RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 NR2B-Dependent Plasticity of Adult-Born Granule Cells is Necessary for Context Discrimination
JF The Journal of Neuroscience
JO J. Neurosci.
FD Society for Neuroscience
SP 8696
OP 8702
DO 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1692-12.2012
VO 32
IS 25
A1 Kheirbek, Mazen A.
A1 Tannenholz, Lindsay
A1 Hen, René
YR 2012
UL http://www.jneurosci.org/content/32/25/8696.abstract
AB Adult-generated granule cells (GCs) in the dentate gyrus (DG) exhibit a period of heightened plasticity 4–6 weeks postmitosis. However, the functional contribution of this critical window of plasticity to hippocampal neurogenesis and behavior remains unknown. Here, we show that deletion of NR2B-containing NMDA receptors from adult-born GCs impairs a neurogenesis-dependent form of LTP in the DG and reduces dendritic complexity of adult-born GCs, but does not impact their survival. Mice in which the NR2B-containing NMDA receptor was deleted from adult-born GCs did not differ from controls in baseline anxiety-like behavior or discrimination of very different contexts, but were impaired in discrimination of highly similar contexts. These results indicate that NR2B-dependent plasticity of adult-born GCs is necessary for fine contextual discrimination and is consistent with their proposed role in pattern separation.