T-type channel blockade impairs long-term potentiation at the parallel fiber–Purkinje cell synapse and cerebellar learning

Significance T-type calcium channels are present in the spines of a number of principal neurons. In absence of specific antagonists, their function has been difficult to elucidate. At the cerebellar synapse between parallel fiber (PF) and Purkinje cell (PC), postsynaptic Ca 2+ signaling is not the r...

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Published inProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS Vol. 110; no. 50; pp. 20302 - 20307
Main Authors Ly, Romain, Bouvier, Guy, Schonewille, Martijn, Arabo, Arnaud, Rondi-Reig, Laure, Léna, Clément, Casado, Mariano, de Zeeuw, Chris, Feltz, Anne
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published National Academy of Sciences 10.12.2013
Subjects
Animals
Benzamides
Calcium Channel Blockers
Calcium Channels, T-Type
Cerebellum
Eye Movements
Learning
Life Sciences
Long-Term Potentiation
Mice
Mice, Knockout
Patch-Clamp Techniques
Piperidines
Purkinje Cells
Rotarod Performance Test
Synapses
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Summary:Significance T-type calcium channels are present in the spines of a number of principal neurons. In absence of specific antagonists, their function has been difficult to elucidate. At the cerebellar synapse between parallel fiber (PF) and Purkinje cell (PC), postsynaptic Ca 2+ signaling is not the result of ionotropic glutamatergic receptor activation, while T-type Ca V 3.1 channels are abundantly expressed in PCs. We show that they are required for long-term potentiation but not for long-term depression at PF–PC synapses. Because plasticity at this site has long been proposed to be important for cerebellar forms of motor learning, we have checked the behavioral incidence of acute or chronic blockade of T-type channels. In this condition, we show impairment of demanding cerebellar motor learning tasks.
Bibliography:PMCID: PMC3864350
ISSN:0027-8424
1091-6490
DOI:10.1073/pnas.1311686110