DENDRITIC CALCIUM CHANNELS AND HIPPOCAMPAL LONG-TERM DEPRESSION

The authors examine the potential role of the different sources of den dritic Ca2+ influx in long-term depression (LTD) of synaptic efficacy. Recent data on the location and functional distribution of voltage-ga ted Ca2+ channels obtained from fluorescence imaging and patch clamp e xperiments are presented. This is followed by a discussion of the exis ting evidence for different sources of Ca2+ playing a role in the indu ction of LTD. The authors conclude that a number of key issues need to be resolved before any conclusions are drawn as to the involvement of any specific route of Ca2+ entry in LTD. (C) 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.