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Abstract

Long-term memory is thought to be mediated by protein synthesis–dependent, late-phase long-term potentiation (L-LTP). Two secretory proteins, tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), have been implicated in this process, but their relationship is unclear. Here we report that tPA, by activating the extracellular protease plasmin, converts the precursor proBDNF to the mature BDNF (mBDNF), and that such conversion is critical for L-LTP expression in mouse hippocampus. Moreover, application of mBDNF is sufficient to rescue L-LTP when protein synthesis is inhibited, which suggests that mBDNF is a key protein synthesis product for L-LTP expression.
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We thank R. Desimone and members of the Lu laboratory for the thoughtful comments and suggestions, and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals for providing recombinant BDNF. Supported by the NICHD intramural research program (B.L.) and NIH grant NS30658 (B.L.H.). Molecular interaction data have been deposited in the Biomolecular Interaction Network Database with accession code 153566.

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Science
Volume 306 | Issue 5695
15 October 2004

Submission history

Received: 10 May 2004
Accepted: 26 August 2004
Published in print: 15 October 2004

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Authors

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Petti T. Pang
Section on Neural Development and Plasticity, Laboratory of Cellular and Synaptic Neurophysiology, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong.
Henry K. Teng
Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY 10021, USA.
Eugene Zaitsev
Section on Neural Development and Plasticity, Laboratory of Cellular and Synaptic Neurophysiology, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
Newton T. Woo
Section on Neural Development and Plasticity, Laboratory of Cellular and Synaptic Neurophysiology, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
Kazuko Sakata
Section on Neural Development and Plasticity, Laboratory of Cellular and Synaptic Neurophysiology, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
Shushuang Zhen
Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY 10021, USA.
Kenneth K. Teng
Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY 10021, USA.
Wing-Ho Yung
Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong.
Barbara L. Hempstead
Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY 10021, USA.
Bai Lu*
Section on Neural Development and Plasticity, Laboratory of Cellular and Synaptic Neurophysiology, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.

Notes

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: [email protected]

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