TY - JOUR T1 - Presynaptic Induction and Expression of Timing-Dependent Long-Term Depression Demonstrated by Compartment-Specific Photorelease of a Use-Dependent NMDA Receptor Antagonist JF - The Journal of Neuroscience JO - J. Neurosci. SP - 8564 LP - 8569 DO - 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0274-11.2011 VL - 31 IS - 23 AU - Antonio Rodríguez-Moreno AU - Michael M. Kohl AU - James E. Reeve AU - Thomas R. Eaton AU - Hazel A. Collins AU - Harry L. Anderson AU - Ole Paulsen Y1 - 2011/06/08 UR - http://www.jneurosci.org/content/31/23/8564.abstract N2 - NMDA receptors are important for synaptic plasticity, including long-term potentiation (LTP) and long-term depression (LTD). To help investigate the precise location of the NMDA receptors that are required for different types of synaptic plasticity, we synthesized a caged form of the use-dependent NMDA receptor antagonist MK801, which we loaded into individual neurons in vitro, followed by compartment-specific uncaging. We used this method to investigate timing-dependent plasticity at layer 4-layer 2/3 synapses of mouse barrel cortex. Somatodendritic photorelease of MK801 in the postsynaptic neuron produced a use-dependent block of synaptic NMDA receptor-mediated currents and prevented the induction of LTP. Compartment-specific photorelease of MK801 in the presynaptic neuron showed that axonal, but not somatodendritic, presynaptic NMDA receptors are required for induction of LTD. The rate of use-dependent block of postsynaptic NMDA receptor current was slower following induction of LTD, consistent with a presynaptic locus of expression. Thus, this new caged compound has demonstrated the axonal location of NMDA receptors required for induction and the presynaptic locus of expression of LTD at layer 4-layer 2/3 synapses. ER -