Facilitated glutamate release at Schaffer collateral to CA1 synapses has access to an exclusive population of NMDA receptors.

ABSTRACT: In order to explore short-term facilitation of the Schaffer collateral to CA1 synapse in mouse hippocampal brain slices, we measured the time course of the decay of the peak amplitude of successive EPSCs during progressive MK-801-dependent block (PMDB) of NMDAR responses to paired (R1 and R2) stimuli. We made the unexpected observation that the R2 response exhibited a slower PMDB decay constant than that of the R1 response. This indicated that the facilitated R2 response engages release sites with NMDARs that are protected from opening and consequent MK-801 block during the basal R1 response. We then utilized conditions that affect synaptic glutamate distribution to dissect the components of the distinct PMDB decay constants of the first and second of paired pulses. While extra-synaptic NM

SUBMITTER: Scullin CS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4562807 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature