Deck 17: The Molecular and Cellular Biology of Synaptic Plasticity

Question 1

Long term potentiation is associated with _______ of dendritic spines.

A) a change in shape
B) shrinkage
C) no change
D) a decrease in number
E) growth

Answer 1

E

Question 2

Long term depression is associated with _______ of dendritic spines.

A) a change in shape
B) shrinkage
C) no change
D) a decrease in number
E) growth

Answer 2

B

Question 3

In adult mouse hippocampus, synaptic elimination of spines has been shown to be related to microglial cell actions. What is the resultant behavioral result?

A) Learning a novel motor skill task.
B) Shivering motion of entire animal
C) Forgetting of learned contextual fear conditioning task
D) Loss of autonomic system function.
E) Consolidation of lasting motor memories.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Which was a necessary development to undertake in vivo longitudinal imaging studies of identified spins?

A) Whole cell patch clamp
B) Voltage clamp
C) CRISPR cas-9
D) Transcranial two-photon microscopy
E) Transgenic labeling with GFP

Question 5

All of the following lead to enduring changes in the efficacy of synaptic transmission except

A) long lifetime of synaptic related proteins that matches duration of plasticity
B) protein traffic into and out of the synapse
C) rates of synthesis and degradation of protein.
D) activity dependent traffic of receptors
E) All processes are strongly activity-dependent.

Question 6

Which is found after calcium entry through synaptic NMDA receptors?

A) Activation of cell death pathway.
B) Inactivation of CREB activity
C) Activation leading to mitochondrial dysfunction.
D) Induction of cyclic AMP response element binding protein (CREB) activity
E) Inactivation of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene expression.

Question 7

Which leads to transcription of immediate early genes (IEGs)?

A) Paired pulse facilitation.
B) L-LTP
C) S-LTP
D) PTP
E) L-LTD

Question 8

How fast does gene expression of immediate early genes (IEGs) occur?

A) Milliseconds
B) Seconds
C) Minutes
D) Hours
E) Days

Question 9

Synaptic activity triggers _______ that relieve the transcriptional repression of IEGS.

A) opening of ion-specific channels
B) cytoskeletal modifications
C) late response genes
D) membrane potential events
E) calcium-regulated signaling events

Question 10

Some IEGs encode effector proteins, like _______, that directly regulate synaptic function.

A) CREB
B) Arc/Arg3-1
C) c-fos
D) channel proteins
E) microtubule-associated protein

Question 11

BDNF promoter IV is bound to several transcriptional factors that recruit repressor complexes. When calcium influx occurs the transcription factors are turned into

A) an inactive transcriptional state
B) dephosphorylated molecules
C) an active transcriptional state.
D) repressors
E) introns

Question 12

Which of the following is the technique that allows one to determine which neuronal populations that have been activated by two distinct experiences?

A) Cellular compartment analysis of temporal activity by fluorescent in sit hybridization (catFISH)
B) In situ hybridization
C) Transcranial two photon microscopy
D) Repetitive photolysis of caged glutamate
E) Paired recordings of unitary IPSC.

Question 13

Which of the following leads to the induction and activation of Npas4?

A) Repression of transcription complex
B) Release of CREB
C) Activation of Arc
D) Neuronal activity in both excitatory and inhibitory neurons
E) Repression of IEGs

Question 14

Neuroepigenetics is

A) Distribution of chromosomes during mitosis in a neuron
B) A persistent modification of the organization of the chromatin without altering the genome sequence in a neuron.
C) Distribution of mutations on the genomic sequence of a neuronal cell
D) Repression of modification of chromatin in a neuron
E) A persistent modification of the proteome in a neuron.

Question 15

Synaptic activity dependent calcium signals regulate which of the following epigenetic mechanisms?

A) Creation and distribution of mutations in a neuron
B) Post-translational modifications of histone proteins and DNA methylation
C) Induction of DNA replication and mitosis in a neuron
D) Repression of promoters and late gene activation
E) RNA splicing and translation

Question 16

Evidence for local protein synthesis has been supported from findings of electron microscopic evidence for _______ in distal dendrites of dentate gyrus granule cells.

A) polyribosomes
B) nuclei
C) vesicles
D) neurofilaments
E) microtubules

Question 17

Using in situ hybridization, researchers have detected dendritic mRNAs, such as

A) voltage gated K⁺ channels
B) tau
C) IEGs
D) synapsin
E) CaMKII

Question 18

Which of the following is involved in targeting mRNA to dendrites and axons?

A) a spliceosome
B) ligases
C) ribonucleoprotein (mRNP) granule
D) IEGs
E) late-response genes

Question 19

Since mRNAs appear to not rest but continuously patrol the dendrites, how are they functionally regulated?

A) They travel in an active state but specific signal molecules located in the dendrites and axons allow them to localize.
B) The mRNA has a signal sequence that directs it to these locations
C) Polysomes are found in the key target areas.
D) They attach to actin and follow them to the dendrites and axons.
E) They travel in a repressed state but synaptic activity releases mRNAs from their translationally repressed state.

Question 20

In experiments the use of anysomicin leads to which of the following?

A) Induction of both chemical and electrical LTD is blocked
B) There is no effect on phosphorylation of internal proteins
C) Blockage of IEGs produced
D) Inactivity of mGluRs
E) No effect on induction

Question 21

Which of the following is involved with depolarization -induced suppression of inhibition (DSI) and long term depression (iLTD)?

A) Glutaminergic synapses
B) Cholinergic synapses
C) GABAergic synapses
D) Serotoninergic
E) Glycine synapses

Question 22

Which will block iLTD?

A) Protein synthesis inhibitor injected into the postsynaptcic cell
B) Antagonist of NMDA receptor
C) Protein synthesis inhibitor injected into the presynaptic cell
D) Antagonist of cholinergic receptor
E) Inhibitor of CaMKII

Question 23

What controls the formation of the translation initiation complex?

A) Phosphorylation of the eukaryotic initiation factor 2a
B) MTOR signaling and phosphorylation of its downstream translation effectors
C) Phosphorylation of the cytoplasmic polyadenylation element binding protein (CPEB)
D) Phosphorylation of MAPK
E) Methylation of mRNA

Question 24

Which of the following controls polyadenylation of dendritic mRNAs?

A) Phosphorylation of the cytoplasmic polyadenylation element binding protein (CPEB)
B) MTOR signaling and phosphorylation of its downstream translation effectors
C) Methylation of mRNA
D) Phosphorylation of CREB
E) Eukaryotic initiation factor 2a

Question 25

Which of the following is likely to occur following a disruption of FMRP ?

A) A decrease in Arc translation
B) Increased amount of constitutive translation and loss of synaptic activity-induced translation
C) An increase in AMPA receptors to the post synaptic membrane leading to potentiation
D) Major changes in NMDA receptor-dependent LTP
E) No major changes in mGluR-dependent LTD

Question 26

What is the most likely proteome scenario that synapses need to provide in terms of maintaining L-LTP?

A) Increased production of "positive" proteins during synaptic activity
B) Increased degradation of "negative" proteins during rest.
C) Increase in movement of proteosomes toward the dendritic shaft during potentiation.
D) Decreased movement of polyribosomes in potentiated spines during LTP.
E) A coordinated balance between protein synthesis of "positive" proteins and degradation of "negative" proteins.

Question 27

During synaptic activity, proteosomes are

A) relocated back to the soma.
B) fused with vesicles that contain molecules to inactivate the enzymes.
C) relocated to the pre-synaptic terminal.
D) relocated from the dendritic shaft into the spine.
E) moving in opposite direction of the polyribosomes.

Question 28

Which best describes the relationship between microRNAs (miRNA) and synaptic plasticity?

A) miRNA replaces mRNA during synaptic plasticity
B) Portions of the miRNA attach to the mRNA and extend the length of the mRNA
C) miRNA directs translational repression or mRNA degradations depending on the degree of complementarity between the miRNA and the sequences on target mRNAs
D) miRNA carry the sequence for proteins needed to maintain potentiated spines
E) MiRNA regulate local protein degradation.

Question 29

MOV10 is located at synapses in the mouse. It is degraded in response to

A) increased transcription of IEGs.
B) decreased AMPA receptor synthesis.
C) resting conditions in the neuron.
D) synaptic activity.
E) increased axonal transport of neurofilaments.

Question 30

Which of the following is not a property of a synaptic tag?

A) It lasts for seconds
B) It is protein synthesis independent
C) It is immobile
D) It is set by weak as well as by strong inducing stimulations
E) It allows the tagged synapses to capture the PRPs generated by the strong stimulation of the other synapse of the same neuron.

Question 31

Which of the following is support that BDNF and TrkB mRNA might form a local autocrine loop in hippocampal and cortical neurons?

A) They are both found in the soma in hippocampal and cortical neurons
B) They are both found to be transported via fast transport
C) They are both transcribed at similar times.
D) They are both transcribed at similar rates.
E) They are co-localized and they are targeted to the dendrites and locally translated in hippocampal and cortical neurons.

Question 32

Which of the following is an example of an inverse synaptic tag?

A) CREB
B) MOV10
C) RISC
D) Arc
E) CPEP

Question 33

The transient expression of IEGs in response to neuronal and synaptic activity provides a route for labeling neurons activated by a behavioral task. This is called

A) cortical mapping.
B) activity mapping.
C) connectome.
D) in situ hybridization.
E) western blot.

Question 34

Which of the following techniques has been essential to better establishing a causal link between neuronal activity, synaptic plasticity, and memory associated behaviors?

A) Genetically tag and manipulate neurons
B) Whole cell patch clamp of neurons
C) Knock outs of specific genes
D) In situ hybridization
E) Radioactive tagging of specific molecules

Question 35

Which is a reporter gene that is inserted to tag a molecule of interest?

A) Arc
B) BDNF
C) CREB
D) CPEP
E) LacZ

Question 36

How can researchers provide a time window in experiments trying to link gene expression with a specific time window?

A) Use of promoter for LacZ which encodes B-galactosidase
B) Use of BDNF which then induces release of B-galactosidase
C) Use of doxycycline (DOX) will inhibit the transcription factor iTA
D) Promotion of Arc
E) Use of de-phosphorylated form of FMRP.

Question 37

What type of learning was examined in experiments where doxycycline (DOX) was used with TetTag transgenic mice which expressed a LacZ reporter gene which resulted in neurons tagged with B-galactosidase.

A) Fear conditioning task
B) Startle response
C) Visual cues to arm movement
D) Olfactory cues to learn maze
E) Morris water navigation task

Question 38

How were researchers able to observe active neurons in experiments in learning where doxycycline (DOX) was used with TetTag transgenic mice?

A) Antibodies for doxycycline
B) B-galactosidase staining
C) Fluorescent rhodamine beads
D) Nissl stain
E) MAP-2 antibody

Question 39

Which of the following processes involves a subset of neurons that are induced to have plastic changes for memory encoding?

A) Synaptic tagging and capture
B) Facilitation at CNS synapses
C) Degradation of proteins at synapses
D) Capture of plasticity related particles
E) Memory allocation

Question 40

Which of the following brain structures has been used to examine fear conditioning and increased expression of CREB?

A) Hypothalamus
B) Substantia nigra
C) Lateral amygdala
D) Pineal gland
E) Putamen nucleus

Question 41

Associative fear leaning is thought to occur through LTP at cortico-amygdala synaptic connections. To further study the involvement of synaptic plasticity in memory, experiments have used optogenetic stimulation of post synaptic neurons at the time of tone delivery and this results in

A) formation of an artificial fear memory without the need for a foot shock.
B) erasure of a fear memory
C) erasure of an olfactory triggered memory
D) inability for synapses of cortico-amygdala axons to induce LTP
E) inability for synapses of cortico-amygdala axons to induce LTD.

Question 42

Devise an experiment that would show whether or not activity dependent RNA transcription is needed for long term potentiation.

Question 43

Identify different ways that calcium links and integrates synaptic activation, action potential firing, and gene transcription in the nucleus.

Question 44

How is the speed of transcription of immediate early genes (IEGs) possible?

Question 45

Describe the two types of proteins that are encoded by IEGS and their function.

Question 46

What is peculiar about the mammalian BDNF gene?

Question 47

Describe a way that scientists dissect the distinct biological functions of the constitutive versus the activity dependent pool of BDNF protein. What are the expected findings?

Question 48

How do new proteins become available at post synaptic sites?

Question 49

Describe how mRNA polyadenylation control regulates translation initiation by synaptic activity.

Question 50

Describe the role of fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP) in translation dependent synaptic plasticity.

Question 51

Describe how you would examine the mechanism underlying the input specificity that occurs during LTP.

Question 52

Explain how the induction of plasticity related products (PRPs) can lead to input specificity of L-LTP.

Question 53

Explain how local autocrine loops might be considered a synaptic tag.

Question 54

List the two experimental models used to investigate the cellular basis of memory.

Question 55

Design an experimental procedure that would allow you to determine if learning and memory were carried out by the same set of neurons.

Question 56

Design an experiment to show how PTSD patients may be treated in the future by erasing memories.