Abstract
Since its discovery, spike timing-dependent synaptic plasticity (STDP) has been thought to be a primary mechanism underlying the brain’s ability to learn and to form new memories. However, despite the enormous interest in both the experimental and theoretical neuroscience communities in activity-dependent plasticity, it is still unclear whether plasticity rules inferred from in vitro experiments apply to in vivo conditions. Among the multiple reasons why plasticity rules in vivo might differ significantly from in vitro studies is that extracellular calcium concentration use in most studies is higher than concentrations estimated in vivo. STDP, like many forms of long-term synaptic plasticity, strongly depends on intracellular calcium influx for its induction. Here, we discuss the importance of considering physiological levels of extracellular calcium concentration to study functional plasticity.
Introduction
Spike timing-dependent plasticity (STDP) is a form of long-term synaptic modification thought to constitute a mechanism underlying formation of new memories. The polarity of synaptic modifications is controlled by the relative timing between pre- and post-synaptic action potentials (APs; Dan and Poo, ; Feldman, ). Following the Konorski-Hebb principle (Konorski, ; Hebb, ), timing-dependent long-term synaptic potentiation (t-LTP) in hippocampal and neocortical pyramidal neurons, results from the temporal conjunction of synaptic activity followed by one or more backpropagating APs in the post-synaptic cell (Gustafsson and Wigström, ; Markram et al., ; Bi and Poo, ; Debanne et al., ; Feldman, ). In contrast, following Stent principle (Stent, ), timing-dependent synaptic depression (t-LTD) is induced when synaptic activity is repeatedly preceded by one of more backpropagating action potentials (Debanne et al., , , ; Markram et al., ; Bi and Poo, ; Feldman, ). It is important to note that t-LTP and t-LTD have been reported in early studies when two synaptic inputs, namely a weak input producing a subthreshold response and a strong input producing an action potential were paired with positive or negative delays (Baranyi and Fehér, ; Levy and Steward, ; Stanton and Sejnowski, ).
STDP and Calcium
At excitatory synapses, the amplitude of post-synaptic calcium influx determines the orientation of plasticity towards synaptic potentiation or depression (Artola et al., ). The better demonstration for that is provided by the fact that buffering post-synaptic calcium with BAPTA prevents the induction of both LTP and LTD (Debanne et al., ; Nevian and Sakmann, ). In a similar way, uncaging of calcium in CA1 pyramidal cells selectively induces LTP or LTD depending on the magnitude of calcium influx (Yang et al., ). In Hebbian STDP, the correlation between an EPSP and the backpropagated action potential (bAP) corresponding to a pre-before-post pairing that leads to t-LTP, induces large calcium entry (Koester and Sakmann, ). In contrast, post-before-pre pairing that induces t-LTD, comparatively produces a weaker calcium entry (Koester and Sakmann, ). Induction of t-LTP involves several mechanisms: (1) removal of the magnesium block from the NMDA receptor (Kampa et al., ); (2) inactivation of A-type current and activation of sodium channels to improve signal propagation (Hoffman et al., ; Stuart and Häusser, ); and (3) AMPA receptor depolarization to boost NMDA receptor calcium signal (Fuenzalida et al., ; Holbro et al., ). However, the NMDA receptor is the major player as its blockade (by perfusion of MK801 in the post-synaptic neuron for example) prevents LTP induction. Expression of t-LTP requires kinases activation such as CaMKII to phosphorylate AMPA and NMDA receptors thereby increasing their conductance (Otmakhova et al., ; Lisman et al., ) as well as the insertion of new AMPA receptors (Malinow and Malenka, ). In t-LTD, low calcium entry leads to inactivation of NMDA receptors by activation of phosphatases (Rosenmund et al., ). These two forms of plasticity which are dependent on post-synaptic NMDA receptors are found in the hippocampus at CA3-CA1 synapses of rodents (Nishiyama et al., ; Andrade-Talavera et al., ) or in the layer II/III of the cortex of rodents (Froemke et al., ). Some forms of LTD are also dependent on the presynaptic NMDA receptor. In the cortex or hippocampus, perfusion of MK801 in the pre-synaptic neurons prevents LTD but not LTP (Sjöström et al., ; Rodríguez-Moreno and Paulsen, ; Banerjee et al., ; Andrade-Talavera et al., ). Other forms of NMDA receptor-independent LTD expressed at hippocampal CA3-CA1 and cortical L4-L2/3 synapses, requires metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs), voltage-dependent calcium channels, cannabinoid receptors and astrocytic signaling (Normann et al., ; Bender, ). In these forms of LTD, production of a retrograde messenger, the endocannabinoids (eCBs), will decrease the probability of pre-synaptic release (Bender, ; Chevaleyre et al., ). However, this simplistic view is now challenged by several studies that do not necessarily observe a correlation between calcium entry and plasticity. In layer II/III of the cortex, the same rise in post-synaptic calcium can lead to LTP or LTD (Nevian and Sakmann, ) and a broadening of the action potential that induce a larger calcium influx may surprisingly facilitate LTD (Zhou et al., ).
NMDA Spikes
STDP relies heavily on the bAP which cannot propagate too deeply into the dendritic tree (Spruston, ). As a result, distal synapses require a local source of depolarization for t-LTP. Thus, dendritic NMDA receptors are an important source of calcium (Schiller and Schiller, ). Several studies have now shown that they are necessary for the induction of t-LTP. In the hippocampus, at mossy fibers-CA3 synapses, t-LTP can only be induced when NMDA spikes are triggered (Brandalise et al., ). In the cortex, at layer II/III-V distal synapses, dendritic depolarization can switch plasticity between LTD and LTP (Sjöström and Häusser, ). In addition, distal synapses can be cooperative. In CA1 pyramidal cells, synaptic cooperativity is observed at distal but not proximal dendritic locations following repetitive subthreshold activation of small spine clusters (Weber et al., ). Recently, in layer 5 pyramidal neurons, it was shown that synaptic cooperativity disrupts t-LTD and extends the temporal window for the induction of t-LTP (Tazerart et al., ).
Mathematical Models of STDP Based on Calcium
Synaptic plasticity models have been first theorized by John Lisman in 1989. According to this pioneering work, high post-synaptic calcium influx represents a condition favorable to LTP induction because protein kinases are preferentially activated whereas low to moderate calcium influx induces LTD because protein phosphatases are selectively activated. Most recent mathematical models of STDP incorporate the biochemical pathways described above to link post-synaptic calcium and plasticity (Karmarkar and Buonomano, ; Shouval et al., ; Graupner and Brunel, ). One of the first models to investigate the role of extracellular calcium in STDP was the one developed by Graupner and Brunel (). By variation of the extracellular calcium, and therefore postsynaptic calcium entry, they showed that a multitude of STDP curves could be obtained in response to a simple pre-post (1:1) or post-pre protocol (1:1; Figure 1). In the most extreme cases, only LTD or LTP could be observed respectively for a very weak or very strong calcium influx. For intermediate influx, the classical curve was found with a window of t-LTD (Δt ≤ 0 ms), a window of t-LTP (Δt ≥ 0 ms) and sometimes a second window of depression for longer delays (Δt = 20–30 ms). The concentration of extracellular calcium is consequently important for the orientation of plasticity but also for its maintenance. Time scales of memory maintenance can be extended by lowering extracellular calcium concentration to in vivo levels (Higgins et al., ). Spontaneous synaptic activity is known to erase memory induced by STDP in the tadpole visual system (Zhou et al., ). Similar behavior has been reproduced in silico with a calcium-based model (Higgins et al., ). In the presence of background synaptic noise, synaptic changes induced by STDP disappear in a few minutes with a high concentration of calcium, whereas they last 1 hour with a physiological concentration.
Figure 1
Role of External Calcium Level
Most, if not all, in vitro studies of STDP have used non-physiological extracellular calcium concentrations ([Ca2+]e), commonly between 2 and 3 mM (Table 1). But physiological [Ca2+]e is about 2 to 3 times lower, i.e., ranging from 1.3–1.8 mM in young rodent (Jones and Keep,
Table 1
| Reference | Synapses | Induction protocol | Plasticity observed | [Ca2+]e |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Debanne et al. ( | CA3-CA1 | 50–100 pairings @ 0.3 Hz + Postsynaptic burst | LTD (Δt < 0 ms) | 2.8 mM |
| Bi and Poo ( | Hippocampal | 60 pairings @ 1 Hz + Postsynaptic depolarization | LTP (Δt > 0 ms) and LTD (Δt < 0 ms) | 3 mM |
| neurons | ||||
| Markram et al. ( | L5-L5 | 10 pairings @ 20 Hz (2:2 or 5:5 or 10:10) | LTP (Δt > 0 ms) | 2 mM |
| Sjöström et al. ( | L5-L5 | 15 pairings @ 40 Hz (1:5) | LTP (Δt > 0 ms) | 2.5 mM |
| Froemke et al. ( | L2/3 | 60–100 pairings @ 0.2 Hz (1:1) | LTP (Δt > 0 ms) and LTD (Δt < 0 ms | 2.5 mM |
| Froemke et al. ( | L2/3 | 30–40 pairings @ 0.2 Hz (5:5) | No Plasticity, LTD or LTP depending on burst frequency | 2.5 mM |
| Wittenberg and Wang ( | CA3-CA1 | 70–100 pairings @ 0.1–0.5 Hz (1 :1) | LTD only (Δt > 0 ms and Δt < 0 ms) | 2 mM |
| Wittenberg and Wang ( | CA3-CA1 | 100 pairings @ 5 Hz (1:2) | LTD (Δt < 0 ms) and LTP (Δt > 0 ms) | 2 mM |
| Nishiyama et al. ( | CA3-CA1 | Train of stimuli at 5 Hz + postsynaptic Spike | LTP (Δt > 0 ms) and LTD (Δt < 0 ms)* | 2–2.6 mM |
| Campanac and Debanne ( | CA3-CA1 | 100 pairings @ 0.3 Hz for LTP | LTD (Δt < 0 ms) and LTP (Δt > 0 ms) | 3 mM |
| 150 pairings @ 0.3 Hz for LTD (1:1) | ||||
| Pawlak and Kerr (2008) | Corticostriatal | 60 pairings @ 0.1 Hz (1:1) | LTD (Δt < 0 ms) and LTP (Δt > 0 ms) | 2.5 mM |
| pathway | ||||
| Mishra et al. ( | CA3-CA3 | 300 pairings @ 1 Hz (1:1) | LTP only (Δt > 0 ms and Δt < 0 ms) | 2 mM |
| Inglebert et al. ( | CA3-CA1 | 100 pairings @ 0.3 Hz for LTP | No Plasticity or LTD only | 1.3–1.8 mM |
| 150 pairing @ 0.3 Hz for LTD (1:1) |
Selected publications on Spike Timing-Dependent Plasticity.
This table summarizes the plasticity observed in several studies as a function of extracellular calcium concentration. The brain region studied and the induction protocol used are also indicated. The number of repetitions, the pairing frequency and number of pre/post stimulation are specified. For example, 5:5 indicates five presynaptic and five postsynaptic stimulations. *A second LTD window is visible around Δt = 20 ms. STDP, Spike Timing-Dependent Plasticity.
Figure 2

STDP under various external calcium concentrations. CA1 pyramidal neurons were recorded in a whole-cell configuration. Pre-synaptic stimulation was evoked by a stimulation electrode placed in the Schaffer collaterals. These results were obtained with a simple 1:1 protocol (1 presynaptic, 1 postsynaptic stimulation) with a low pairing frequency of 0.3 Hz and 100 repetitions for t-LTP, and 150 repetitions for t-LTD. In 1.3 mM extracellular calcium, no plasticity is induced. In 1.8 mM extracellular calcium, pre-post and post-pre protocols leads to t-LTD. In 3 mM extracellular calcium, pre-post protocol leads to t-LTP and post-pre protocol leads to t-LTD.
Reevaluation of STDP Rules
Multiple STDP Rules
The findings of Inglebert et al. invite a reexamination of plasticity at many synapses. For example, at CA3-CA3 synapses where only LTP is observed (Mishra et al.,
Dendritic Calcium Spikes in Physiological Calcium
Among the factors that could be potentially affected by physiological calcium, the occurrence of dendritic calcium spikes or NMDA spikes that have been shown to be critical in LTP induction (Kampa et al.,
Calcium Micro-Domains in Physiological Calcium
Calcium micro-domains are supposed to play a critical role in STDP (Mihalas,
Presynaptic Aspects of STDP in Physiological Calcium
Neocortical STDP relies heavily on presynaptic glutamate release and presynaptic firing rate (Markram et al.,
Towards Standardization of Induction Protocols
All studies use different protocols (Table 1). The number of repetitions, the pairing frequency, the somato-dendritic distance of the inputs or the number of postsynaptic potentials are different among studies. Therefore, it is often difficult to compare the different results obtained by each study. In physiological calcium (i.e 1.3 mM), it appears that t-LTP and t-LTD requires a greater frequency of pairing (>5 Hz) or a greater number of postsynaptic APs (>3) even with a large number of repetitions (100 or 150; Inglebert et al.,
Implication for In vivo Exploration of STDP
In opposition to in vitro studies, and by definition, in vivo studies are inherently in a physiological calcium concentration. First demonstration of STDP in vivo was performed in the retinotectal pathway of Xenopus (Zhang et al.,
Importance of Neuromodulation
As demonstrated by Inglebert et al. fine tuning of pre- and postsynaptic activity can restore t-LTD and t-LTP in physiological extracellular calcium condition. But would it be possible to restore classic plasticity rules under regular patterns of activity? The key component could be neuromodulation. Interestingly, replay of activity from place-cells with overlapping firing field in hippocampal slices induced t-LTP only in the presence of Carbachol, a cholinergic agonist (Isaac et al.,
Conclusion
Use of Physiological Calcium Levels for Studying Short-Term Synaptic Plasticity
The use of physiological external calcium concentration not only modulates the learning rules for long-term synaptic plasticity but it also enhances context-dependent synaptic plasticity. Analog-digital modulation of action potential-evoked synaptic transmission lies on modification of spike shape, by either broadening the axonal spike (Shu et al.,
Use of Physiological Calcium Levels for Studying Intrinsic Plasticity
Hebbian plasticity and Intrinsic plasticity are closely linked and are synergistically modified (Debanne et al.,
Publisher’s Note
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Statements
Author contributions
YI and DD wrote the article and YI built the figures. All authors contributed to the article and approved the submitted version.
Funding
This work was supported by Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR-14-NEUC-0004 and ANR-14-CE13-003 to DD) and Fondation pour la Recherche Médicale (FRM, FDT2017-0437059 to YI).
Acknowledgments
We thank Dr. M. Russier for critically reading a preliminary version of the manuscript.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
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Summary
Keywords
synaptic plasticity, synapse, STDP, hippocampus, learning, memory, calcium
Citation
Inglebert Y and Debanne D (2021) Calcium and Spike Timing-Dependent Plasticity. Front. Cell. Neurosci. 15:727336. doi: 10.3389/fncel.2021.727336
Received
18 June 2021
Accepted
26 August 2021
Published
20 September 2021
Volume
15 - 2021
Edited by
Francesco Mattia Rossi, Universidad de la República, Uruguay
Reviewed by
Marco Capogna, Aarhus University, Denmark; Michael Graupner, New York University, United States
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© 2021 Inglebert and Debanne.
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*Correspondence: Dominique Debanne dominique.debanne@inserm.fr Yanis Inglebert yanis.inglebert@mail.mcgill.ca
Specialty section: This article was submitted to Cellular Neurophysiology, a section of the journal Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience
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