Presynaptic NR2A-containing NMDA receptors implement a high-pass filter synaptic plasticity rule

Abstract

The detailed characterization of synaptic plasticity has led to the replacement of simple Hebbian rules by more complex rules depending on the order of presynaptic and postsynaptic action potentials. Here, we describe a mechanism endowing a plasticity rule with additional computational complexity--a dependence on the pattern of presynaptic action potentials. The classical Hebbian rule is based on detection of conjunctive presynaptic and postsynaptic activity by postsynaptic NMDA receptors, but there is also accumulating evidence for the existence of presynaptic NMDA receptors in several brain structures. Here, we examine the role of presynaptic NMDA receptors in defining the temporal structure of the plasticity rule governing induction of long-term depression (LTD) at the cerebellar parallel fiber-Purkinje cell synapse. We show that multiple presynaptic action potentials at frequencies between 40 Hz and 1 kHz are necessary for LTD induction. We characterize the subtype, kinetics, and role of presynaptic NMDA receptors involved in the induction of LTD, showing how the kinetics of the NR2A subunits expressed by parallel fibers implement a high-pass filter plasticity rule that will selectively attenuate synapses undergoing high-frequency bursts of activity. Depending on the type of NMDA receptor subunit expressed, high-pass filters of different corner frequencies could be implemented at other synapses expressing NMDA autoreceptors.