Abstract
Neurotrophins have been proposed to mediate several forms of activity- dependent competition in the central nervous system. A key element of such hypotheses is that neurotrophins act preferentially on active neurons; however, little direct evidence supports this postulate. We therefore examined, in ferret cortical brain slices, the interactions between activity and neurotrophins in regulating dendritic growth of layer 4 pyramidal neurons. Inhibition of spontaneous electrical activity, synaptic transmission, or L-type calcium channels each prevented the otherwise dramatic increase in dendritic arborizations elicited by brain-derived neurotrophic factor. In developing cortex, this requirement for conjoint neurotrophin signaling and activity provides a mechanism for selectively enhancing the growth and connectivity of active neurons.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 1057-1064 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | Neuron |
Volume | 17 |
Issue number | 6 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Dec 1996 |
Externally published | Yes |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Neuroscience(all)