Pertussis toxin prevents induction of hippocampal long-term potentiation in the stratum radiatum and stratum oriens inputs to CA1 neurons.

Stereotaxic injections of pertussis toxin (3-4 micrograms) over the right hippocampus resulted in blockade of long-term potentiation (LTP) induction in the ipsilateral stratum radiatum-CA1 and stratum oriens-CA1 synaptic systems. LTP of intracellularly recorded excitatory postsynaptic potentials was prevented in slices obtained from the hippocampus at 3 and 4 but not 6 days post-toxin injection. Slices taken from the left (contralateral) hippocampus on the same days as above exhibited LTP which was similar to that obtained in control slices from uninjected rats. The post- but not presynaptic actions of adenosine were antagonized at 3, 4 and 6 days post-toxin injection. The observations suggest that the guanosine triphosphate binding proteins involved in LTP induction (GLTP) and those coupled to the postsynaptic adenosine receptors exhibit different turnover times.