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Neurons are arranged in networks in which they communicate between each other by the means of synapses. Synaptic transmission can undergo activity-dependent and short-lived changes in strength, known as short-term synaptic plasticity. Short-term plasticity ...
Neuronal theories of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) of autism and mental retardation propose that abnormal connectivity underlies deficits in attentional processing. We tested this theory by studying unitary synaptic connections between layer 5 pyrami ...
Perceptual learning is an implicit form of learning which induces long-lasting perceptual enhancements. Perceptual learning shows intriguing characteristics. For example, a minimal number of trials per session is needed for learning and the interleaved pre ...
Ca2+-evoked transmitter release shows a high dynamic range over spontaneous release. We investigated the role of the Ca2+ sensor protein, Synaptotagmin2 (Syt2), in both spontaneous and Ca2+-evoked release under direct control of presynaptic Ca2+, usin ...
We report that, in the rat hippocampus, learning leads to a significant increase in extracellular lactate levels that derive from glycogen, an energy reserve selectively localized in astrocytes. Astrocytic glycogen breakdown and lactate release are essenti ...
Fast neurotransmitter release is essential for neuron-neuron communication and is initiated by the opening of voltage-gated Ca2+ channels close to docked vesicles at the presynaptic active zone. The high concentration of Ca2+ channels at the active zone is ...
Spike Timing Dependent Plasticity (STDP) is a temporally asymmetric form of Hebbian learning induced by tight temporal correlations between the spikes of pre- and postsynaptic neurons. As with other forms of synaptic plasticity, it is widely believed that ...
Smooth muscle contraction is regulated by changes in cytosolic Ca2+ concentration (Ca2+). In response to stimulation, Ca2+ increase in a single cell can propagate to neighbouring cells through gap junctions, as intercellular Ca2+ waves. To investigate ...
The key roles played by the neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) in plasticity and cognition underscore this membrane protein as a relevant target to develop cognitive-enhancing drugs. However, NCAM is a structurally and functionally complex molecule with ...
The two fundamental forms of short-term plasticity, short-term depression and facilitation, coexist at most synapses, but little is known about their interaction. Here, we studied the interplay between short-term depression and facilitation at calyx of Hel ...