Local transport and translation of BDNF following synaptic potentiation

The neurotrophin brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) plays a key role in neuronal survival and neurite out-growth, synaptogenesis and synaptic plasticity. BDNF mRNA can be transported in neuronal dendrites in an activity-dependent manner in particular, following seizures but also in response to antidepressants or physical activity. At present, a clear demonstration that BDNF mRNA is locally transported and translated at activated synapses in response to the induction of long-term potentiation (LTP) is still lacking. Here, we study the dynamics of BDNF mRNA trafficking during neuronal plasticity induced by chemical-LTP. The project explores the two hypotheses of selective vs. non-selective dendritic transport of BDNF transcripts after synaptic potentiation and the related methodological constrains using the MS2 system for mRNA visualization in living neurons