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Non-technical summary Long-term potentiation (LTP) in the lateral amygdala (LA) is a widely accepted cellular correlate of fear learning. In the present study we analysed the involvement of the neurotrophin brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in amygdala LTP by stimulating selectively thalamic or cortical sensory inputs into the LA. In heterozygous BDNF knockout mice we observed that LTP in the cortico-amygdala pathway remained intact, whereas LTP in the thalamo-amygdala pathway was abolished. Likewise, acute interference with BDNF/TrkB signalling in wild-type mice by application of a BDNF scavenger (TrkB-IgG) led to inhibition of LTP in this pathway. In addition, postsynaptic inhibition of TrkB receptors, which mediate BDNF effects, blocked LTP in the thalamic pathway. Thus, our data demonstrate for the first time a crucial role for postsynaptic BDNF signalling in mediating LTP selectively in the thalamo-amygdala pathway in the LA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]