Functional role of NMDA receptor subunit composition in metaplasticity
Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, 2009.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | eng |
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Massachusetts Institute of Technology
2009
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/47890 |
| _version_ | 1826203903892389888 |
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| author | Cho, Kathleen K. A. (Kathleen Kyung-Ah) |
| author2 | Mark F. Bear. |
| author_facet | Mark F. Bear. Cho, Kathleen K. A. (Kathleen Kyung-Ah) |
| author_sort | Cho, Kathleen K. A. (Kathleen Kyung-Ah) |
| collection | MIT |
| description | Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, 2009. |
| first_indexed | 2024-09-23T12:45:36Z |
| format | Thesis |
| id | mit-1721.1/47890 |
| institution | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| language | eng |
| last_indexed | 2024-09-23T12:45:36Z |
| publishDate | 2009 |
| publisher | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | mit-1721.1/478902019-04-12T15:03:58Z Functional role of NMDA receptor subunit composition in metaplasticity Cho, Kathleen K. A. (Kathleen Kyung-Ah) Mark F. Bear. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Brain and Cognitive Sciences. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Brain and Cognitive Sciences. Brain and Cognitive Sciences. Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, 2009. "June 2009." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 127-150). Modification of synapses by neural activity has been proposed to be the substrate for experience-dependent brain development, learning, and recovery of function after brain damage. In the visual cortex, the strength of cortical synapses can be bidiredionally modified, where in response to a critical level of postsynaptic activation, synapses are strengthened (long-term potentiation; LTP) and below this level, synapses are weakened (long-term depression; LTD). Previous work in visual cortex has suggested that the threshold for synaptic modifications is dependent on the recent history of visual experience, a phenomenon called metaplaticity. Recent mechanistic studies have shown that experience-dependent adjustments of the modification threshold correlate with changes in the subunit composition and function of NMDA-type glutamate receptors (NMDARs). However, causality has not been conclusively established. Here we examined the mechanistic basis of metaplaticity, and specifically how this process is mediated by a switch in NMDAR subunit composition by focusing on the NR2A subunit of the NMDA receptor in visual cortex. We provide evidence for the functional significance of the NR2A subunit in metaplastic changes both in synaptic platicity elicited in vitro and in naturally-occurring platicity in vivo. We also performed a comparison of in vitro methods of inducing plasticity and those which subserve in vivo experience-dependent changes in synaptic strength. These findings represent an important step forward in understanding how plasticity thresholds are regulated in the brain. by Kathleen K. A. Cho. Ph.D. 2009-10-01T15:59:07Z 2009-10-01T15:59:07Z 2009 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/47890 435456352 eng M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission. http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582 150 leaves application/pdf Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| spellingShingle | Brain and Cognitive Sciences. Cho, Kathleen K. A. (Kathleen Kyung-Ah) Functional role of NMDA receptor subunit composition in metaplasticity |
| title | Functional role of NMDA receptor subunit composition in metaplasticity |
| title_full | Functional role of NMDA receptor subunit composition in metaplasticity |
| title_fullStr | Functional role of NMDA receptor subunit composition in metaplasticity |
| title_full_unstemmed | Functional role of NMDA receptor subunit composition in metaplasticity |
| title_short | Functional role of NMDA receptor subunit composition in metaplasticity |
| title_sort | functional role of nmda receptor subunit composition in metaplasticity |
| topic | Brain and Cognitive Sciences. |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/47890 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT chokathleenkakathleenkyungah functionalroleofnmdareceptorsubunitcompositioninmetaplasticity |