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Yamashita T, Vavladeli A, Pala A, Galan K, Crochet S, Petersen SSA, Petersen CCH. Diverse Long-Range Axonal Projections of Excitatory Layer 2/3 Neurons in Mouse Barrel Cortex. Front Neuroanat 2018; 12:33. [PMID: 29765308 PMCID: PMC5938399 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2018.00033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2018] [Accepted: 04/16/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Excitatory projection neurons of the neocortex are thought to play important roles in perceptual and cognitive functions of the brain by directly connecting diverse cortical and subcortical areas. However, many aspects of the anatomical organization of these inter-areal connections are unknown. Here, we studied long-range axonal projections of excitatory layer 2/3 neurons with cell bodies located in mouse primary somatosensory barrel cortex (wS1). As a population, these neurons densely projected to secondary whisker somatosensory cortex (wS2) and primary/secondary whisker motor cortex (wM1/2), with additional axon in the dysgranular zone surrounding the barrel field, perirhinal temporal association cortex and striatum. In three-dimensional reconstructions of 6 individual wS2-projecting neurons and 9 individual wM1/2-projecting neurons, we found that both classes of neurons had extensive local axon in layers 2/3 and 5 of wS1. Neurons projecting to wS2 did not send axon to wM1/2, whereas a small subset of wM1/2-projecting neurons had relatively weak projections to wS2. A small fraction of projection neurons solely targeted wS2 or wM1/2. However, axon collaterals from wS2-projecting and wM1/2-projecting neurons were typically also found in subsets of various additional areas, including the dysgranular zone, perirhinal temporal association cortex and striatum. Our data suggest extensive diversity in the axonal targets selected by individual nearby cortical long-range projection neurons with somata located in layer 2/3 of wS1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takayuki Yamashita
- Laboratory of Sensory Processing, Brain Mind Institute, Faculty of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland.,Department of Neuroscience II, Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan.,PRESTO, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Kawaguchi, Japan
| | - Angeliki Vavladeli
- Laboratory of Sensory Processing, Brain Mind Institute, Faculty of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Aurélie Pala
- Laboratory of Sensory Processing, Brain Mind Institute, Faculty of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland.,Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Katia Galan
- Laboratory of Sensory Processing, Brain Mind Institute, Faculty of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Sylvain Crochet
- Laboratory of Sensory Processing, Brain Mind Institute, Faculty of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Sara S A Petersen
- Laboratory of Sensory Processing, Brain Mind Institute, Faculty of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Carl C H Petersen
- Laboratory of Sensory Processing, Brain Mind Institute, Faculty of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
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2
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Muir DR, Molina-Luna P, Roth MM, Helmchen F, Kampa BM. Specific excitatory connectivity for feature integration in mouse primary visual cortex. PLoS Comput Biol 2017; 13:e1005888. [PMID: 29240769 PMCID: PMC5746254 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1005888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2017] [Revised: 12/28/2017] [Accepted: 11/23/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Local excitatory connections in mouse primary visual cortex (V1) are stronger and more prevalent between neurons that share similar functional response features. However, the details of how functional rules for local connectivity shape neuronal responses in V1 remain unknown. We hypothesised that complex responses to visual stimuli may arise as a consequence of rules for selective excitatory connectivity within the local network in the superficial layers of mouse V1. In mouse V1 many neurons respond to overlapping grating stimuli (plaid stimuli) with highly selective and facilitatory responses, which are not simply predicted by responses to single gratings presented alone. This complexity is surprising, since excitatory neurons in V1 are considered to be mainly tuned to single preferred orientations. Here we examined the consequences for visual processing of two alternative connectivity schemes: in the first case, local connections are aligned with visual properties inherited from feedforward input (a 'like-to-like' scheme specifically connecting neurons that share similar preferred orientations); in the second case, local connections group neurons into excitatory subnetworks that combine and amplify multiple feedforward visual properties (a 'feature binding' scheme). By comparing predictions from large scale computational models with in vivo recordings of visual representations in mouse V1, we found that responses to plaid stimuli were best explained by assuming feature binding connectivity. Unlike under the like-to-like scheme, selective amplification within feature-binding excitatory subnetworks replicated experimentally observed facilitatory responses to plaid stimuli; explained selective plaid responses not predicted by grating selectivity; and was consistent with broad anatomical selectivity observed in mouse V1. Our results show that visual feature binding can occur through local recurrent mechanisms without requiring feedforward convergence, and that such a mechanism is consistent with visual responses and cortical anatomy in mouse V1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dylan R. Muir
- Biozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Laboratory of Neural Circuit Dynamics, Brain Research Institute, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Patricia Molina-Luna
- Laboratory of Neural Circuit Dynamics, Brain Research Institute, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Morgane M. Roth
- Biozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Laboratory of Neural Circuit Dynamics, Brain Research Institute, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Fritjof Helmchen
- Laboratory of Neural Circuit Dynamics, Brain Research Institute, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Björn M. Kampa
- Laboratory of Neural Circuit Dynamics, Brain Research Institute, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Neurophysiology, Institute of Biology 2, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
- JARA-BRAIN, Aachen, Germany
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3
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Li DK, Zhang C, Gu Y, Zhang SH, Shi J, Chen XH. The spatial-temporal interaction in the LTP induction between layer IV to layer II/III and layer II/III to layer II/III connections in rats' visual cortex during the development. Neuroscience 2017; 350:39-53. [PMID: 28336410 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2017.03.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2016] [Revised: 03/09/2017] [Accepted: 03/12/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
During the early developmental period, long-term potentiation (LTP) can be induced in both vertical and horizontal connections in the rat visual cortex. However, the temporal difference in LTP change between the two pathways during animal development remains unclear. In this study, LTP in vertical (from layer IV to layer II/III) and horizontal (from layer II/III to layer II/III) synaptic connections were recorded in brain slices from the same rats, and the developmental changes of LTP in both directions were compared within the animals' eye-opening period. The results showed that the LTP amplitudes declined to unobservable levels on P16 in the horizontal connections and on P20 in the vertical synaptic connections. Meanwhile, V-LTP (LTP induced in the vertical direction) was always stronger than H-LTP (LTP induced in the horizontal direction) under the same conditions of pairing stimulus (PS). Next, H-LTP and V-LTP were induced from the same neuron in layer II/III to determine the spatiotemporal interactions between layer II/III horizontal inputs and ascending synaptic inputs during the maturation of rat visual cortex. The data show that the weak PS, which failed to induce H-LTP alone, was able to induce H-LTP effectively while V-LTP was performed on P10. Our results suggest that V-LTP can strengthen H-LTP induction in the visual cortex during the early developmental period. In contrast, the regulatory effect of H-LTP on V-LTP was much weaker.
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Affiliation(s)
- Da-Ke Li
- Department of Neurology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, China
| | - Chao Zhang
- Center for Brain Science Research, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, China
| | - Yu Gu
- Center for Brain Science Research, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, China
| | - She-Hong Zhang
- Department of Rehabilitation, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, China
| | - Jian Shi
- Center for Brain Science Research, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, China.
| | - Xian-Hua Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, China.
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4
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Dufour A, Rollenhagen A, Sätzler K, Lübke JHR. Development of Synaptic Boutons in Layer 4 of the Barrel Field of the Rat Somatosensory Cortex: A Quantitative Analysis. Cereb Cortex 2015; 26:838-854. [PMID: 26574502 PMCID: PMC4712807 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhv270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding the structural and functional mechanisms underlying the development of individual brain microcircuits is critical for elucidating their computational properties. As synapses are the key structures defining a given microcircuit, it is imperative to investigate their development and precise structural features. Here, synapses in cortical layer 4 were analyzed throughout the first postnatal month using high-end electron microscopy to generate realistic quantitative 3D models. Besides their overall geometry, the size of active zones and the pools of synaptic vesicles were analyzed. At postnatal day 2 only a few shaft synapses were found, but spine synapses steadily increased with ongoing corticogenesis. From postnatal day 2 to 30 synaptic boutons significantly decreased in size whereas that of active zones remained nearly unchanged despite a reshaping. During the first 2 weeks of postnatal development, a rearrangement of synaptic vesicles from a loose distribution toward a densely packed organization close to the presynaptic density was observed, accompanied by the formation of, first a putative readily releasable pool and later a recycling and reserve pool. The quantitative 3D reconstructions of synapses will enable the comparison of structural and functional aspects of signal transduction thus leading to a better understanding of networks in the developing neocortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amandine Dufour
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine INM-2, Research Centre Jülich GmbH, Jülich 52425, Germany.,Institute of Anatomy II, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf 40225, Germany
| | - Astrid Rollenhagen
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine INM-2, Research Centre Jülich GmbH, Jülich 52425, Germany
| | - Kurt Sätzler
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Ulster, Londonderry BT52 1SA, UK
| | - Joachim H R Lübke
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine INM-2, Research Centre Jülich GmbH, Jülich 52425, Germany.,Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, RWTH/University Hospital Aachen, Aachen 52074, Germany.,JARA Translational Brain Medicine, Aachen 52074, Germany
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5
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Albasser MM, Amin E, Iordanova MD, Brown MW, Pearce JM, Aggleton JP. Separate but interacting recognition memory systems for different senses: the role of the rat perirhinal cortex. Learn Mem 2011; 18:435-43. [PMID: 21685150 PMCID: PMC3125609 DOI: 10.1101/lm.2132911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2010] [Accepted: 03/13/2011] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Two different models (convergent and parallel) potentially describe how recognition memory, the ability to detect the re-occurrence of a stimulus, is organized across different senses. To contrast these two models, rats with or without perirhinal cortex lesions were compared across various conditions that controlled available information from specific sensory modalities. Intact rats not only showed visual, tactile, and olfactory recognition, but also overcame changes in the types of sensory information available between object sampling and subsequent object recognition, e.g., between sampling in the light and recognition in the dark, or vice versa. Perirhinal lesions severely impaired object recognition whenever visual cues were available, but spared olfactory recognition and tactile-based object recognition when tested in the dark. The perirhinal lesions also blocked the ability to recognize an object sampled in the light and then tested for recognition in the dark, or vice versa. The findings reveal parallel recognition systems for different senses reliant on distinct brain areas, e.g., perirhinal cortex for vision, but also show that: (1) recognition memory for multisensory stimuli involves competition between sensory systems and (2) perirhinal cortex lesions produce a bias to rely on vision, despite the presence of intact recognition memory systems serving other senses.
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6
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Dye CA, El Shawa H, Huffman KJ. A lifespan analysis of intraneocortical connections and gene expression in the mouse II. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2010; 21:1331-50. [PMID: 21060113 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhq213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
The mammalian neocortex contains an intricate processing network of multiple sensory and motor areas that allows the animal to engage in complex behaviors. These anatomically and functionally unique areas and their distinct connections arise during early development, through a process termed arealization. Both intrinsic, activity-independent and extrinsic, activity-dependent mechanisms drive arealization, much of which occurs during the areal patterning period (APP) from late embryogenesis to early postnatal life. How areal boundaries and their connections develop and change from infancy to adulthood is not known. Additionally, the adult patterns of sensory and motor ipsilateral intraneocortical connections (INCs) have not been thoroughly characterized in the mouse. In this report and its companion (I), we present the first lifespan analysis of ipsilateral INCs among multiple sensory and motor regions in mouse. We describe the neocortical expression patterns of several developmentally regulated genes that are of central importance to studies investigating the molecular regulation of arealization, from postnatal day (P) 6 to P50. In this study, we correlate the boundaries of gene expression patterns with developing areal boundaries across a lifespan, in order to better understand the nature of gene-areal relationships from early postnatal life to adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine A Dye
- Department of Psychology and Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, University of California-Riverside, 900 University Avenue, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
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7
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Mosconi T, Woolsey TA, Jacquin MF. Passive vs. active touch-induced activity in the developing whisker pathway. Eur J Neurosci 2010; 32:1354-63. [PMID: 20846337 DOI: 10.1111/j.1460-9568.2010.07396.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The mouse trigeminal (V) system undergoes significant postnatal structural and functional developmental changes. Histological modules (barrelettes, barreloids and barrels) in the brainstem, thalamus and cortex related to actively moved (whisking) tactile hairs (vibrissae) on the face allow detailed studies of development. High-resolution [(3) H]2-deoxyglucose (2DG) emulsion autoradiography with cytochrome oxidase histochemistry was used to analyze neuronal activity changes related to specific whisker modules in the developing and mature mouse V system provoked by passive (experimenter-induced) and active (animal-induced) displacements of a single whisker (D4). We tested the hypothesis that neuronal activity patterns change in relation to the onset of active touch (whisking) on postnatal day (P)14. Quantitative image analyses revealed: (i) on P7, when whisker-like patterns of modules are clear, heightened 2DG activity in all appropriate modules in the brainstem, thalamus and cortex; (ii) on P14, a transitory activity pattern coincident with the emergence of whisking behavior that presages (iii) strong labeling of the spinal V subnucleus interpolaris and barrel cortex produced by single-whisker-mediated active touch in adults and (iv) at all above-listed ages and structures, significant suppression of baseline activity in some modules surrounding those representing the stimulated whisker. Differences in activity patterns before and after the onset of whisking behavior may be caused by neuronal activity induced by whisking, and by strengthening of modulatory projections that alter the activity of subcortical inputs produced by whisking behavior during active touch.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tony Mosconi
- Department of Physical Therapy, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, CA, USA
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8
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Kelly EA, Tremblay ME, McCasland JS, Majewska AK. Postsynaptic deregulation in GAP-43 heterozygous mouse barrel cortex. Cereb Cortex 2009; 20:1696-707. [PMID: 19915093 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhp231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Formation of whisker-related barrels in primary somatosensory cortex (S1) requires communication between presynaptic thalamocortical afferents (TCAs) and postsynaptic cortical neurons. GAP-43 is crucially involved in targeting TCAs to postsynaptic S1 neurons but its influence on the interactions between these 2 elements has not been explored. Here, we tested the hypothesis that reduced early expression of presynaptic GAP-43 (GAP-43 heterozygous [HZ] mice) alters postsynaptic differentiation of barrel cells. We found a transient increase in cytochrome oxidase staining between P6 and P14 in HZ animals, indicative of increased metabolic activity in barrel cortex during this time. Golgi impregnation and microtubule-associated protein 2 immunohistochemistry showed anomalous dendritic patterning in GAP-43 HZ cortex at P5, with altered dendritic length and branching and abnormal retention of dendrites that extend into developing septa. This deficiency was no longer apparent at P7, suggesting partial recovery of dendritic pruning processes. Finally, we showed early defects in synaptogenesis from P4 to P5 with increased colocalization of NR1 and GluR1 staining in HZ mice. By P7, this colocalization had normalized to wild type levels. Taken together, our findings suggest abnormal postsynaptic differentiation in GAP-43 HZ cortex during early barrel development, followed by adaptive compensation and partial phenotypic rescue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily A Kelly
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
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9
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Jacobs S, Van de Plas B, Van der Gucht E, Clerens S, Cnops L, Van den Bergh G, Arckens L. Identification of new regional marker proteins to map mouse brain by 2-D difference gel electrophoresis screening. Electrophoresis 2008; 29:1518-24. [PMID: 18324726 DOI: 10.1002/elps.200700487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
To screen for new region-specific protein markers we compared the proteome maps of the primary visual and somatosensory areas V1 and S1 in mouse brain using 2-D difference gel electrophoresis (2-D DIGE). Twenty-three protein spots showed a statistically significant difference in expression level between V1 and S1, with 52% appearing more abundantly in V1. Twenty-six proteins were mass spectrometrically identified in 22 spots. To assess the validity of this list of potential areal markers generated by 2-D DIGE, the effective area-specific distribution profile of creatine kinase brain subtype (CKB), a protein with a clearly higher expression level in S1, was monitored with in situ hybridization. The mRNA expression profile of CKB displayed a clear area-specific distribution, which allowed demarcation of S1 and its topographical borders with neighboring neocortical areas. This proteomic study demonstrates the innovative application of 2-D DIGE and MS to select new regional markers for neuroscience research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandy Jacobs
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neuroproteomics, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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10
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Kichula EA, Huntley GW. Developmental and comparative aspects of posterior medial thalamocortical innervation of the barrel cortex in mice and rats. J Comp Neurol 2008; 509:239-58. [PMID: 18496871 DOI: 10.1002/cne.21690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The thalamocortical projection to the rodent barrel cortex consists of inputs from the ventral posterior medial (VPM) and posterior medial (POm) nuclei that terminate in largely nonoverlapping territories in and outside of layer IV. This projection in both rats and mice has been used extensively to study development and plasticity of highly organized synaptic circuits. Whereas the VPM pathway has been well characterized in both rats and mice, organization of the POm pathway has only been described in rats, and no studies have focused exclusively on the development of the POm projection. Here, using transport of Phaseolus vulgaris leucoagglutinin(PHA-L) or carbocyanine dyes, we characterize the POm thalamocortical innervation of adult mouse barrel cortex and describe its early postnatal development in both mice and rats. In adult mice, POm inputs form a dense plexus in layer Va that extends uniformly underneath layer IV barrels and septa. Innervation of layer IV is very sparse; a clear septal innervation pattern is evident only at the layer IV/Va border. This pattern differs subtly from that described previously in rats. Developmentally, in both species, POm axons are present in barrel cortex at birth. In mice, they occupy layer IV as it differentiates, whereas in rats, POm axons do not enter layer IV until 1-2 days after its emergence from the cortical plate. In both species, arbors undergo progressive and directed growth. However, no layer IV septal innervation pattern emerges until several days after the cytoarchitectonic appearance of barrels and well after the emergence of whisker-related clusters of VPM thalamocortical axons. The mature pattern resolves earlier in rats than in mice. Taken together, these data reveal anatomical differences between mice and rats in the development and organization of POm inputs to barrel cortex, with implications for species differences in the nature and plasticity of lemniscal and paralemniscal information processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A Kichula
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, The Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York 10029-6574, USA
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11
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Broser P, Grinevich V, Osten P, Sakmann B, Wallace DJ. Critical period plasticity of axonal arbors of layer 2/3 pyramidal neurons in rat somatosensory cortex: layer-specific reduction of projections into deprived cortical columns. Cereb Cortex 2008; 18:1588-603. [PMID: 17998276 PMCID: PMC2430153 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhm189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
We examined the effect of whisker trimming during early postnatal development on the morphology of axonal arbors in rat somatosensory cortex. Axonal arbors from populations of layer 2/3 pyramidal neurons in the D2 column were labeled by lentivirus-mediated expression of green fluorescent protein. Axonal projection patterns were compared between untrimmed control animals and animals with all whiskers in A-, B-, and C-rows trimmed (D- and E-rows left intact) from postnatal days 7 to 15 (termed from here on DE-pairing). Control animals had approximately symmetrical horizontal projections toward C- and E-row columns in both supra- and infragranular layers. Following DE-pairing, the density of axons in supragranular layers projecting from the labeled neurons in the D2 column was higher in E- than in C-row columns. This asymmetry resulted primarily from a reduction in projection density toward the deprived C-row columns. In contrast, no change was observed in infragranular layers. The results indicate that DE-pairing during early postnatal development results in reduced axonal projection from nondeprived into deprived columns and that cortical neurons are capable of structural rearrangements at subsets of their axonal arbors.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Broser
- Department of Cell Physiology, Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Jahnstrasse 29, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
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12
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Brown CE, Dyck RH. Retrograde tracing of the subset of afferent connections in mouse barrel cortex provided by zincergic neurons. J Comp Neurol 2008; 486:48-60. [PMID: 15834958 DOI: 10.1002/cne.20522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
The barrel cortex of rodents is densely innervated by a prominent subclass of glutamatergic neurons that sequester and release zinc from their synaptic boutons. These neurons may play an important role in barrel cortex function and plasticity, as zinc has been shown to modulate synaptic function by regulating neurotransmitter release, excitatory and inhibitory amino acid receptors, and second messenger signaling cascades. Here, we utilized intracortical infusions of sodium selenite to identify the source of the zincergic innervation to the mouse barrel cortex. Our results demonstrate that the majority of zincergic projections to the barrel cortex arose from ipsilateral and callosal neurons, situated in cortical layers 2/3 and 6. Regionally, these labeled neurons were most abundant within the barrel cortex itself, posterior parietal association cortex, secondary somatosensory cortex, and motor cortex. Labeled neurons were also found in other somatosensory regions corresponding to the trunk, fore- and hindlimb, as well as more distant regions such as the visual, rhinal, dorsal peduncular and insular cortices, the claustrum, and lateral and basolateral amygdaloid nuclei. Further, some mice were injected with the retrograde tracer cholera toxin subunit B to compare retrograde labeling of zincergic neurons with that of the general population of neurons innervating the barrel cortex. Our data indicate that all cortical regions providing inputs to the barrel cortex possess a zincergic component, whereas those from thalamic or brainstem structures do not. These findings demonstrate that zincergic pathways comprise a chemospecific associational network that reciprocally interconnects the barrel cortex with other cortical and limbic structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Craig E Brown
- Department of Psychology, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
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13
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Lyck L, Krøigård T, Finsen B. Unbiased cell quantification reveals a continued increase in the number of neocortical neurones during early post-natal development in mice. Eur J Neurosci 2008; 26:1749-64. [PMID: 17897392 DOI: 10.1111/j.1460-9568.2007.05763.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
The post-natal growth spurt of the mammalian neocortex has been attributed to maturation of dendritic arborizations, growth and myelination of axons, and addition of glia. It is unclear whether this growth may also involve recruitment of additional neurones. Using stereological methods, we analysed the number of neurones and glia in the neocortex during post-natal development in two separate strains of mice. Cell counting by the optical fractionator revealed that the number of neurones increased 80-100% from the time of birth to post-natal day (P)16, followed by a reduction by approximately 25% in the young adult mouse at P50-55. Unexpectedly, at the time of birth less than half of the neurones and at P8 only 65% of the neurones expressed neuronal nuclear antigen (NeuN), a marker of mature post-migratory neurones. In accordance with these observations, NeuN acquisition by neurones in layer VIa was delayed until P16. The number of glia reached its maximum at P16, whereas the number of oligodendroglia, identified using a transgenic marker, increased until P55, the latest time of observation. Neurones continued to accumulate in the developing neocortex during the first 2 weeks of post-natal development, underscoring fundamental differences in brain development in the mouse compared with human and non-human primates. Further, delayed acquisition of NeuN by neurones in the deepest neocortical layers and continued addition of oligodendroglia to the neocortex suggested that neocortical maturation should be regarded as an ongoing process continuing into the young adult mouse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lise Lyck
- Medical Biotechnology Center, University of Southern Denmark, Odense
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14
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Melzer P, Mineo L, Ebner FF. Optic nerve transection affects development and use-dependent plasticity in neocortex of the rat: Quantitative acetylcholinesterase imaging. Brain Res 2007; 1139:68-84. [PMID: 17280650 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2006.12.080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2006] [Revised: 12/04/2006] [Accepted: 12/14/2006] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
We investigated the effects of neonatal optic nerve transection on cortical acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity in hooded rats during postnatal development and following behavioral manipulation after weaning. AChE reaction product was quantified on digitized images of histochemically stained sections in layer IV of primary somatic sensory, primary visual and visual association cortex. Rats with optic nerve transection were compared to sham-operated littermates. In all cortical regions of both types of animal, AChE reaction product was increased to peak 2 weeks after birth and decreased thereafter, reaching adult levels at the end of the third postnatal week. During postnatal development, reaction product in primary visual cortex was lower in rats deprived of retinal input than in sham-operated littermates and the area delineated by reaction product was smaller. However, optic nerve transection did not modify the time course of postnatal development or statistically significantly diminish adult levels of AChE activity. Behavioral manipulations after weaning statistically significantly increased enzyme activity in sham-operated rats in all cortical areas examined. Compared with cage rearing, training in a discrimination task with food reward had a greater impact than environmental enrichment. By contrast, in the rats with optic nerve transection enrichment and training resulted in statistically significantly increased AChE activity only in lateral visual association cortex. Our findings provide evidence for intra- and supramodal influences of the neonatal removal of retinal input on neural activity- and use-dependent modifications of cortical AChE activity. The laminar distribution of the AChE reaction product suggests that the observed changes in AChE activity were mainly related to cholinergic basal forebrain afferents. These afferents may facilitate the stabilization of transient connections between the somatic sensory and the visual pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Melzer
- Deparment of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, 301 Wilson Hall, 111 21st Ave. S., Nashville, Tennessee 37203, USA.
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15
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Mumm JS, Williams PR, Godinho L, Koerber A, Pittman AJ, Roeser T, Chien CB, Baier H, Wong ROL. In vivo imaging reveals dendritic targeting of laminated afferents by zebrafish retinal ganglion cells. Neuron 2007; 52:609-21. [PMID: 17114046 PMCID: PMC1716713 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2006.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 123] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2006] [Revised: 08/25/2006] [Accepted: 10/05/2006] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Targeting of axons and dendrites to particular synaptic laminae is an important mechanism by which precise patterns of neuronal connectivity are established. Although axons target specific laminae during development, dendritic lamination has been thought to occur largely by pruning of inappropriately placed arbors. We discovered by in vivo time-lapse imaging that retinal ganglion cell (RGC) dendrites in zebrafish show growth patterns implicating dendritic targeting as a mechanism for contacting appropriate synaptic partners. Populations of RGCs labeled in transgenic animals establish distinct dendritic strata sequentially, predominantly from the inner to outer retina. Imaging individual cells over successive days confirmed that multistratified RGCs generate strata sequentially, each arbor elaborating within a specific lamina. Simultaneous imaging of RGCs and subpopulations of presynaptic amacrine interneurons revealed that RGC dendrites appear to target amacrine plexuses that had already laminated. Dendritic targeting of prepatterned afferents may thus be a novel mechanism for establishing proper synaptic connectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeff S Mumm
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA.
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16
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Semeralul MO, Boutros PC, Likhodi O, Okey AB, Van Tol HHM, Wong AHC. Microarray analysis of the developing cortex. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2007; 66:1646-58. [PMID: 17013924 DOI: 10.1002/neu.20302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Abnormal development of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) is associated with a number of neuropsychiatric disorders that have an onset in childhood or adolescence. Although the basic laminar structure of the PFC is established in utero, extensive remodeling continues into adolescence. To map the overall pattern of changes in cortical gene transcripts during postnatal development, we made serial measurements of mRNA levels in mouse PFC using oligonucleotide microarrays. We observed changes in mRNA transcripts consistent with known postnatal morphological and biochemical events. Overall, most transcripts that changed significantly showed a progressive decrease in abundance after birth, with the majority of change between postnatal weeks 2 and 4. Genes with cell proliferative, cytoskeletal, extracellular matrix, plasma membrane lipid/transport, protein folding, and regulatory functions had decreases in mRNA levels. Quantitative PCR verified the microarray results for six selected genes: DNA methyltransferase 3A (Dnmt3a), procollagen, type III, alpha 1 (Col3a1), solute carrier family 16 (monocarboxylic acid transporters), member 1 (Slc16a1), MARCKS-like 1 (Marcksl1), nidogen 1 (Nid1) and 3-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase (heart, mitochondrial) (Bdh).
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Affiliation(s)
- Mawahib O Semeralul
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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17
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Deshmukh S, Onozuka K, Bender KJ, Bender VA, Lutz B, Mackie K, Feldman DE. Postnatal development of cannabinoid receptor type 1 expression in rodent somatosensory cortex. Neuroscience 2007; 145:279-87. [PMID: 17210229 PMCID: PMC1850104 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2006.11.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2006] [Revised: 11/17/2006] [Accepted: 11/20/2006] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Endocannabinoids are powerful modulators of synaptic transmission that act on presynaptic cannabinoid receptors. Cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1) is the dominant receptor in the CNS, and is present in many brain regions, including sensory cortex. To investigate the potential role of CB1 receptors in cortical development, we examined the developmental expression of CB1 in rodent primary somatosensory (barrel) cortex, using immunohistochemistry with a CB1-specific antibody. We found that before postnatal day (P) 6, CB1 receptor staining was present exclusively in the cortical white matter, and that CB1 staining appeared in the gray matter between P6 and P20 in a specific laminar pattern. CB1 staining was confined to axons, and was most prominent in cortical layers 2/3, 5a, and 6. CB1 null (-/-) mice showed altered anatomical barrel maps in layer 4, with enlarged inter-barrel septa, but normal barrel size. These results indicate that CB1 receptors are present in early postnatal development and influence development of sensory maps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suvarna Deshmukh
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0357
| | - Kaori Onozuka
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0357
| | - Kevin J. Bender
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0357
| | - Vanessa A. Bender
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0357
| | - Beat Lutz
- Department of Physiological Chemistry, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Duesbergweg 6, 55099 Mainz, Germany
| | - Ken Mackie
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98195-6540
| | - Daniel E. Feldman
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0357
- Corresponding author: phone 858-822-4271, fax 858-534-7309,
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18
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McIlvain V, McCasland JS. GAP-43 heterozygous mice show delayed barrel patterning, differentiation of radial glia, and downregulation of GAP-43. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2006; 288:143-57. [PMID: 16435363 DOI: 10.1002/ar.a.20291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
GAP-43 heterozygous (HZ) mice exhibit abnormal thalamocortical pathfinding, fasciculation, and terminal arborization at postnatal day 7 (P7). Here we tested whether these defects are correlated with delayed development of HZ cortical patterns. We assessed the rate of barrel segregation and radial glia differentiation in wild-type (WT) and HZ cortices. Since GAP-43 is involved in some forms of neural plasticity, we also compared the duration of the critical period for lesion-induced plasticity in both genotypes. Cytochrome oxidase histochemistry revealed a delay of approximately 1 day in barrel pattern formation in GAP-43 HZ mice. GAP-43 WT barrels showed complete segregation between P2-P3, while HZ barrels did not reach the same level of segregation until P3-P4. We found a similar delay in the transformation of radial glia from monopolar to multipolar phenotypes, from P5 in WT to P7 in HZ cortex. Radial glial cells represent many of the neuronal progenitors in developing cortex and aid in cell migration. Thus, the delay in radial glial differentiation may contribute to the delay in HZ barrel segregation. Interestingly, we found no change in the extent of the critical period for HZ cortical responsiveness to early peripheral damage or in the time course of the cortical response. As expected, GAP-43 expression in HZ cortex is significantly reduced early in development. However, HZ GAP-43 expression remains at maximum levels after P9, when it is normally downregulated. As a result, HZ GAP-43 expression is near-normal by P26, by which time near-normal barrel dimensions have been restored. Our findings indicate that GAP-43 deficiency leads to early delays in barrel development and suggest that these failures are followed by homeostatic responses, including prolonged GAP-43 expression. These compensatory mechanisms may rescue normal cortical reorganization in neonates and near-normal barrel morphology and GAP-43 expression in adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vera McIlvain
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York 13210, USA
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19
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Larsen DD, Callaway EM. Development of layer-specific axonal arborizations in mouse primary somatosensory cortex. J Comp Neurol 2006; 494:398-414. [PMID: 16320250 PMCID: PMC4651208 DOI: 10.1002/cne.20754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
In the developing neocortex, pyramidal neurons use molecular cues to form axonal arbors selectively in the correct layers. Despite the utility of mice for molecular and genetic studies, little work has been done on the development of layer-specific axonal arborizations of pyramidal neurons in mice. We intracellularly labeled and reconstructed the axons of layer 2/3 and layer 5 pyramidal neurons in slices of primary somatosensory cortex from C57Bl6 mice on postnatal days 7-21. For all neurons studied, the development of the axonal arborizations in mice follows a pattern similar to that seen in other species; laminar specificity of the earliest axonal branches is similar to that of mature animals. At P7, pyramidal neurons are very simple, having only a main descending axon and few primary branches. Between P7 and P10, there is a large increase in the total number of axonal branches, and axons continue to increase in complexity and total length from P10 to P21. Unlike observations in ferrets, cats, and monkeys, two types of layer 2/3 pyramidal neurons are present in both mature and developing mice; cells in superficial layer 2/3 lack axonal arbors in layer 4, and cells close to the layer 4 border have substantial axonal arbors within layer 4. We also describe axonal and dendritic arborization patterns of three pyramidal cell types in layer 5. The axons of tall-tufted layer 5 pyramidal neurons arborize almost exclusively within deep layers while tall-simple, and short layer 5 pyramidal neurons also project axons to superficial layers.
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Affiliation(s)
- DeLaine D Larsen
- Systems Neurobiology Laboratories, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, California 92037, USA.
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Dubroff JG, Stevens RT, Hitt J, Maier DL, McCasland JS, Hodge CJ. Use-dependent plasticity in barrel cortex: intrinsic signal imaging reveals functional expansion of spared whisker representation into adjacent deprived columns. Somatosens Mot Res 2005; 22:25-35. [PMID: 16191755 DOI: 10.1080/08990220500084990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
We used optical imaging of intrinsic cortical signals, elicited by whisker stimulation, to define areas of activation in primary sensory cortex of normal hamsters and hamsters subjected to neonatal follicle ablation at postnatal day seven (P7). Follicle ablations were unilateral, and spared either C-row whiskers or the second whisker arc. This study was done to determine if the intrinsic cortical connectivity pattern of the barrel cortex, established during the critical period, affects the process of representational plasticity that follows whisker follicle ablation. Additionally, we tested the ability to monitor such changes in individual cortical whisker representations using intrinsic signal imaging. Stimulation of a single whisker yielded peak activation of a barrel-sized patch in the somatotopically appropriate location in normal cortex. In both row and arc-spared animals, functional representations corresponding to spared follicles were significantly stronger and more oblong than normal. The pattern of activation differed in the row-sparing and arc-sparing groups, in that the expansion was preferentially into deprived, not spared areas. Single whisker stimulation in row-spared cases preferentially activated the corresponding barrel arc, while stimulation of one whisker in arc-spared cases produced elongated activation down the barrel row. Since whisker deflection normally has a net inhibitory effect on neighboring barrels, our data suggest that intracortical inhibition fails to develop normally in deprived cortical columns. Because thalamocortical projections are not affected by follicle ablation after P7, we suggest that the effects we observed are largely cortical, not thalamocortical.
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Affiliation(s)
- J G Dubroff
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA.
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21
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Shin JW, Lee DJ, Jung HS, Sohn NW. Metabolic barrel representations with various patterns of neonatal whisker deafferentation in rats. Int J Dev Neurosci 2005; 23:537-44. [PMID: 15963678 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2005.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2005] [Revised: 04/04/2005] [Accepted: 04/04/2005] [Indexed: 10/25/2022] Open
Abstract
With various patterns of whisker deafferentation, C3 whisker stimulation produced divergently shaped metabolic barrel representations in layer IV of the primary somatosensory cortex. Whisker deafferentation results in functional and structural reorganization of the barrels in the primary somatosensory cortex. The present study examines the alteration of the metabolic barrel representations in layer IV with various configurations of selective whisker deafferentation in neonates, using [14C]2-deoxyglucose autoradiography. The deafferentation was produced by unilateral ablation of whiskers, leaving certain follicles intact. Configurations of intact follicles included: (I) row C follicles; (II) B3, C3, and D3 follicles; (III) B3, B4, C3, and C4 follicles; (IV) C2, C3, D2, and D3 follicles. The metabolic C3 barrel representations in layer IV after the deafferentations were found to have expanded only toward the barrel sites in which the corresponding whiskers were ablated, with no expansion toward the neighboring barrels. Expansion toward row D was significantly more pronounced than expansion toward row B, and expansion toward the C2 barrel was significantly more pronounced than expansion toward the C4 barrel. From these results, it can be inferred that asymmetric intrinsic structural connections are reflected in the functional metabolic barrel representation under the condition of neural plasticity in the barrel cortex following whisker deafferentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jung-Won Shin
- Department of Neuroscience, Graduate School of East-West Medical Science, Kyung Hee University, Yongin-city 449-701, Republic of Korea
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22
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Siucinska E, Kossut M. Experience-dependent changes in cortical whisker representation in the adult mouse: a 2-deoxyglucose study. Neuroscience 2004; 127:961-71. [PMID: 15312908 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2004.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/03/2004] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Sensory experience and learning can modify cortical body maps. We have previously reported that 3 days of classical conditioning, in which stimulation of a row of whiskers was paired with tail shock, produced an expansion of the cortical representation of the "trained row" labeled with 2-deoxyglucose (2DG), in layer IIIb and IV of the barrel cortex. The present study examined plastic remodelling of the vibrissal cortical representation after pairing whisker stimulation with a drop of sweet water. Cortical representations of rows of whiskers were mapped by 2DG autoradiography after 3 days and 2 months of training. The training resulted in enlargement of the cortical representation of vibrissae involved in the stimulus pairing compared with the contralateral representation of a row of whiskers, that were not touched during the training. This modification of whisker representation was different after short-term and long-term appetitive training. After three pairing sessions, changes in the width of cortical representation were visible in layers II/IIIa (29%) and layers V/VI (28%). After 2 months of training, significant changes in the width of cortical representation row B were found only in layer IV (41%). The changes were not observed in animals, that received whisker stimulation alone or in those who were subjected to training with unpaired stimuli. The results demonstrate that stimulus-pairing-induced changes in cortical whisker representation appeared with different time courses at different levels of cortical columnar information processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Siucinska
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, ul. Pasteura 3, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland.
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23
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Patra RC, Blue ME, Johnston MV, Bressler J, Wilson MA. Activity-dependent expression of Egr1 mRNA in somatosensory cortex of developing rats. J Neurosci Res 2004; 78:235-44. [PMID: 15378512 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.20243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
The rat barrel field in somatosensory cortex is a well-characterized model of neocortical development, with activity-dependent and activity-independent components. Egr1 encodes an inducible transcription factor that is required for certain forms activity-dependent plasticity. This study examines Egr1 mRNA expression in the developing barrel field under basal conditions and after short-term deprivation or stimulation of whiskers. Egr1 mRNA was measured with in situ hybridization at postnatal Day (P) 6, P9, P12, P15, and P21. For short-term deprivation, whiskers were trimmed close to the skin and Egr1 mRNA was examined 3 hr later. For controlled stimulation of a single whisker, surrounding whiskers were trimmed, a wire was glued to the designated whisker, and animals were placed in an AC magnetic field pulsed at 2 Hz, 10 mT rms for 15 min. Egr1 mRNA was examined 30 min later. At P6, basal Egr1 mRNA in the barrel field was very low and was increased only slightly by stimulation (P < 0.05). At each of the later ages, there was a large increase in Egr1 mRNA in stimulated versus deprived barrels (P < 0.001). Egr1 mRNA expression after whisker stimulation increased exponentially with age through P15 (P < 0.001) and then declined between P15 and P21. The onset of Egr1 responses to whisker stimulation at P9 and the striking increase in activity-dependent Egr1 mRNA expression in the second postnatal week suggest that this transcription factor may play a role in activity-dependent processes that occur in this developmental period, such as maturation of barrel cortex circuitry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramesh C Patra
- Kennedy Krieger Research Institute, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA
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24
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Czupryn A, Skangiel-Kramska J. Switch time-point for rapid experience-dependent changes in zinc-containing circuits in the mouse barrel cortex. Brain Res Bull 2003; 61:385-91. [PMID: 12909281 DOI: 10.1016/s0361-9230(03)00140-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
It has been previously demonstrated that in the mouse barrel cortex, synaptic zinc is regulated by sensory experience. In adult mice, cutting selected vibrissae produced a rapid but transient elevation of synaptic zinc in the corresponding barrels several hours later, whereas in 8 day-old animals this procedure did not affect synaptic zinc. In the present study, we wished to determine the postnatal age at which zinc-containing terminals gain the ability to respond rapidly to a restriction of sensory input. We therefore examined the effects of 1-day sensory deprivation starting at different postnatal ages. For this purpose we unilaterally trimmed all rows of vibrissae, except for row C, and we then visualized synaptic zinc in the barrel cortex 24h later. Up to postnatal day 15 such procedure had no effect on the level of synaptic zinc. However, beginning at postnatal day 16, 1-day sensory deprivation produced an increase in synaptic zinc within hollows of deprived rows of barrels as compared to non-deprived rows. These results show that during development there is a specific time-point after which zinc-containing circuits may respond rapidly to altered sensory inputs. A comparison of these findings with previous results obtained after chronic sensory deprivation suggests that a specific time window exists in development for persistent alterations in zinc-containing circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Artur Czupryn
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, The Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, 3 Pasteur Street, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland
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25
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Brown CE, Seif I, De Maeyer E, Dyck RH. Altered zincergic innervation of the developing primary somatosensory cortex in monoamine oxidase-A knockout mice. BRAIN RESEARCH. DEVELOPMENTAL BRAIN RESEARCH 2003; 142:19-29. [PMID: 12694941 DOI: 10.1016/s0165-3806(03)00008-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Genetic inactivation of monoamine oxidase-A (MAO-A) significantly elevates levels of serotonin (5-HT) during early development and causes a disruption in the compartmented organization of thalamocortical axon terminals in layer 4 of the somatosensory cortex. In order to determine whether corticocortical innervation of the primary somatosensory cortex is also affected by this mutation, we examined the distribution of zinc-containing axon terminals (terminals known to originate from within the cortex) in the developing somatosensory cortex of MAO-A knockout mice, at postnatal days (PD) 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12, 15, 28, and 60. In layer 4 of wild-type mice, histochemical staining for zinc respected barrel-specific compartments at all ages beyond PD 5. By contrast, zinc staining in MAO-A knockout mice did not exhibit signs of barrel compartmentation at any age. Across cortical layers, substantial developmental changes in the distribution of zinc-containing terminals were observed in wild-type mice up until PD 12, at which time the mature lamina-specific pattern of zinc staining was achieved. Similar changes were observed in the somatosensory cortex of MAO-A knockout mice, except that its developmental time course was significantly compressed, with zincergic innervation achieving a mature appearance by PD 8. These results provide evidence that an excess of monoamines, most likely 5-HT, dramatically perturbs the columnar organization of intracortical zincergic afferents in layer 4 and significantly accelerates the appearance of a mature laminar pattern of zinc-containing corticocortical terminals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Craig E Brown
- Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive, NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
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26
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Gil OD, Needleman L, Huntley GW. Developmental patterns of cadherin expression and localization in relation to compartmentalized thalamocortical terminations in rat barrel cortex. J Comp Neurol 2002; 453:372-88. [PMID: 12389209 DOI: 10.1002/cne.10424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
The wiring of synaptic circuitry during development is remarkably precise, but the molecular interactions that enable such precision remain largely to be defined. Cadherins are cell adhesion molecules hypothesized to play roles in axon growth and synaptic targeting during development. We previously showed that N-cadherin localizes to ventrobasal (VB) thalamocortical synapses in rat somatosensory (barrel) cortex during formation of the whisker-map in layer IV (Huntley and Benson [1999] J. Comp. Neurol. 407:453-471). Such specific association of N-cadherin with one identified afferent pathway raises the prediction that other cadherins are expressed in barrel cortex and that these are, in some combination, also differentially associated with distinct inputs. Here, we first show that N-cadherin and three other classic cadherins (cadherin-6, -8, and -10) are expressed contemporaneously in barrel cortex with relative levels of postnatal expression that are highest during the first 2 weeks, when afferent and intrinsic circuitries are forming and synaptogenesis is maximal. Each displayed distinct, but partly overlapping laminar patterns of expression that changed over time. Cadherin-8 probe hybridization formed a particularly striking pattern of intermittent, columnar patches extending from layer V through layer III, which was first detectable at approximately postnatal day 3. The patches were centered precisely over regions of dysgranular layer IV and, in the whisker barrel field, over barrel septa. This pattern is similar to that formed by the terminal distribution of thalamocortical afferents arising from the posterior nucleus (POm), suggesting cadherin-8 association with the POm thalamocortical synaptic circuit. Consistent with this, cadherin-8 mRNAs were enriched in the POm nucleus, and cadherin-8 immunolabeling in layer IV was enriched in barrel septa and codistributed with labeled POm thalamocortical synaptic-like puncta. The striking molecular parcellation of at least two different cadherins to the two, converging thalamic pathways that terminated in non-overlapping barrel center and septal compartments in layer IV strongly suggested that cadherins provide requisite molecular recognition and targeting that enable precise construction of thalamocortical and other synaptic circuitry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Orlando D Gil
- Fishberg Research Center for Neurobiology, The Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York 10029, USA
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27
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Urban J, Kossut M, Hess G. Long-term depression and long-term potentiation in horizontal connections of the barrel cortex. Eur J Neurosci 2002; 16:1772-6. [PMID: 12431230 DOI: 10.1046/j.1460-9568.2002.02225.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Synaptic plasticity of horizontally orientated connections between barrels, in the barrel cortex of adult mice, was studied in slice preparations cut across rows of barrels. Field potentials were evoked in the middle of one barrel column (in layer IV or V) and recorded in the neighbouring barrel (in layer IV and V). In layer IV, long-term depression (LTD) by 26.5 +/- 5% was first induced by a low-frequency stimulation (2 Hz) applied for 10 min. After 30 min, theta-burst stimulation was delivered to previously depressed connections, resulting in long-term potentiation (LTP) by 28.8 +/- 11.8%. When theta-burst stimulation was delivered without an earlier low-frequency stimulation, no LTP was induced. Similar results were obtained in layer V connections (LTD: 40.6 +/- 12.5%; LTP: 26.9 +/- 12.5%). In layer IV, the application of 100 micro m d,l-2-amino-5-phosphonovaleric acid (APV), an antagonist of NMDA receptors, blocked the induction of both LTD and LTP. These experiments show that a potential for synaptic plasticity is retained in granular and infragranular layers of adult mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Urban
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, 3 Pasteur St., 02-093 Warsaw, Poland
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28
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Land PW, Shamalla-Hannah L. Experience-dependent plasticity of zinc-containing cortical circuits during a critical period of postnatal development. J Comp Neurol 2002; 447:43-56. [PMID: 11967894 DOI: 10.1002/cne.10229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Distinctive subsets of glutamatergic neurons in cerebral cortex sequester the transition metal zinc within the synaptic vesicles of their axon terminals. In the present study we used histochemical localization of synaptic zinc to investigate normal postnatal development and experience-dependent plasticity of zinc-containing circuits in somatosensory barrel cortex of rats. First, we found that zinc-containing cortical circuits are dynamically reorganized between postnatal day (P) 0 and P28. Whereas most cortical laminae exhibited idiosyncratic increases in zinc histochemical staining with advancing age, lamina IV barrels were darkly reactive early in life and then lost much of their complement of synaptic zinc during postnatal weeks 2-4. Second, we established that sensory experience plays a major role in sculpting the zinc-containing innervation of cortical barrels. Trimming a particular facial whisker arrested the normal postnatal decline in synaptic zinc in the corresponding, deprived barrel. This resulted in more intense zinc staining in deprived barrels compared with adjacent, nondeprived barrels. Notably, the influence of experience on development of zinc circuits was most robust during a critical period extending from about P14, when an effect of whisker trimming first could be observed, through P28, after which time chronic deprivation no longer resulted in heightened levels of synaptic zinc in lamina IV. These findings indicate that sensory input can have a marked influence on development of cortical circuits, including those within lamina IV, throughout the first postnatal month.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter W Land
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, USA.
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Carmichael ST, Wei L, Rovainen CM, Woolsey TA. New patterns of intracortical projections after focal cortical stroke. Neurobiol Dis 2001; 8:910-22. [PMID: 11592858 DOI: 10.1006/nbdi.2001.0425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 226] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Cortical strokes alter functional maps but associated changes in connections have not been documented. The neuroanatomical tracer biotinylated dextran amine (BDA) was injected into cortex bordering infarcts 3 weeks after focal strokes in rat whisker barrel (somatosensory) cortex. The mirror locus in the opposite hemisphere was injected as a control. After 1 week of survival, brains were processed for cytochrome oxidase (CO)-, Nissl-, and BDA-labeled neurons. Cortex bordering the infarct (peri-infarct cortex) had abnormal CO and Nissl structure. BDA-labeled neurons were plotted and projections were analyzed quantitatively. Animals with small strokes had intracortical projections, arising from peri-infarct cortex, not seen in normal hemispheres: the overall orientation was statistically significantly different from and rotated 157 degrees relative to the controls. Compared to the controls, significantly fewer cells were labeled in the thalamus. Thus, after focal cortical stroke, the peri-infarct cortex is structurally abnormal, loses thalamic connections, and develops new horizontal cortical connections by axonal sprouting.
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Affiliation(s)
- S T Carmichael
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA.
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