Topic: cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP)

The formation of new inhibitory synapses is essential to counterbalance a strong excitatory activity and maintain dendritic coordination between excitation and inhibition. We recently demonstrated that the activation of excitatory spines is followed by the production of endocannabinoids in dendrites, which mediates the formation of new inhibitory boutons via axonal CB1 receptors. Bouton formation was found to depend on an increase of the second messenger cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and the activation of the downstream protein kinase A (PKA). We ask whether other neuromodulators are a

Hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons receive excitatory inputs from both ipsi- and contralateral CA3 and CA2 regions. While synaptic plasticity at the intrahippocampal Schaffer collateral synapses has been extensively described, synaptic plasticity mechanisms at interhippocampal commissural fiber synapses are less well understood. In this project, we investigate cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP)-dependent plasticity at commissural synapses in the CA1 region. We performed in vivo stereotactic injections of AAVs to express ChrimsonR unilaterally in CA3/CA2 glutamatergic neurons of one hippocamp