Budget Amount *help |
¥20,150,000 (Direct Cost: ¥15,500,000、Indirect Cost: ¥4,650,000)
Fiscal Year 2013: ¥4,810,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,110,000)
Fiscal Year 2012: ¥4,810,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,110,000)
Fiscal Year 2011: ¥10,530,000 (Direct Cost: ¥8,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥2,430,000)
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Research Abstract |
In visual cortex, neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) is expressed only in a subgroup of GABAergic interneurons. I investigated the regulation of synaptic plasticity and experience-dependent development by nitric oxide (NO) released from nNOS neurons. We found that released NO suppressed the induction of T-type calcium channel-dependent long-term potentiation (LTP) at excitatory synapses in rat layer 2/3 pyramidal cells, whereas it facilitated the induction of LTP at the inhibitory synapses in these cells. Both effects were mediated by the activation of guanylyl cyclase and a resultant increase in cGMP. Our in vivo studies suggest that NO regulates the development of visual responsiveness of visual cortical cells through the modulation of synaptic plasticity.
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