Synaptic plasticity, characterized by long-term potentiation(LTP) and long-term depression (LTD), is an important physiological phenomenon that is thought to underlie the mechanism of learning and memory formation. Dysregulation in synaptic plasticity is associated with various neurological disorders. Successful treatments to enhance learning have been hard to target to the lack of understanding in the mechanisms underlying synaptic plasticity. Synaptopodin (SP), a novel actin-associated protein, was found to be an important regulator of synaptic plasticity and learning. SP is found in a subset of dendritic spines, namely the larger, functionally stronger synapses. It is associated with an intracellular organelle the spine apparatus which is responsible for calcium release from internal calcium stores and local protein synthesis. Previous research demonstrated that SP knock-out (SPKO) mice have impaired NMDA- dependent LTP and spatial learning ability but no change in NMDA-dependent LTD. mGluR-LTD is another form of LTD in the hippocampus and its expression mechanisms are much less understood than NMDA-LTD. mGluR-LTD requires IP3R- dependent calcium signaling and protein synthesis-dependent pathway. Its dysregulation has been associated with learning deficit in many neurological diseases, in particular, Fragile X syndrome, the most prevalent neurodevelopmental disorder. Using SPKO mice, we found a reduction in mGluR-LTD compared to wildtype mice. We report that mGluR-LTD - through activation of mGluR1 but not mGluR5 - drives selective loss of the larger more stable excitatory synapses distinguished by the lack of SP. We also observed a signifcant reduction of IP3R in SPKO spines. These findings identify spines that harbor SP as the cellular locus of mGluR-LTD.

Synaptopodin, a novel actin-associated protein, plays important role in mGluR-LTD

Join us in Gather.Town to view the posters and interact live with friends and colleagues

[![](https://assets.underline.io/uploads/markdown_image/1/image/11eac27c9accef6840f694c003fd485d.png)](https://gather.town/app/mVxTT37ZAOAyCRIW/CAN-ACN) [![](https://assets.underline.io/uploads/markdown_image/1/image/7a93179b79ec979deb339ab0a83f4ecc.png)](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Sywj-XqqiC5kthen4CJi3UFevymyHhat/view?usp=sharing)

PS-3-B -  Neural Excitability, Synapses, and Glia: Cellular Mechanisms

poster

Colleagues and Friends:

I am very happy to welcome you to the 14th annual Canadian Neuroscience Meeting, and to the first virtual edition of our meeting. I want to highlight the important work the CAN meeting chair, **Roger Thompson** and co-chair, **Alyson Fournier**, did to put together the great program we are offering this year. Moving to a virtual format required a complete re-design of the program, and both Roger and Alyson did a splendid job in providing us with an appealing and well adapted program for our first virtual event. I wish to thank them for this very important effort.

Highlights of this year’s scientific meeting include invited speakers **Michael Hausser, Franck Polleux, Gwyneth Card, Magdalena Götz**and Brain Prize winner **Huda Zoghbi**. Plenary and parallel symposia, proposed by our members complete our diverse [scientific program.](https://can-acn.org/meeting-2021/program-2021/)

The 2021 Advocacy session, chaired and organized by CAN advocacy committee chair **Karun Singh**, will feature a special lecture and question period with Member of Parliament and past Science Minister **Kirsty Duncan**. This will be followed by a short overview of CAN’s advocacy activities over the last year. We invite you to participate in this session for insight from Dr. Duncan on the workings of Parliament Hill, and to learn more about what CAN has been doing to promote neuroscience research in Canada.

We are also excited to host **Lisa Willis** in the Equity Diversity and Inclusion session, organized by EDI committee chair **Jibran Khokhar**.

A special highlight of our meeting will be the lectures by award-winning young neuroscientists. We are please to host the CAN 2020 Young Investigator Award winner **Mihaela Iordanova**, and CAN 2021 Young Investigator Award winners **Aaron Phillips** and **Tabrez Siddiqui**. Highlights will also include presentation by the top three winners of the CAN-CIHR-INMHA Brain Star Award winners, **Claire Gizowski, Nuria Daviu Abant** and **Lukas Tamayo-Orrego**.

Independently organized satellite symposia complement and complete this exciting program, check them out here: https://can-acn.org/meeting-2021/2021-satellite-symposia/

Some of the most engaging sessions are always the poster sessions featuring the work of our trainees, so make sure to log in to Gather Town during the poster sessions to chat with the presenters.
We hope you enjoy this program, and look forward to welcoming you, virtually.

Shernaz Bamji

President of the Canadian Association for Neuroscience

![](https://assets.underline.io/uploads/markdown_image/1/image/b9aea25343a87d5aac3b9367dc780974.jpg)



Yanis Inglebert

2

SHORT BIO

Presentations

Synaptopodin, a novel actin-associated protein, plays important role in mGluR-LTD

Stay up to date with the latest Underline news!

PRESENTATIONS

CONFERENCES

COMPANY

RESOURCES