A REQUIREMENT FOR LOCAL PROTEIN-SYNTHESIS IN NEUROTROPHIN-INDUCED HIPPOCAMPAL SYNAPTIC PLASTICITY

Two neurotrophic factors,brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and neurotrophin-3 (NT-3), are able to produce a long-lasting enhancement of synaptic transmission in the hippocampus. Unlike other forms of pla sticity, neurotrophin-induced plasticity exhibited an immediate requir ement for protein synthesis. Plasticity in rat hippocampal slices in w hich the synaptic neuropil was isolated from the principal cell bodies also required early protein synthesis. Thus, the neurotrophins may st imulate the synthesis of proteins in either axonal or dendritic compar tments, allowing synapses to exert local control over the complement o f proteins expressed at individual synaptic sites.