Cited by 50Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology ResearchGenetics and Neurodevelopmental DisordersNeural dynamics and brain function

How to scale down postsynaptic strength

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Tatavarty, V., Sun, Q., Turrigiano, G. G.·2013·Journal of Neuroscience

Abstract

Synaptic scaling is a form of synaptic plasticity that contributes to the homeostatic regulation of neuronal activity both in vitro and in vivo, by bidirectionally and proportionally adjusting postsynaptic AMPA receptor (AMPAR) abundance to compensate for chronic perturbations in activity. This proportional regulation of synaptic strength allows synaptic scaling to normalize activity without disrupting the synapse-specific differences in strength thought to underlie memory storage, but how such proportional scaling of synaptic strength is accomplished at the biophysical level is unknown. Here we addressed this question in cultured rat visual cortical pyramidal neurons. We used photoactivation and fluorescence recovery after photobleaching of fluorescently tagged AMPAR to show that scaling down, but not up, decreases the steady-state accumulation of synaptic AMPAR by increasing the rate at which they unbind from and exit the postsynaptic density (Koff). This increase in Koff was not diffusion limited, was independent of AMPAR endocytosis, and was prevented by a scaffold manipulation that specifically blocks scaling down, suggesting that it is accomplished through enhanced dissociation of AMPAR from synaptic scaffold tethers. Finally, simulations show that increasing Koff decreases synaptic strength multiplicatively, by reducing the fractional occupancy of available scaffold "slots." These data demonstrate that scaling down is accomplished through a regulated increase in Koff, which in turn reduces the fractional occupancy of synaptic scaffolds to proportionally reduce synaptic strength.

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Crossref · 10.1523/jneurosci.1676-13.2013

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  • AMPAR association with the PSD is reduced during scaling-down by increasing the rate at which AMPARs dissociate from the PSD scaffold.

    “AMPAR association with the PSD is reduced during scaling-down by increasing the rate at which AMPARs dissociate from the PSD scaffold (Tatavarty et al., 2013).”

    From The AMPA Receptor Code of Synaptic Plasticity (2018) · cites this paper as Tatavarty et al., 2013

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Authors
Tatavarty, V., Sun, Q., & Turrigiano, G. G.
Affiliations
Brandeis University (US)
Venue
Journal of Neuroscience
Published
2013-08-07
Volume
33
Issue
32
Pages
13179-13189
ISSN
  • 0270-6474 (ISSN-L)
  • 1529-2401
OpenAlex
W2168190460
Cited by
50
References
53
Citations by year
2026: 3 · 2025: 8 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 6 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 1 · 2014: 5 · 2013: 3
FWCI
2.13
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Journal of Neuroscience (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institutes of Health
  • National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NS036853, R56NS036853, R01NS036853)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Genetics and Neurodevelopmental Disorders
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural dynamics and brain function
Keywords
synaptic scaling, synaptic homeostasis, AMPA receptors, postsynaptic density, receptor dissociation rate, synaptic plasticity, synaptic efficacy
MeSH terms
Central Nervous System Stimulants, Anesthetics, Local, Animals, Animals, Newborn, Cells, Cultured, Computer Simulation, Endocytosis, Models, Neurological, Picrotoxin, Polymers, Recombinant Proteins, Synapses, Tetrodotoxin, Visual Cortex, N-Methylaspartate, Pyramidal Cells, Receptors, AMPA, Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists, Excitatory Postsynaptic Potentials, Rats, Long-Evans, Fluorescence Recovery After Photobleaching, Photobleaching, Rats

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