Abstract
Hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP) is a remarkably stable facilitation of synaptic responses resulting from very brief trains of high-frequency stimulation1,2. Because of its persistence and modest induction conditions, LTP represents a promising candidate for a substrate of memory. Some progress has been made in localizing the changes responsible for the effect; for example, it has been shown that LTP is not accompanied by changes in the fibre volleys of the test afferents3 or by generalized alterations of the dendrites of their target cells4. However, it is unknown whether the potentiation is due to preor postsynaptic changes and there is evidence in favour of each (for example, see refs 5, 6). We now report that intracellular injections of the calcium chelator EGTA block the development of LTP. These results strongly suggest that LTP is caused by a modification of the postsynaptic neurone and that its induction depends on the level of free calcium.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bliss, T. V. P. & Lomo, T. J. Physiol., Lond. 232, 331–356 (1973).
Bliss, T. V. P. & Gardner-Medwin, A. R. J. Physiol., Lond. 232, 357–374 (1973).
Andersen, P., Sundberg, S. H., Sveen, O., Swann, J. W. & Wigstrom, H. J. Physiol., Lond. 302, 463–482 (1980).
Dunwiddie, T. & Lynch, G. J. Physiol., Lond. 276, 353–367 (1978).
Dunwiddie, T., Madison, D. & Lynch, G. Brain Res. 150, 413–417 (1978).
Dolphin, A. C., Errington, M. L. & Bliss, T. V. P. Nature 297, 496–498 (1982).
Lee, K., Oliver, M., Schottler, F. & Lynch, G. in Electrical Activity in Isolated Mammalian CNS Preparations (eds Kerkut, G. & Wheal, H. V.) 189–212 (Academic, New York, 1981).
Alger, B. E. & Nicoll, R. A. Science 210, 1122–1124 (1980).
Schwartzkroin, P. A. & Stafstrom, C. E. Science 210, 1125–1126 (1980).
Hotson, J. R. & Prince, D. A. J. Neurophysiol. 43, 409–419 (1980).
Wong, R. K. S. & Prince, D. A. J. Neurophysiol. 45, 86–97 (1981).
Dunwiddie, T. V. & Lynch, G. Brain Res. 169, 103–110 (1979).
Baudry, M. & Lynch, G. Nature 282, 748–750 (1979).
Baudry, M. & Lynch, G. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 77, 2298–2302 (1981).
Baudry, M., Bundman, M., Smith, E. & Lynch, G. Science 212, 937–938 (1981).
Vargas, F., Greenbaum, L. & Costa, E. Neuropharmacology 19, 791–794 (1980).
Baudry, M., Oliver, M., Creager, R., Wieraszko, A. & Lynch, G. Life Sci. 27, 325–330 (1980).
Lynch, G., Halpain, S. & Baudry, M. Brain Res. 244, 101–111 (1982).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Lynch, G., Larson, J., Kelso, S. et al. Intracellular injections of EGTA block induction of hippocampal long-term potentiation. Nature 305, 719–721 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1038/305719a0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/305719a0
This article is cited by
-
Adaptive control of synaptic plasticity integrates micro- and macroscopic network function
Neuropsychopharmacology (2023)
-
Glioma synapses recruit mechanisms of adaptive plasticity
Nature (2023)
-
Aberrant activity of mitochondrial NCLX is linked to impaired synaptic transmission and is associated with mental retardation
Communications Biology (2021)
-
A spike-timing-dependent plasticity rule for dendritic spines
Nature Communications (2020)
-
The 1980s: d-AP5, LTP and a Decade of NMDA Receptor Discoveries
Neurochemical Research (2019)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.