Synaptic plasticity in the MyosinVa mutant mouse

The trafficking of essential proteins into spines is an important aspect of synaptic plasticity. MyosinVa, an actin-based motor protein, has been implicated in the synaptic delivery of AMPARs during LTP [1]. However an earlier study showed that LTP and LTD were unaffected in the MyosinVa-null dilute-lethal mice [2]. To evaluate the role of MyosinVa in synaptic plasticity, we studied different forms of LTP and LTD in the CA1 region of the hippocanmpus from MyosinVa dominant negative mutant flailer mouse using field potential recordings. Flailer mice showed no impairment of LTP or NMDAR-dependent LTD, consistent with the findings of the study on dilute-lethal. In addition, MyosinVa has been implicated in the transport of an RNA-binding protein into the spines upon mGluR activation [3]. We explored protein synthesis and mGluR-dcpendent LTD in flailer. The preliminary data we obtained show a transient impairment in mGluR.-LTD, suggesting a role for MyosinVa in protein synthesis dependent plasticity.

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Brain and Cognitive Sciences.

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2009

Author dc:creator

• Tunca, Cansu, 1977-

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Martha Constantine-Paton.

• Brain and Cognitive Sciences.

Statement dc:rights

• 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.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/46662

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/46662