Long-term depression is induced in Ca2+/calmodulin kinase-inhibited visual cortex neurons.

To elucidate a role of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) in induction of long-term potentiation (LTP), KN-62, a selective inhibitor for CaMKII, was injected into layer 2/3 neurons of sliced visual cortex obtained from young rats. Tetanic stimulation (5 Hz, 1 min) applied to the white matter after the KN-62 injection induced long-term depression (LTD) of excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) evoked by test stimulation of the white matter in 9 of the 14 cells tested. However, EPSPs evoked by test stimulation of the non-tetanized site were not changed, indicating that the induction of LTD was input-specific. Simultaneously, recorded field potentials which were derived from neurons with intact CaMKII showed LTP. These results suggest that postsynaptic CaMKII plays a role in the induction of LTP/LTD in visual cortex.