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Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America logoLink to Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
. 1991 May 15;88(10):4299–4303. doi: 10.1073/pnas.88.10.4299

Initial synaptic efficacy influences induction and expression of long-term changes in transmission.

X D Yang 1, D S Faber 1
PMCID: PMC51646  PMID: 1674605

Abstract

Long-term depression (LTD) of glutamatergic and electrotonic transmission can be induced at mixed synapses between eighth nerve fibers and the goldfish Mauthner (M) cell in vivo, by pairing weak presynaptic tetani with postsynaptic inhibition. This LTD can be reversed by stronger tetani that produce long-term potentiation (LTP). Moreover, the depression is more likely to occur and tends to last longer when the initial synaptic efficacy is high--that is, if the synaptic strength is first potentiated. In addition, when synaptic efficacy is initially elevated, a weak tetanization that usually results in a gradually developing potentiation instead produces no change in chemical transmission and even a depression of electrotonic coupling. Thus, the modifications in synaptic transmission caused by a certain tetanizing protocol depend upon the history of synaptic efficacy. This last concept provides an experimental basis for theoretical models concerned with pre- and postsynaptic contributions to the regulation of synaptic plasticity.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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