NGF antibodies impair long-term depression at the mossy fibre CA3 synapse in the developing hippocampus

Nerve growth factor (NGF) and other neurotrophins are proteins involved in neuronal survival and differentiation. Much experimental evidence is now drawing attention into a role of neurotrophins in activity-dependent synaptic plasticity processes. We now show that slices from rats chronically deprived of NGF, by intraventricular injection of alpha D11 hybridoma cells, which produce monoclonal antibodies against NGF, display a reduced probability of induction of long-term depression at the messy fibre-CAS synapse. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.