RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Long-Term Potentiation Enhances Neurogenesis in the Adult Dentate Gyrus
JF The Journal of Neuroscience
JO J. Neurosci.
FD Society for Neuroscience
SP 5888
OP 5893
DO 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0782-06.2006
VO 26
IS 22
A1 Bruel-Jungerman, Elodie
A1 Davis, Sabrina
A1 Rampon, Claire
A1 Laroche, Serge
YR 2006
UL http://www.jneurosci.org/content/26/22/5888.abstract
AB Activity-dependent synaptic plasticity and neurogenesis are two forms of brain plasticity that can participate in functional remodeling of neural networks during the formation of memories. We examined whether long-term potentiation (LTP) of excitatory synaptic transmission, a well characterized form of synaptic plasticity believed to play a critical role in memory formation, can regulate the rate of neurogenesis in the adult rat dentate gyrus in vivo. We first show that induction of LTP at medial perforant path–granule cell synapses stimulates the proliferation of progenitor cells in the dentate gyrus with a consequential long-term persistence of a larger population of surviving newborn cells. Using protocols to examine the effect of LTP on survival, we next show that LTP induction promotes survival of 1- to 2-week-old dentate granule cells. In no case did LTP appear to affect neuronal differentiation. Finally, we show that LTP induces expression of the plasticity-related transcription factor Zif268 in a substantial fraction of 2-week-old but not 1-week-old neurons, suggesting the prosurvival effect of LTP can be observed in the absence of LTP-mediated Zif268 induction in newborn cells. Our results indicate that electrically induced LTP in the dentate gyrus in vivo provides a cellular/molecular environment that favors both proliferation and survival of adult-generated neurons.