Stimulation of the lateral division of the dorsal telencephalon induces synaptic plasticity in the medial division of adult zebrafish

Abstract

In ray-finned fishes, the lateral (Dl) and medial (Dm) division of the dorsal telencephalon are important in learning and memory formation. Tract-tracing studies revealed that neural connections are formed between these regions via afferent Dl fibers projecting to the Dm. However, research analyzing Dl-Dm synaptic transmission is scant. We have used electrophysiological techniques to assess neurotransmission and synaptic plasticity in projections from the Dl to the Dm in zebrafish. We demonstrate that electrical stimulation of the Dl division evoked a negative field potential in the Dm division that could be inhibited by application of the AMPA/kainate receptor antagonist, CNQX (5μM). Pairs of stimuli, when delivered at brief inter-pulse intervals (IPI), elicited paired pulse facilitation (PPF). Long-term potentiation (LTP), induced through the application of three trains of high frequency stimulation (HFS; 100Hz for 1s), lasted for more than 1h and could be inhibited with DL-AP5 (40μM), an N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist. Our results suggest that the intratelencephalic connection between Dl and Dm may play an important role in the synaptic plasticity of the zebrafish brain. It also provides a new electrophysiological model for studying the neural mechanisms underlying learning and memory in zebrafish.