We present a computational model that suggests how calcium-calmodulin dependent protein kinase II can act as a molecular switch in synaptic plasticity induction at an important cerebellar synapse (between parallel fibres and Purkinje cells). Our simulation results provide a potential explanation for experimental data by van Woerden et al (Van Woerden G, Hoebeek F, Gao Z, Nagaraja R, Hoogenraad C, Kushner S, et al. [beta]CaMKII controls the direction of plasticity at parallel fiber-Purkinje cell synapses. Nat Neurosci. 2009;12(7):823-825). These experiments were performed in the lab led by Professor Chris De Zeeuw.
Model Type: Synapse
Region(s) or Organism(s): Cerebellum
Receptors: AMPA
Model Concept(s): Long-term Synaptic Plasticity; Synaptic Plasticity; Calcium dynamics; Depression
Simulation Environment: XPPAUT
References:
Pinto TM, Schilstra MJ, Roque AC, Steuber V. (2019). Binding of Filamentous Actin to CaMKII as a Potential Mechanism for the Regulation of Bidirectional Synaptic Plasticity by ßCaMKII in Cerebellar Purkinje Cells PLOS Computational Biology, accepted.