L-type voltage-gated calcium channels (L-VGCCs) have previously been implicated in eCB release (Adermark and Lovinger, 2007, Calabresi et al., 1994, Choi and Lovinger, 1997 and Kreitzer and Malenka, 2005), yet we found that the L-VGCC blocker nitrendipine did not block LFS-LTD (64% ± 6%; Figure 2C). Another L-VGCC blocker, nifedipine, also did not block LFS-LTD (64% ± 10%, n = 6, data not shown). In fact, elevations

in intracellular calcium do not appear to be strictly required for LFS-LTD, since loading MSNs with the calcium-chelator BAPTA did not block LFS-LTD (75% ± 10%; Figure 2C). From these experiments, we conclude that the most likely scenario for LFS-LTD induction is that activation of Gq-coupled mGluRs leads to activation of PLCβ, stimulating the production of DAG, which is then converted to 2-AG by DAGL (Figure 2D). Our initial experiments (Figure 1) showed that the

pathways underlying HFS-LTD and LFS-LTD learn more CT99021 cost diverge after just one step in their induction pathways (activation of Gq by group I mGluRs). Because HFS-LTD is PLCβ-independent (Figure 1C), we predicted it would be DAGL-independent as well. Indeed, as observed previously (Ade and Lovinger, 2007 and Lerner et al., 2010), the DAGL inhibitor THL did not block HFS-LTD (61% ± 10%; Figure 3A). We also tested whether HFS-LTD differed from LFS-LTD in its requirements for calcium. By adding thapsigargin to our intracellular solution to deplete internal calcium stores, we found that, unlike LFS-LTD, HFS-LTD requires these stores (117% ± 17%; p < 0.05 compared to control; Figure 3B). Calcium from internal stores can be released into the cytoplasm via either IP3 receptors or ryanodine from receptors

(RyRs). Since HFS-LTD does not require PLCβ, which produces IP3, we reasoned that the requirement for internal calcium stores in HFS-LTD was more likely to be dependent on RyRs than on IP3 receptors. Indeed, when RyRs were inhibited by including ryanodine in the intracellular solution, HFS-LTD was blocked (108% ± 8%; p < 0.05 compared to control; Figure 3B). An IP3 receptor blocker, 2-APB, did not block HFS-LTD when included in the intracellular solution (63% ± 10%; Figure S2A available online). RyRs are activated by calcium and, once activated, cause the release of more calcium into the cytoplasm. This process of calcium-induced calcium release (CICR) serves to amplify calcium signals initiated by other sources of calcium influx. What is the CICR-initiating source of calcium in HFS-LTD? We consider L-VGCCs to be a likely source, because they are functionally coupled to RyRs (Chavis et al., 1996) and because L-VGCCs have previously been shown to be involved in striatal LTD (Calabresi et al., 1994 and Choi and Lovinger, 1997). In agreement with this hypothesis, the L-VGCC antagonist nitrendipine blocked HFS-LTD (92% ± 4%; p < 0.05 compared to control; Figure 3C).