Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Possible mechanism of flicking-induced short-term plasticity in retinal cone-LHC synapse: a computational study

  • Published:
Biological Cybernetics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract.

In retinal cone-HC synapse, it has been found that repetitive stimulation could induce postsynaptic short-term responsiveness enhancement. However, the detailed mechanism underlying this short-term plasticity in the retinal graded neurons remains unclear. In this study, based on an ion-channel model described using Hodgkin--Huxley equations, the possible mechanism of repetitive-stimulation-induced short-term plasticity in the synapse between retinal cones and horizontal cells was investigated. The computational simulation results, together with evidence from experimental observations, suggest that the short-term modification of signal transmission between the retinal graded neurons is likely to be attributed to the regulatory effects that calcium-dependent process exerts on the single-channel properties of the postsynaptic AMPA receptors.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Barria A, Muller D, Derkach V, Griffith LC, Soderling TR (1997) Regulatory phosphorylation of AMPA-type glutamate receptors by CaM-KII during long-term potentiation. Science 276:2042–2045

    Google Scholar 

  2. Benke TA, Luthi A, Isaac JT, Collingridge GL (1998) Modulation of AMPA receptor unitary conductance by synaptic activity. Nature 393:793–797

    Google Scholar 

  3. Derkach V, Barria A, Soderling TR (1999) Ca2+/calmodulin- kinase II enhances channel conductance of alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionate type glutamate receptors. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 96:3269–3274

    Google Scholar 

  4. Gu JG, Albuquerque C, Lee CJ, MacDermott AB (1996) Synaptic strengthening through activation of Ca2+-permeable AMPA receptor. Nature 381:793–796

    Google Scholar 

  5. Hayashida Y, Yagi T (2002) On the interaction between voltage-gated conductances and Ca2+ regulation mechanisms in retinal horizontal cells. J Neurophysiol 87:172–182

    Google Scholar 

  6. Hodgkin AL, Huxley AF (1952) A quantitative description of membrane current and its application to conduction and excitation in nerve. J Physiol 117:500–544

    Google Scholar 

  7. Hu JF, Liang PJ (2002) Short-term plasticity in the retina. Neurosci Lett Suppl 57:S23

    Google Scholar 

  8. Hu JF, Liu Y, Liang PJ (2000) Stimulus pattern related plasticity of synapses between cones and horizontal cells in carp retina. Brain Res 857:321–326

    Google Scholar 

  9. Hu JF, Liu Y, Liang PJ (2003) Models describing nonlinear interactions in graded neuron synapses. Biol Cybern 88:380–386

    Google Scholar 

  10. Ishida AT, Kaneko A, Tachibana M (1984) Permeability changes induced by L-glutamate in solitary retinal horizontal cells isolated from Carassius auratus. J Physiol 348:255–270

    Google Scholar 

  11. Kaneko A, Tachibana M (1985) Effects of L-glutamate on the anomalous rectifier potassium current in horizontal cells of Carassius auratus retina. J Physiol 358:169–182

    Google Scholar 

  12. Liman ER, Knapp AG, Dowling JE (1989) Enhancement of kainite-gated currents in retinal horizontal cells by cyclic AMP-dependent kinase. Brain Res 481(2):399–402

    Google Scholar 

  13. Linden DJ (1999) The return of the spike: postsynaptic action potentials and the induction of LTP and LTD. Neuron 22:661–666

    Google Scholar 

  14. Linn CL, Gafka AC (2001) Modulation of a voltage-gated calcium channel linked to activation of glutamate receptors and calcium-induced calcium release in the catfish retina. J Physiol 535:47–63

    Google Scholar 

  15. Malyshev AY, Balaban PM (1999) Synaptic facilitation in Helix neurons depends upon postsynaptic calcium and nitric oxide. Neurosci Lett 261(1–2):65–68

    Google Scholar 

  16. Mammen AL, Kameyama K, Roche KW, Huganir RL (1997) Phosphorylation of the alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole4-propionic acid receptor GluR1 subunit by calcium/calmodulin-dependent kinase II. J Biol Chem 272:32528–32533

    Google Scholar 

  17. McMahon DG, Rischert JC, Dowling JE (1994) Protein content and cAMP-dependent phosphorylation of fractionated white perch retina. Brain Res 659(1–2):110–116

    Google Scholar 

  18. Miller KD (1996) Synaptic economics: competition and cooperation in synaptic plasticity. Neuron 17:371–374

    Google Scholar 

  19. Nakanishi S (1995) Second-order neurones and receptor mechanisms in visual- and olfactory-information processing. Trends Neurosci 18:359–364

    Google Scholar 

  20. Okada T, Schultz K, Geurtz W, Hatt H, Weiler R (1999) AMPA-preferring receptors with high Ca2+ permeability mediate dendritic plasticity of retinal horizontal cells. Eur J Neurosci 11:1085–1095

    Google Scholar 

  21. Schmidt KF (1996) Protein kinase C does not mediate the dopamine-dependent modulation of glutamate receptors in retinal horizontal cells of the perch. Vision Res 36 (24): 3939–3942

    Google Scholar 

  22. Shouval HZ, Bear MF, Cooper LN (2002) A unified model of NMDA receptor-dependent bidirectional synaptic plasticity. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 99:10831–10836

    Google Scholar 

  23. Soderling TS (2000) CaM-kinases: modulators of synaptic plasticity. Curr Opin Neurobiol 10:375–380

    Google Scholar 

  24. Song I, Huganir RL (2002) Regulation of AMPA receptors during synaptic plasticity. Trends Neurosci 25:578–588

    Google Scholar 

  25. Tachibana M (1983) Ionic currents of solitary horizontal cells isolated from goldfish retina. J Physiol 345:329–351

    Google Scholar 

  26. Tachibana M (1985) Permeability changes induced by L-glutamate in solitary retinal horizontal cells isolated from Carassius auratus. J Physiol 358:153–167

    Google Scholar 

  27. Usui S, Ishii H, Kamiyama Y (1991) An analysis of retinal L-type horizontal cell responses by the ionic current model. Neurosci Res Suppl 15:S91-S105

    Google Scholar 

  28. Usui S, Kamiyama Y, Ishii H, Ikeno H (1996) Reconstruction of retinal horizontal cell responses by the ionic current model. Vision Res 36:1711–1719

    Google Scholar 

  29. Yagi T, Kaneko A (1988) The axon terminal of goldfish retinal horizontal cells: a low membrane conductance measured in solitary preparations and its implication to the signal conduction the soma. J Neurophysiol 59:482–494

    Google Scholar 

  30. Zhou ZJ, Fain GL, Dowling JE (1993) The excitatory and inhibitory amino acid receptors on horizontal cells isolated from the white perch retina. J Neurophysiol 70:8–19

    Google Scholar 

  31. Zucker RS (1999) Calcium- and activity-dependent synaptic plasticity. Curr Opin Neurobiol 9:305–313

    Google Scholar 

  32. Zucker RS, Regehr WG (2002) Short-term synaptic plasticity. Annu Rev Physiol 64:355–405

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 1954 Hua-Shan Road, Shanghai, 200030, China

    Xin Jin & Pei-Ji Liang

  2. Computer Science Department, Blue Sky Vocational and Technical Institute, Nanchang, Jiangxi, 330029, China

    Jian-Feng Hu

Authors
  1. Xin Jin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jian-Feng Hu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Pei-Ji Liang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Pei-Ji Liang.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Jin, X., Hu, JF. & Liang, PJ. Possible mechanism of flicking-induced short-term plasticity in retinal cone-LHC synapse: a computational study. Biol. Cybern. 90, 360–367 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00422-004-0478-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00422-004-0478-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation