Analyses of synapse formation and elimination, the cellular bases of long-term memory, with special attention to their apparent symmetry

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The purpose of this study is to analyze the mechanisms underlying long-lasting synaptic plasticity, the presumed cellular basis of long-term memory, by using the recipient's original system (stable cultures of brain slice). The long-lasting synaptic enhancement coupled with synapse formation and the long-lasting synaptic suppression coupled with synapse elimination are symmetric phenomena in many properties. Taking this symmetry as a clue for solution, the analyses reveal that the enhancement and suppression are mediated by brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and its precursor (proBDNF), respectively. The mechanisms are symmetric indeed.