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In neuroscience, a silent synapse is an excitatory glutamatergic synapse whose postsynaptic membrane contains NMDA-type glutamate receptors but no AMPA-type glutamate receptors. These synapses are named "silent" because normal AMPA receptor-mediated signaling is not present, rendering the synapse inactive under typical conditions. Silent synapses are typically considered to be immature glutamatergic synapses. As the brain matures, the relative number of silent synapses decreases. However, recent research on hippocampal silent synapses shows that while they may indeed be a developmental landmark in the formation of a synapse, that synapses can be "silenced" by activity, even once they have acquired AMPA receptors. Thus, silence may be a state that synapses can visit many times during their lifetimes.
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Early long-term potentiation (E-LTP) is the first phase of long-term potentiation (LTP), a well-studied form of synaptic plasticity, and consists of an increase in synaptic strength. LTP could be produced by repetitive stimulation of the presynaptic terminals, and it is believed to play a role in memory function in the hippocampus, amygdala and other cortical brain structures in mammals.
References
- ↑ Morris RG, Anderson E, Lynch GS, Baudry M (1986). "Selective impairment of learning and blockade of long-term potentiation by an N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist, AP5". Nature. 319 (6056): 774–6. Bibcode:1986Natur.319..774M. doi:10.1038/319774a0. PMID 2869411. S2CID 4356601.
- ↑ Silva AJ, Paylor R, Wehner JM, Tonegawa S (1992). "Impaired spatial learning in alpha-calcium-calmodulin kinase II mutant mice". Science. 257 (5067): 206–11. Bibcode:1992Sci...257..206S. doi:10.1126/science.1321493. PMID 1321493.
- ↑ Silva AJ, Stevens CF, Tonegawa S, Wang Y (1992). "Deficient hippocampal long-term potentiation in alpha-calcium-calmodulin kinase II mutant mice". Science. 257 (5067): 201–6. Bibcode:1992Sci...257..201S. doi:10.1126/science.1378648. PMID 1378648.
- ↑ Grant SG, O'Dell TJ, Karl KA, Stein PL, Soriano P, Kandel ER (1992). "Impaired long-term potentiation, spatial learning, and hippocampal development in fyn mutant mice". Science. 258 (5090): 1903–10. Bibcode:1992Sci...258.1903G. doi:10.1126/science.1361685. PMID 1361685. S2CID 21065410.
- ↑ Silva AJ (2003). "Molecular and cellular cognitive studies of the role of synaptic plasticity in memory". J. Neurobiol. 54 (1): 224–37. doi: 10.1002/neu.10169 . PMID 12486706.
