Question

What are the four main properties of the NMDA receptor-dependent LTP?

Answer 1

NMDA receptors:

1. N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor is a glutamate receptor and ion channel found in neurons.
2. Depending on the subunit composition, glutamate and glycine are among their ligands (or D-serine).
3. Ca²⁺ transit through NMDA receptors is thought to be important in synaptic plasticity, a cellular process that involves learning and memory because proteins that bind to and are triggered by Ca²⁺ ions are involved.
4. The main properties of NMDA receptor-dependent LTP are –

1. LTP formed at one synapse does not transmit to other synapses due to input selectivity.
2. On the other hand, the LTP is input-specific. It is only given to synapses that follow the cooperativity and associativity rules.
3. Rapid induction – LTP may be produced fast in a presynaptic cell by giving one or more brief high-frequency stimuli.
4. Associativity occurs when a weak trigger from a single pathway is inadequate to elicit LTP.
5. Simultaneous intense stimulation of other pathways can generate LTP in both pathways.
6. Cooperativity - LTP may be generated either by intense tetanic stimulation of a single route to a synapse or cooperatively by modest activation of numerous.