Long-term potentiation enhances neurogenesis in the adult dentate gyrus

J Neurosci. 2006 May 31;26(22):5888-93. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0782-06.2006.

Abstract

Activity-dependent synaptic plasticity and neurogenesis are two forms of brain plasticity that can participate in functional remodeling of neural networks during the formation of memories. We examined whether long-term potentiation (LTP) of excitatory synaptic transmission, a well characterized form of synaptic plasticity believed to play a critical role in memory formation, can regulate the rate of neurogenesis in the adult rat dentate gyrus in vivo. We first show that induction of LTP at medial perforant path-granule cell synapses stimulates the proliferation of progenitor cells in the dentate gyrus with a consequential long-term persistence of a larger population of surviving newborn cells. Using protocols to examine the effect of LTP on survival, we next show that LTP induction promotes survival of 1- to 2-week-old dentate granule cells. In no case did LTP appear to affect neuronal differentiation. Finally, we show that LTP induces expression of the plasticity-related transcription factor Zif268 in a substantial fraction of 2-week-old but not 1-week-old neurons, suggesting the prosurvival effect of LTP can be observed in the absence of LTP-mediated Zif268 induction in newborn cells. Our results indicate that electrically induced LTP in the dentate gyrus in vivo provides a cellular/molecular environment that favors both proliferation and survival of adult-generated neurons.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Differentiation
  • Dentate Gyrus / cytology
  • Dentate Gyrus / physiology*
  • Electric Stimulation
  • Excitatory Postsynaptic Potentials / physiology
  • Functional Laterality
  • Hippocampus / physiology*
  • Long-Term Potentiation / physiology*
  • Male
  • Memory / physiology
  • Nerve Net / physiology
  • Nerve Regeneration / physiology*
  • Neuronal Plasticity
  • Neurons / cytology
  • Neurons / physiology*
  • Rats
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley