BDNF plays a critical role in the regulation of synaptic strength and is essential for long-term potentiation, a phenomenon that underlies learning and memory. However, whether BDNF acts in a diffuse manner or is targeted to specific neuronal subcompartments or synaptic sites to affect circuit function remains unknown. Here, using photoactivation of BDNF or syt-IV (a regulator of exocytosis present on BDNF-containing vesicles) in transfected rat hippocampal neurons, we discovered that distinct subsets of BDNF vesicles are targeted to axons versus dendrites and are not shared between these compartments. Moreover, syt-IV-and BDNF-harboring vesicles are recruited to both presynaptic and postsynaptic sites in response to increased neuronal activity. Finally, using syt-IV knockout mouse neurons, we found that syt-IV is necessary for both presynaptic and postsynaptic scaling of synaptic strength in response to changes in network activity. These findings demonstrate that BDNF-containing vesicles can be targeted to specific sites in neurons and suggest that syt-IVregulated BDNF secretion is subject to spatial control to regulate synaptic function in a site-specific manner. © 2012 the authors.
CITATION STYLE
Dean, C., Liu, H., Staudt, T., Stahlberg, M. A., Vingill, S., Bückers, J., … Chapman, E. R. (2012). Distinct subsets of syt-IV/BDNF vesicles are sorted to axons versus dendrites and recruited to synapses by activity. Journal of Neuroscience, 32(16), 5398–5413. https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.4515-11.2012
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