Journal
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Volume 101, Issue 25, Pages 9458-9462Publisher
NATL ACAD SCIENCES
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0308126101
Keywords
long-term potentiation; long-term depression; Alzheimer's disease; NF-kappa B; learning and memory
Categories
Ask authors/readers for more resources
During development of the nervous system, the fate of stem cells is regulated by a cell surface receptor called Notch. Notch is also present in the adult mammalian brain; however, because Notch null mice die during embryonic development, it has proven difficult to determine the functions of Notch. Here, we used Notch antisense transgenic mice that develop and reproduce normally, but exhibit reduced levels of Notch, to demonstrate a role for Notch signaling in synaptic plasticity. Mice with reduced Notch levels exhibit impaired long-term potentiation (LTP) at hippocampal CA1 synapses. A Notch ligand enhances LTP in normal mice and corrects the defect in LTP in Notch antisense transgenic mice. Levels of basal and stimulation-induced NF-kappaB activity were significantly decreased in mice with reduced Notch levels. These findings suggest an important role for Notch signaling in a form of synaptic plasticity known to be associated with learning and memory processes.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available