Postsynaptic mechanism of long-term potentiation

Long-term potentiation (LTP) is an experimental model for memory and learning in higher animals. It is a well-known fact that intracellular rise in Ca²⁺ is an essential requirement for generation of LTP. Little is known about the synaptic modulation triggered by the intracellular Ca²⁺ rise, though the involvement of protein kinase C, Ca²⁺/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaM KII), and/or calpain are indicated experimentally. For the purpose of making the synaptic change clearer we tried to characterize the substrates for the protein kinases associated with isolated postsynaptic density (PSD)-enriched fractions. Four major groups of substrates for the CaM KII (250 k Mr, 200 k Mr, 180 k Mr, and 140 k Mr) and one for kinase C (17 k Mr) were identified. The 250 k Mr substrate resembled P₄₀₀ protein, IP₃ receptor, in structure. The 17 k Mr substrate was different from myelin basic protein which was electrophoresed nearly at the same distance. We made an antibody against the 140 k Mr substrates to obtain biological and physicochemical properties of the protein. We also made an antibody specific to the Thr²⁸⁶-autophosphorylated and autonomous form of CaM KII. The latter antibody is an extremely useful reagent to understand the biological functions of the CaM KII, especially the role of autophosphorylation of the kinase in modulation of the synaptic function such as in LTP.