Synaptic homeostasis transiently leverages Hebbian mechanisms for a multiphasic response to inactivity

Summary

Neurons use various forms of negative feedback to maintain their synaptic strengths within an operationally useful range. While this homeostatic plasticity is thought to distinctly counteract the destabilizing positive feedback of Hebbian plasticity, there is considerable overlap in the molecular components mediating both forms of plasticity. The varying kinetics of these components spurs additional inquiry into the dynamics of synaptic homeostasis. We discovered that upscaling of synaptic weights in response to prolonged inactivity is nonmonotonic. Surprisingly, this seemingly oscillatory adaptation involved transient appropriation of molecular effectors associated with Hebbian plasticity, namely CaMKII, L-type Ca²⁺ channels, and Ca²⁺-permeable AMPARs, and homeostatic elements such as calcineurin. We created a dynamic model that shows how traditionally “Hebbian” and “homeostatic” mechanisms can cooperate to autoregulate postsynaptic Ca²⁺ levels. We propose that this combination of mechanisms allows excitatory synapses to adapt to prolonged activity changes and safeguard the capability to undergo future strengthening on demand.