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The Journal of Neuroscience, August 15, 2001, 21(16):6413-6422
The Contribution of Activity-Dependent Synaptic Plasticity to
Classical Conditioning in Aplysia
Igor
Antonov1,
Irina
Antonova1,
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
Plasticity at central synapses has long been thought to be the most
likely mechanism for learning and memory, but testing that idea
experimentally has proven to be difficult. For this reason, we have
developed a simplified preparation of the Aplysia siphon
withdrawal reflex that allows one to examine behavioral learning and
memory while simultaneously monitoring synaptic connections between
individual identified neurons in the CNS. We previously found that
monosynaptic connections from LE siphon sensory neurons to LFS
siphon motor neurons make a substantial contribution to the reflex in
the siphon withdrawal preparation (Antonov et al., 1999a). We have now
used that preparation to assess the contribution of various cellular
mechanisms to classical conditioning of the reflex with a siphon tap
conditioned stimulus (CS) and tail shock unconditioned stimulus (US).
We find that, compared with unpaired training, paired training with the
CS and US produces greater enhancement of siphon withdrawal and evoked
firing of LFS neurons, greater facilitation of the complex PSP elicited
in an LFS neuron by the siphon tap, and greater facilitation of the
monosynaptic PSP elicited by stimulation of a single LE neuron.
Moreover, the enhanced facilitation of monosynaptic LE-LFS PSPs is
greater for LE neurons that fire during the siphon tap and correlates
significantly with the enhancement of siphon withdrawal and evoked
firing of the LFS neurons. These results provide the most direct
evidence to date that activity-dependent plasticity at specific central synapses contributes to behavioral conditioning and support the idea
that synaptic plasticity is a mechanism of learning and memory more generally.
Key words:
Aplysia; classical conditioning; synaptic
plasticity; learning; siphon withdrawal; monosynaptic PSP
Copyright © 2001 Society for Neuroscience 0270-6474/01/21166413-10$05.00/0
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