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GABA is the Main Neurotransmitter Released from Mossy Fiber Terminals in the Developing Rat Hippocampus

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Co-Existence and Co-Release of Classical Neurotransmitters

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Abstract

Early in postnatal development, correlated activity in the hippocampus is characterized by giant depolarizing potentials (GDPs). GDPs are generated by the interplay between glutamate and GABA, which in the immediate postnatal period is depolarizing and excitatory. Here, we review some recent data obtained in our laboratory concerning neuronal signaling at immature MF connections. MF responses were identified on the basis of their strong paired-pulse facilitation, short-term frequency-dependent facilitation and sensitivity to group III mGluR agonist L-AP4. Unlike adulthood, during the first week of postnatal life minimal stimulation of MF evoked responses that were potentiated by flurazepam and abolished by picrotoxin indicating that they were GABAergic. In addition, using a pairing procedure we found that GDPs and associated calcium transients act as coincident detectors for enhancing synaptic efficacy at poorly developed MF-CA3 and MF-interneurons connections. This may be crucial for synaptogenesis and for establishing the adult neuronal circuit.

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Abbreviations

AMPA:

α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid

CNS:

Central Nervous System

CNQX:

6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione

D-APV:

D-(-)-2-Amino-5-phosphonopentanoic acid

DCG-IV:

(2S,2'R,3'R)-2-(2',3'-Dicarboxycyclopropyl)glycine

DNQX:

6,7-Dinitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione

GAT-1:

a high-affinity GABA plasma membrane transporter

GABA:

γ-Amino-butyric acid

GAD:

glutamic acid decarboxylase

GDPs:

Giant Depolarizing Potentials

IPSC:

inhibitory postsynaptic current

KCC2:

neuronal Potassium-Chloride cotransporter

L-AP4:

2-amino-4-phosphonobutyric acid

MF:

Mossy fibers

mGluR:

metabotropic glutamate receptors

NKCC1:

Sodium, Potassium Chloride cotransporter

NMDA:

N-methyl-D-aspartate

P:

postnatal day

VGAT:

Vesicular GABA Transporter

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Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to Drs. A. Kasyanov, G. Fattorini and F. Conti for participating in some experiments. The original research work was supported by grants from Ministero Istruzione, Universita’, Ricerca (MIUR, Italy) and the European Union.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Neurobiology Sector, International School for Advanced Studies, Via Beirut 2–4, 34014 Trieste, Italy

    Enrico Cherubini

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  1. Victoria F. Safiulina
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  2. Majid H. Mohajerani
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  3. Sudhir Sivakumaran
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  4. Enrico Cherubini
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Correspondence to Enrico Cherubini .

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  1. Centro de Investigación y de, Estudios Avanzados, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mexico, 07000, Mexico

    Rafael Gutierrez

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Safiulina, V.F., Mohajerani, M.H., Sivakumaran, S., Cherubini, E. (2009). GABA is the Main Neurotransmitter Released from Mossy Fiber Terminals in the Developing Rat Hippocampus. In: Gutierrez, R. (eds) Co-Existence and Co-Release of Classical Neurotransmitters. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-09622-3_6

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