6 ± 6.1%;
n = 5) (Fig. 2B). These results strongly suggest that activation of group II mGluRs in CA1 neurons of
P6-P8 rats is sufficient for inducing LTD.

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Figure 2.
In P6-P8 rats, bath application of mGluR agonists
evoked LTD. The figure shows averaged field potential recordings. The
initial slopes of field EPSPs were normalized to the baseline value
preceding the induction of LTD. Each data point
represents mean ± SEM. A, Bath application of
trans-ACPD induced LTD (n = 6).
B, Bath application of L-CCG-1 induced LTD
(n = 6).
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Group II mGluR-dependent LTD is inhibited by CaN in
P21-P25 rats
We then tested LTD induction in slices from P21-P25 rats. A
robust LTD was induced by LFS ( 24.8 ± 3.0%; n = 6) (Fig. 3A). In contrast to
the observations from the P6-P8 rats (Fig. 1), D-AP-5 blocked LTD induction (50 µM; 1.5 ± 1.2%; n = 7)
(Fig. 3B, filled circles), but MCPG did not (500 µM; 22.3 ± 3.2%; n = 5) (Fig. 3B, open triangles). On the other hand,
bath application of neither trans-ACPD (50 µM; 3.8 ± 6.1%; n = 6)
(Fig. 3C) nor L-CCG-1 (20 µM; 8.1 ± 6.5%; n = 6)
(Fig. 3D) induced LTD. These results demonstrate that LTD
induction in P21-P25 rats requires activation of NMDARs but not group
II mGluRs. The change from mGluR to NMDAR dependency in LTD induction
during postnatal development implies that an age-dependent regulation
is involved in LTD induction.

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Figure 3.
In P21-P25 rats, NMDAR-dependent, but not
mGluR-dependent, LTD was induced. The figure shows averaged field
potential recordings. The initial slopes of field EPSPs were normalized
to the baseline value preceding the induction of LTD. Each data
point represents mean ± SEM. Open bars
indicate the LFS of 1 Hz for 15 min. A, A typical LTD
was induced by LFS (n = 6). B, Bath
application of D-AP-5 (filled
circles), but not MCPG (open triangles), blocked
LTD induction. C, Bath application of
trans-ACPD failed to induce LTD. D, Bath
application of L-CCG-1 failed to induce LTD.
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Polli et al. (1991) demonstrated immunohistochemically that CaN is
expressed in rat brain in an age-dependent manner; it is first
detectable on postnatal day 4 and reaches a plateau after day 20. The
consistency between the developmental increase in the expression of CaN
and the age-dependent change in mechanisms underlying LTD raises the
question of whether CaN activity is involved in this developmental
process. It is well established that induction of NMDAR-dependent LTD
in P21-P25 rats requires CaN activity (Mulkey et al., 1994 ; Hodgkiss
and Kelly, 1995 ). To investigate whether CaN also contributes to
mGluR-dependent LTD, we examined the induction of mGluR-dependent LTD
in the presence of FK506, a specific CaN inhibitor. D-AP-5
was applied for 20 min before LFS and during LFS to block activities of
NMDARs. Surprisingly, applying LFS in the presence of FK506 (10 µM; 20.1 ± 5.3%; n = 7) (Fig.
4A), but not in its
absence (n = 7) (Figs. 3B,
4A), induced a robust LTD. This LTD was blocked by
MCPG (500 µM; 2.5 ± 2.2%;
n = 6) (Fig. 4B), EGLU (50 µM; 8.1 ± 1.2%; n = 7)
(Fig. 4D, filled circles), and MSOPPE (50 µM, 2.1 ± 2.9%; n = 7)
(Fig. 4D, open triangles) but not by AIDA
(500 µM; 20.8 ± 1.3%;
n = 8) (Fig. 4C, filled circles)
or MPEP (10 µM; 24.9 ± 3.1%;
n = 7) (Fig. 4C, open triangles).
Although LTD was evoked in the presence of FK506, applying LFS (still
in the presence of D-AP-5) in the presence of
rapamycin (10 µM; 5.7 ± 0.7%;
n = 5) (Fig. 4E), an FK506 analog
that does not inhibit CaN activity, failed to elicit LTD. Together,
these observations demonstrate that CaN inhibits group II
mGluR-dependent LTD in P21-P25 rats.

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Figure 4.
In P21-P25 rats, bath application of FK506
restored group II mGluR-dependent LTD. The figure shows field potential
recordings. The initial slopes of field EPSPs were normalized to the
baseline value preceding the induction of LTD. Each data
point represents mean ± SEM. Open bars
indicate the LFS of 1 Hz for 15 min. A-E, LFS applied
in the presence of D-AP-5. A, LFS did not
induce LTD. In the same slice, however, after application of FK506 for
30 min (black bar), the same stimulation elicited LTD
(n = 7). B-D, This LTD was blocked
by MCPG (n = 6), EGLU (n = 7),
and MSOPPE (n = 7) but not by AIDA
(n = 8) or MPEP (n = 7).
E, LFS given after bath application of rapamycin
(black bar) for 30 min failed to induce LTD
(n = 5). F, Applying LFS together
with kynurenic acid (hatched bar) failed to induce LTD.
In the same slices, however, this induction protocol elicited LTD when
given after bath application of FK506 (black bar) for 20 min (n = 5).
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CaN inhibitors prolong NMDAR channel openings or prevent NMDAR
desensitization (Lieberman and Mody, 1994 ; Tong et al., 1995 ). It is
possible that NMDAR channel activity was enhanced in the presence of
FK506, and thus D-AP-5 could not block the channel activity. To examine this issue, we took advantage of the nonspecific ionotropic glutamate receptor antagonist kynurenic acid, which inhibits
both NMDAR and AMPA receptor activities, to test LTD induction
in the presence and absence of FK506. Bath application of kynurenic
acid (10 mM) for 10 min before LFS eliminated field EPSPs
and blocked induction of LTD ( 3.0 ± 2.5%; n = 5) (Fig. 4F). After bath application of FK506 for 20 min, however, the same stimulation induced LTD in the same slices
( 22.5 ± 3.8%; n = 5) (Fig.
4F). These results further confirm that LTD induction in the presence of FK506 is mGluR dependent but not NMDAR dependent.
On the other hand, bath application of both trans-ACPD (50 µM; 13.6 ± 2.0%; n = 6) (Fig. 5A) and
L-CCG-1 (20 µM;
27.6 ± 4.3%; n = 6) (Fig. 5B)
evoked LTD in the presence of FK506 (10 µM),
although applying them alone failed to induce any LTD (Figs. 3C,D, 5A,B).
Thus, bath application of FK506 restored both LFS- and agonist-induced
group II mGluR-dependent LTD in P21-P25 rats.

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Figure 5.
In P21-P25 rats, bath application of FK506
restored agonists-induced group II mGluR-dependent LTD. The figure
shows averaged field potential recordings. The initial slopes of field
EPSPs were normalized to the baseline value preceding the induction of
LTD. Each data point represents mean ± SEM.
A, Bath application of trans-ACPD
(hatched bars) resulted in transient depression of field
EPSPs but not in LTD. In the same slices, however, the same
concentration of trans-ACPD in the presence of FK506
(black bar) resulted in LTD (n = 6).
B, Bath application of L-CCG-1
(hatched bars) resulted in transient depression of field
EPSPs but not in LTD. In the same slices, however, the same
concentration of L-CCG-1 in the presence of FK506
(black bar) induced LTD (n = 6).
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We showed that antagonists of group I mGluRs did not affect LTD
induction in P21-P25 rats (Fig. 4C). Previous studies,
however, have reported that group I mGluR antagonists blocked LTD in
area CA1 (Oliet et al., 1997 ; Nicoll et al., 1998 ; Huber et al., 2001 ; Kleppisch et al., 2001 ). One likely explanation for this difference is
the input strength dependency of the group I mGluR-dependent LTD. Oliet
et al. (1997) observed that group I mGluR-dependent LTD could be
elicited with low-strength input stimuli (output, 0.05-0.1 mV/msec)
but not with greater input stimuli (0.15-0.2 mV/msec). In our
experiment, the Schaffer collateral-commissural fibers were stimulated
at an intensity sufficient to evoke 50-60% of the maximum synaptic
response; the outputs were 0.15-0.4 mV/msec. To confirm whether the
induction of group I mGluR-dependent LTD requires a different strength
of input stimuli from that of group II mGluR-dependent LTD, we tested
LTD induction with both weak and strong stimulation in P21-P25 rats.
In all four examined slices, strong stimulation (output, 0.15-0.4
mV/msec) paired with LFS did not induce any LTD in the presence of 100 µM D-AP-5 (2.3 ± 7.2%; data not shown). When we reduced the input strength to induce an
output of 0.05-0.1 mV/msec, however, LFS did induce a persistent LTD
in these same slices ( 35.6 ± 9.7%; data not shown). On the other hand, in the presence of AIDA (500 µM;
still in the presence of D-AP-5), LFS failed to
induce any LTD even when paired with weak stimulation in all three
examined slices (10.1 ± 5.9%; data not shown). These results are
consistent with the previous observation that induction of group I
mGluR-dependent LTD requires low-strength input stimuli (Oliet et al.,
1997 ) and show that the induction of group II mGluR-dependent LTD
requires high-strength input in the absence of CaN activity.
Presynaptic CaN contributes to inhibition of group II
mGluR-dependent LTD, and postsynaptic CaN activity is required for
NMDAR-dependent LTD
Next we examined the role of CaN in the induction of
NMDAR-dependent LTD in P21-P25 rats. LFS given in the presence of MCPG induced LTD ( 22.3 ± 3.2%; n = 5; data not
shown), which was completely blocked by bath application of FK506 (10 µM; 2.5 ± 2.2%; n = 6;
data not shown) but not rapamycin (10 µM;
26.3 ± 3.8%; n = 4; data not shown). These
results confirm that CaN activity is required for induction of
NMDAR-dependent LTD (Mulkey et al., 1994 ; Hodgkiss and Kelly, 1995 ).
According to previous reports (Mulkey et al., 1994 ), postsynaptic, but
not presynaptic, CaN activity is involved in NMDAR-dependent LTD.
Therefore, it is necessary to verify whether the CaN that contributed
to the inhibition of group II mGluR-dependent LTD was presynaptic or
postsynaptic. To answer this question, we examined LTD induction by
using whole-cell patch-clamp recording in individual CA1 neurons of
P21-P25 rats. The mGluR-dependent LTD and NMDAR-dependent LTD were
examined in the presence of D-AP-5 and MCPG, respectively. Applying LFS (1 Hz for 10 min) evoked LTD ( 22.9 ± 4.8%;
n = 6) (Fig.
6A,
open triangles). This LTD was blocked by
D-AP-5 (50 µM; 1.2 ± 3.9%; n = 5) (Fig. 6A,
filled circles). We next incubated the slices in a solution
containing FK506 (10 µM) for 20-30 min before
the patch-clamp recording. Consistent with observations from field
potential recording (Fig. 4), in these FK506-incubated slices, LFS
evoked LTD even in the presence of D-AP-5
( 23.3 ± 4.3%; n = 5) (Fig.
6B, filled circles) but not in the
presence of D-AP-5 paired with EGLU ( 1.2 ± 3.5%; n = 6) (Fig. 6B, open triangles). These results further confirm that CaN inhibits group II mGluR-dependent LTD in individual CA1 pyramidal neurons. To block
postsynaptic CaN activity in particular, we next applied FK506 (10 µM) through the patch pipette. In contrast to
bath application of FK506, applying LFS failed to induce the group II
mGluR-dependent LTD during postsynaptic application of FK506
( 2.6 ± 2.2%; n = 5) (Fig. 6C,
open triangles). Because FK506 can permeate cell membranes,
it is possible that it diffuses out from postsynaptic neurons to other
regions, including presynaptic regions. So we used CaN-AIP, which
cannot permeate cell membranes, to examine this possibility. LFS
applied during postsynaptic diffusion of CaN-AIP (500 µM) also failed to induce group II
mGluR-dependent LTD ( 2.0 ± 3.2%; n = 5) (Fig.
6C, filled circles).

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Figure 6.
Presynaptic CaN contributes to inhibition of group
II mGluR-dependent LTD, and postsynaptic CaN activity is required for
NMDAR-dependent LTD. The figure shows averaged whole-cell EPSC
recordings in slices from P21-P25 rats. The initial slopes of field
EPSPs were normalized to the baseline value preceding the induction of
LTD. Each data point represents mean ± SEM.
Open bars indicate LFS of 1 Hz for 10 min.
A, Applying LFS led to LTD in control slices
(n = 6). This LTD was blocked by bath application
of D-AP-5 (n = 5).
Insets, Sample waveforms taken at the times indicated,
from a typical experiment. B, FS given in the presence of
D-AP-5 paired with FK506 in extracellular solution induced
LTD (n = 5). This LTD was blocked by EGLU
(n = 6). C, During postsynaptic
diffusion of FK506 (open triangles;
n = 5) or CaN-AIP (filled
circles; n = 5) through the patch pipette,
LFS given in the presence of D-AP-5 failed to induce LTD.
D, In the presence of MCPG, applying LFS evoked LTD
(n = 6). Postsynaptic diffusion of FK506 blocked
this LTD (n = 6).
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On the other hand, applying LFS in the presence of MCPG (1 mM) induced NMDAR-dependent LTD ( 21.7 ± 5.4%;
n = 6) (Fig. 6D, filled
circles). In agreement with the report of Mulkey et al. (1994) ,
postsynaptic application of FK506 (0.5 ± 3.8%,
n = 6) (Fig. 6D, open
triangles) inhibited this LTD. Together, these results demonstrate
that postsynaptic CaN activity is required for induction of
NMDAR-dependent LTD, whereas presynaptic CaN contributes to inhibition
of group II mGluR-dependent LTD.
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DISCUSSION |
mGluR-dependent LTD in hippocampal CA1 neurons has been reported
by many groups (Bashir et al., 1993 ; Bear and Malenka, 1994 ; Otani and
Connor, 1995 ; Zhuo and Hawkins, 1995 ; Overstreet et al., 1997 ; Fitzjohn
et al., 1998 ; Otani and Connor, 1998 ; Reyes-Harde and Stanton, 1998 ;
Bortolotto et al., 1999 ; Kemp and Bashir, 1999 ; Bolshakov et al., 2000 ;
Li et al., 2000 ). Although an in vivo study
(Manahan-Vaughan, 1997 ) has demonstrated the involvement of group II
rather than group I mGluR activity in LTD induction, most in
vitro studies have examined group I mGluR-dependent LTD (Nicoll et
al., 1998 ; Huber et al., 2001 ; Kleppisch et al., 2001 ). On the other
hand, group II mGluR-dependent LTD has been demonstrated in the medial
perforant path of the dentate gyrus (Huang et al., 1997 , 1999 ; Kulla et
al., 1999 ) and in mossy fiber-CA3 synapses (Yokoi et al., 1996 ;
Manabe, 1997 ). Our study is the first to investigate the mechanisms
underlying group II mGluR-dependent LTD in the CA1 pyramidal neurons
in vitro.
The induction of mGluR-dependent LTD that has been reported is age
dependent: it could be evoked in immature rats (3-12 d) but not in
rats older than 28 d (Bolshakov and Siegelbaum, 1994 ; Overstreet
et al., 1997 ). Consistent with these reports, we found that in P6-P8
rats, applying both LFS and agonists of group II mGluRs induced LTD. In
contrast, in P21-P25 rats, neither treatment evoked LTD. These data
prove that the induction of group II mGluR-dependent LTD is
age dependent. The specific CaN inhibitor FK506, but not rapamycin,
restored both LFS-induced (Fig. 4) and agonist-induced (Fig. 5) group
II mGluR-dependent LTD in P21-P25 rats. Taking these
results together with the age-dependent expression of CaN (Polli et
al., 1991 ), we conclude that group II mGluR-dependent LTD is
age-dependently regulated by CaN (Fig.
7); CaN does not inhibit group II
mGluR-dependent LTD in P6-P8 rats, because it is only weakly expressed
in very young rats but is expressed strongly enough to inhibit group II
mGluR-dependent LTD in P21-P25 rats.

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Figure 7.
Schematic diagram showing that CaN developmentally
regulates group II mGluR- and NMDAR-dependent LTD. In P6-P8 rats, CaN
does not inhibit induction of group II mGluR-dependent LTD, because it
is only weakly expressed in very young rats. In P21-P25 rats, however,
CaN was expressed strongly enough to inhibit this LTD via a presynaptic
mechanism. On the other hand, postsynaptic CaN facilitates the
induction of NMDAR-dependent LTD.
|
|
Bath application of FK506 (Figs.
4A,F, 6B), but
not postsynaptic injection of either FK506 or CaN-AIP (Fig.
6C), restored the group II mGluR-dependent LTD, confirming
that the site of action of CaN in this case is not postsynaptic. Along
with the presynaptic expression of group II mGluRs in CA1 region (Pin
and Duvoisin, 1995 ; Petralia et al., 1996 ; Wright and Schoepp, 1996 ; Anwyl, 1999 ), these findings strongly suggest that presynaptic, but not
postsynaptic, CaN inhibits this LTD induction. CaN has been considered
a key molecule in the induction of NMDAR-dependent LTD (Mulkey et al.,
1994 ; Hodgkiss and Kelly, 1995 ). Using field potential recording (data
not shown) and whole-cell recording (Fig. 6D), we
also observed that both bath application and postsynaptic injection of
FK506 blocked LTD induction in the presence of MCPG, thereby confirming
the requirement of postsynaptic CaN activity in the induction of
NMDAR-dependent LTD. Taking these results together, we conclude that
CaN has opposite roles in the two forms of LTD, depending on its
location: postsynaptic CaN promotes induction of NMDAR-dependent LTD,
whereas presynaptic CaN inhibits group II mGluR-dependent LTD. The
developmental and subcellular location-dependent regulation of LTD
induction by CaN is schematized in Figure 7. These findings provide new
insight into the functional aspects of CaN signaling in the regulation
of synaptic plasticity and may help further elucidate the mechanisms
underlying group II mGluR-dependent LTD.
Input strength influences the ability to generate different groups of
mGluR-dependent LTD: induction of group I mGluR-dependent LTD requires
low-strength input stimuli, whereas induction of group II
mGluR-dependent LTD requires greater input stimuli. These results might
be assigned to the interaction between mGluR and the GABA receptor or
to glutamate spillover. These data may help further elucidate the
mechanisms underlying group I and II mGluR-dependent LTD.
What is the target molecule of CaN in group II mGluR-dependent LTD?
Reyes and Stanton (1996) reported that the induction of hippocampal LTD
requires Ca2+ release from presynaptic
ryanodine-sensitive Ca2+ stores. CaN
modulates intracellular Ca2+ mobility and
cell excitability by acting on a variety of ion channels, including the
ryanodine receptor (Chen et al., 1995 ; Marrion, 1996 ; Zhu and Yakel,
1997 ; Lukyanetz et al., 1998 ; Bandyopadhyay et al., 2000 ; Burley and
Sihra, 2000 ). These channels or adenylyl cyclase (Antoni et al., 1998 ),
which is activated by group II mGluRs, are likely the target molecules
of CaN involving LTD induction. The physiological role of group II
mGluR-dependent LTD in the hippocampus is not yet known. If we take
into account the age dependency of group II mGluR-dependent LTD (that
is, the LTD is suppressed in a maturing brain), group II
mGluR-dependent LTD might be involved in developmental processes, such
as axonal growth (Koyama et al., 2002 ) and pruning (Overstreet et al.,
1997 ). Inhibition of GABA receptor activity, which could be mediated by
group II mGluRs (Doi et al., 2002 ), led to decreased synaptic density
(Ferreira, 1999 ), which suggests the contribution of group II mGluRs to
synaptogenesis. Additional investigation is needed to elucidate the
precise mechanism and physiological significance of group II
mGluR-dependent LTD.
 |
FOOTNOTES |
Received Nov. 5, 2001; revised March 26, 2002; accepted April 9, 2002.
We thank K. Kohda for discussion and comments on this manuscript. We
thank A. Hoshino for technical assistance in slice preparation.
Correspondence should be addressed to Dr. Hideki Matsui, Department of
Physiology, Graduate School of Medicine and Dentistry, Okayama
University, 2-5-1 Shikata, Okayama 700-8558, Japan. E-mail: matsuihi{at}cc.okayama-u.ac.jp.
 |
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