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Brown TC, McGee AW. Monocular deprivation during the critical period alters neuronal tuning and the composition of visual circuitry. PLoS Biol 2023; 21:e3002096. [PMID: 37083549 PMCID: PMC10155990 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Revised: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 04/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Abnormal visual experience during a developmental critical period degrades cortical responsiveness. Yet how experience-dependent plasticity alters the response properties of individual neurons and composition of visual circuitry is unclear. Here, we measured with calcium imaging in alert mice how monocular deprivation (MD) during the developmental critical period affects tuning for binocularity, orientation, and spatial frequency for neurons in primary visual cortex. MD of the contralateral eye did not uniformly shift ocular dominance (OD) of neurons towards the fellow ipsilateral eye but reduced the number of monocular contralateral neurons and increased the number of monocular ipsilateral neurons. MD also impaired matching of preferred orientation for binocular neurons and reduced the percentage of neurons responsive at most spatial frequencies for the deprived contralateral eye. Tracking the tuning properties for several hundred neurons before and after MD revealed that the shift in OD is complex and dynamic, with many previously monocular neurons becoming binocular and binocular neurons becoming monocular. Binocular neurons that became monocular were more likely to lose responsiveness to the deprived contralateral eye if they were better matched for orientation prior to deprivation. In addition, the composition of visual circuitry changed as population of neurons more responsive to the deprived eye were exchanged for neurons with tuning properties more similar to the network of responsive neurons altered by MD. Thus, plasticity during the critical period adapts to recent experience by both altering the tuning of responsive neurons and recruiting neurons with matching tuning properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas C Brown
- Department of Anatomical Sciences and Neurobiology, School of Medicine; University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, United States of America
| | - Aaron W McGee
- Department of Anatomical Sciences and Neurobiology, School of Medicine; University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, United States of America
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2
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Tonti E, Budini M, Vingolo EM. Visuo-Acoustic Stimulation's Role in Synaptic Plasticity: A Review of the Literature. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms221910783. [PMID: 34639122 PMCID: PMC8509608 DOI: 10.3390/ijms221910783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Revised: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 10/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Brain plasticity is the capacity of cerebral neurons to change, structurally and functionally, in response to experiences. This is an essential property underlying the maturation of sensory functions, learning and memory processes, and brain repair in response to the occurrence of diseases and trauma. In this field, the visual system emerges as a paradigmatic research model, both for basic research studies and for translational investigations. The auditory system remains capable of reorganizing itself in response to different auditory stimulations or sensory organ modification. Acoustic biofeedback training can be an effective way to train patients with the central scotoma, who have poor fixation stability and poor visual acuity, in order to bring fixation on an eccentrical and healthy area of the retina: a pseudofovea. This review article is focused on the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying retinal sensitivity changes and visual and auditory system plasticity.
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3
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Cortical Visual Impairment in Childhood: 'Blindsight' and the Sprague Effect Revisited. Brain Sci 2021; 11:brainsci11101279. [PMID: 34679344 PMCID: PMC8533908 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11101279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2021] [Revised: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 09/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The paper discusses and provides support for diverse processes of brain plasticity in visual function after damage in infancy and childhood in comparison with injury that occurs in the adult brain. We provide support and description of neuroplastic mechanisms in childhood that do not seemingly exist in the same way in the adult brain. Examples include the ability to foster the development of thalamocortical connectivities that can circumvent the lesion and reach their cortical destination in the occipital cortex as the developing brain is more efficient in building new connections. Supporting this claim is the fact that in those with central visual field defects we can note that the extrastriatal visual connectivities are greater when a lesion occurs earlier in life as opposed to in the neurologically mature adult. The result is a significantly more optimized system of visual and spatial exploration within the ‘blind’ field of view. The discussion is provided within the context of “blindsight” and the “Sprague Effect”.
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4
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Chakraborty R, Vijay Kumar MJ, Clement JP. Critical aspects of neurodevelopment. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2021; 180:107415. [PMID: 33647449 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2021.107415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2020] [Revised: 12/21/2020] [Accepted: 02/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Organisms have the unique ability to adapt to their environment by making use of external inputs. In the process, the brain is shaped by experiences that go hand-in-hand with optimisation of neural circuits. As such, there exists a time window for the development of different brain regions, each unique for a particular sensory modality, wherein the propensity of forming strong, irreversible connections are high, referred to as a critical period of development. Over the years, this domain of neurodevelopmental research has garnered considerable attention from many scientists, primarily because of the intensive activity-dependent nature of development. This review discusses the cellular, molecular, and neurophysiological bases of critical periods of different sensory modalities, and the disorders associated in cases the regulators of development are dysfunctional. Eventually, the neurobiological bases of the behavioural abnormalities related to developmental pathologies are discussed. A more in-depth insight into the development of the brain during the critical period of plasticity will eventually aid in developing potential therapeutics for several neurodevelopmental disorders that are categorised under critical period disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ranabir Chakraborty
- Neuroscience Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Jakkur, Bengaluru. Karnataka. India
| | - M J Vijay Kumar
- Neuroscience Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Jakkur, Bengaluru. Karnataka. India
| | - James P Clement
- Neuroscience Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Jakkur, Bengaluru. Karnataka. India.
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5
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Holter MC, Hewitt LT, Nishimura KJ, Knowles SJ, Bjorklund GR, Shah S, Fry NR, Rees KP, Gupta TA, Daniels CW, Li G, Marsh S, Treiman DM, Olive MF, Anderson TR, Sanabria F, Snider WD, Newbern JM. Hyperactive MEK1 Signaling in Cortical GABAergic Neurons Promotes Embryonic Parvalbumin Neuron Loss and Defects in Behavioral Inhibition. Cereb Cortex 2021; 31:3064-3081. [PMID: 33570093 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhaa413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2020] [Revised: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 12/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Many developmental syndromes have been linked to genetic mutations that cause abnormal ERK/MAPK activity; however, the neuropathological effects of hyperactive signaling are not fully understood. Here, we examined whether hyperactivation of MEK1 modifies the development of GABAergic cortical interneurons (CINs), a heterogeneous population of inhibitory neurons necessary for cortical function. We show that GABAergic-neuron specific MEK1 hyperactivation in vivo leads to increased cleaved caspase-3 labeling in a subpopulation of immature neurons in the embryonic subpallial mantle zone. Adult mutants displayed a significant loss of parvalbumin (PV), but not somatostatin, expressing CINs and a reduction in perisomatic inhibitory synapses on excitatory neurons. Surviving mutant PV-CINs maintained a typical fast-spiking phenotype but showed signs of decreased intrinsic excitability that coincided with an increased risk of seizure-like phenotypes. In contrast to other mouse models of PV-CIN loss, we discovered a robust increase in the accumulation of perineuronal nets, an extracellular structure thought to restrict plasticity. Indeed, we found that mutants exhibited a significant impairment in the acquisition of behavioral response inhibition capacity. Overall, our data suggest PV-CIN development is particularly sensitive to hyperactive MEK1 signaling, which may underlie certain neurological deficits frequently observed in ERK/MAPK-linked syndromes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael C Holter
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | - Lauren T Hewitt
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA.,Interdepartmental Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Kenji J Nishimura
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA.,Interdepartmental Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Sara J Knowles
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | | | - Shiv Shah
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | - Noah R Fry
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | - Katherina P Rees
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | - Tanya A Gupta
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | - Carter W Daniels
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Guohui Li
- College of Medicine, University of Arizona, Phoenix, AZ 85004, USA
| | - Steven Marsh
- Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, AZ 85013, USA
| | | | | | - Trent R Anderson
- College of Medicine, University of Arizona, Phoenix, AZ 85004, USA
| | - Federico Sanabria
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | - William D Snider
- University of North Carolina Neuroscience Center, The University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Jason M Newbern
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
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6
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Kasamatsu T, Imamura K. Ocular dominance plasticity: Molecular mechanisms revisited. J Comp Neurol 2020; 528:3039-3074. [PMID: 32737874 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2020] [Accepted: 07/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Ocular dominance plasticity (ODP) is a type of cortical plasticity operating in visual cortex of mammals that are endowed with binocular vision based on the competition-driven disparity. Earlier, a molecular mechanism was proposed that catecholamines play an important role in the maintenance of ODP in kittens. Having survived the initial test, the hypothesis was further advanced to identify noradrenaline (NA) as a key factor that regulates ODP in the immature cortex. Later, the ODP-promoting effect of NA is extended to the adult with age-related limitations. Following the enhanced NA availability, the chain events downstream lead to the β-adrenoreceptor-induced cAMP accumulation, which in turn activates the protein kinase A. Eventually, the protein kinase translocates to the cell nucleus to activate cAMP responsive element binding protein (CREB). CREB is a cellular transcription factor that controls the transcription of various genes, underpinning neuronal plasticity and long-term memory. In the advent of molecular genetics in that various types of new tools have become available with relative ease, ODP research has lightly adopted in the rodent model the original concepts and methodologies. Here, after briefly tracing the strategic maturation of our quest, the review moves to the later development of the field, with the emphasis placed around the following issues: (a) Are we testing ODP per se? (b) What does monocular deprivation deprive of the immature cortex? (c) The critical importance of binocular competition, (d) What is the adult plasticity? (e) Excitation-Inhibition balance in local circuits, and (f) Species differences in the animal models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takuji Kasamatsu
- Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Kazuyuki Imamura
- Department of Systems Life Engineering, Maebashi Institute of Technology, Maebashi-shi, Gunma, Japan
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7
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Frantz MG, Crouse EC, Sokhadze G, Ikrar T, Stephany CÉ, Nguyen C, Xu X, McGee AW. Layer 4 Gates Plasticity in Visual Cortex Independent of a Canonical Microcircuit. Curr Biol 2020; 30:2962-2973.e5. [PMID: 32589913 PMCID: PMC7919382 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.05.067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2020] [Revised: 04/23/2020] [Accepted: 05/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Disrupting binocular vision during a developmental critical period can yield enduring changes to ocular dominance (OD) in primary visual cortex (V1). Here we investigated how this experience-dependent plasticity is coordinated within the laminar circuitry of V1 by deleting separately in each cortical layer (L) a gene required to close the critical period, nogo-66 receptor (ngr1). Deleting ngr1 in excitatory neurons in L4, but not in L2/3, L5, or L6, prevented closure of the critical period, and adult mice remained sensitive to brief monocular deprivation. Intracortical disinhibition, but not thalamocortical disinhibition, accompanied this OD plasticity. Both juvenile wild-type mice and adult mice lacking ngr1 in L4 displayed OD plasticity that advanced more rapidly L4 than L2/3 or L5. Interestingly, blocking OD plasticity in L2/3 with the drug AM-251 did not impair OD plasticity in L5. We propose that L4 restricts disinhibition and gates OD plasticity independent of a canonical cortical microcircuit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael G Frantz
- Developmental Neuroscience Program, Saban Research Institute, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Department of Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90027, USA
| | - Emily C Crouse
- Department of Anatomical Sciences and Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA
| | - Guela Sokhadze
- Department of Anatomical Sciences and Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA
| | - Taruna Ikrar
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Céleste-Élise Stephany
- Developmental Neuroscience Program, Saban Research Institute, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Department of Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90027, USA
| | - Collins Nguyen
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Xiangmin Xu
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA.
| | - Aaron W McGee
- Department of Anatomical Sciences and Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA; Developmental Neuroscience Program, Saban Research Institute, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Department of Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90027, USA.
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8
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Fong MF, Finnie PS, Kim T, Thomazeau A, Kaplan ES, Cooke SF, Bear MF. Distinct Laminar Requirements for NMDA Receptors in Experience-Dependent Visual Cortical Plasticity. Cereb Cortex 2020; 30:2555-2572. [PMID: 31832634 PMCID: PMC7174998 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhz260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2019] [Revised: 08/23/2019] [Accepted: 09/17/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Primary visual cortex (V1) is the locus of numerous forms of experience-dependent plasticity. Restricting visual stimulation to one eye at a time has revealed that many such forms of plasticity are eye-specific, indicating that synaptic modification occurs prior to binocular integration of thalamocortical inputs. A common feature of these forms of plasticity is the requirement for NMDA receptor (NMDAR) activation in V1. We therefore hypothesized that NMDARs in cortical layer 4 (L4), which receives the densest thalamocortical input, would be necessary for all forms of NMDAR-dependent and input-specific V1 plasticity. We tested this hypothesis in awake mice using a genetic approach to selectively delete NMDARs from L4 principal cells. We found, unexpectedly, that both stimulus-selective response potentiation and potentiation of open-eye responses following monocular deprivation (MD) persist in the absence of L4 NMDARs. In contrast, MD-driven depression of deprived-eye responses was impaired in mice lacking L4 NMDARs, as was L4 long-term depression in V1 slices. Our findings reveal a crucial requirement for L4 NMDARs in visual cortical synaptic depression, and a surprisingly negligible role for them in cortical response potentiation. These results demonstrate that NMDARs within distinct cellular subpopulations support different forms of experience-dependent plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming-fai Fong
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Peter Sb Finnie
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Taekeun Kim
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Aurore Thomazeau
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Eitan S Kaplan
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA 98101, USA
| | - Samuel F Cooke
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- Maurice Wohl Institute for Clinical Neuroscience, Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London SE5 8AF, UK
- The Medical Research Council Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders (MRC CNDD), King's College London, London SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Mark F Bear
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
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9
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Rodríguez G, Chakraborty D, Schrode KM, Saha R, Uribe I, Lauer AM, Lee HK. Cross-Modal Reinstatement of Thalamocortical Plasticity Accelerates Ocular Dominance Plasticity in Adult Mice. Cell Rep 2019; 24:3433-3440.e4. [PMID: 30257205 PMCID: PMC6233297 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2018.08.072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2018] [Revised: 07/19/2018] [Accepted: 08/24/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Plasticity of thalamocortical (TC) synapses is robust during early
development and becomes limited in the adult brain. We previously reported that
a short duration of deafening strengthens TC synapses in the primary visual
cortex (V1) of adult mice. Here, we demonstrate that deafening restores NMDA
receptor (NMDAR)-dependent long-term potentiation (LTP) of TC synapses onto
principal neurons in V1 layer 4 (L4), which is accompanied by an increase in
NMDAR function. In contrast, deafening did not recover long-term depression
(LTD) at TC synapses. Potentiation of TC synapses by deafening is absent in
parvalbumin-positive (PV+) interneurons, resulting in an increase in feedforward
excitation to inhibition (E/I) ratio. Furthermore, we found that a brief
duration of deafening adult mice recovers rapid ocular dominance plasticity
(ODP) mainly by accelerating potentiation of the open-eye responses. Our results
suggest that cross-modal sensory deprivation promotes adult cortical plasticity
by specifically recovering TC-LTP and increasing the E/I ratio. Plasticity of thalamocortical (TC) synapses is limited in adults.
Rodríguez et al. demonstrate that a brief period of deafening adults
recovers LTP at TC synapses in visual cortex and accelerates ocular dominance
plasticity. These results suggest that cross-modal sensory deprivation may be an
effective way to promote adult cortical plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela Rodríguez
- Mind/Brain Institute, Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N. Charles Street, Dunning Hall, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; Cellular Molecular Developmental Biology and Biophysics Program, Johns Hopkins University, Mudd Hall, 3400 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Darpan Chakraborty
- Mind/Brain Institute, Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N. Charles Street, Dunning Hall, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Katrina M Schrode
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and Center for Hearing and Balance, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, 720 Rutland Ave., Traylor Building, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Rinki Saha
- Mind/Brain Institute, Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N. Charles Street, Dunning Hall, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Isabel Uribe
- Mind/Brain Institute, Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N. Charles Street, Dunning Hall, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Amanda M Lauer
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and Center for Hearing and Balance, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, 720 Rutland Ave., Traylor Building, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Hey-Kyoung Lee
- Mind/Brain Institute, Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N. Charles Street, Dunning Hall, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; Cellular Molecular Developmental Biology and Biophysics Program, Johns Hopkins University, Mudd Hall, 3400 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA.
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10
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Holter MC, Hewitt LT, Koebele SV, Judd JM, Xing L, Bimonte-Nelson HA, Conrad CD, Araki T, Neel BG, Snider WD, Newbern JM. The Noonan Syndrome-linked Raf1L613V mutation drives increased glial number in the mouse cortex and enhanced learning. PLoS Genet 2019; 15:e1008108. [PMID: 31017896 PMCID: PMC6502435 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1008108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2018] [Revised: 05/06/2019] [Accepted: 03/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
RASopathies are a family of related syndromes caused by mutations in regulators of the RAS/Extracellular Regulated Kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) signaling cascade that often result in neurological deficits. RASopathy mutations in upstream regulatory components, such as NF1, PTPN11/SHP2, and RAS have been well-characterized, but mutation-specific differences in the pathogenesis of nervous system abnormalities remain poorly understood, especially those involving mutations downstream of RAS. Here, we assessed cellular and behavioral phenotypes in mice expressing a Raf1L613V gain-of-function mutation associated with the RASopathy, Noonan Syndrome. We report that Raf1L613V/wt mutants do not exhibit a significantly altered number of excitatory or inhibitory neurons in the cortex. However, we observed a significant increase in the number of specific glial subtypes in the forebrain. The density of GFAP+ astrocytes was significantly increased in the adult Raf1L613V/wt cortex and hippocampus relative to controls. OLIG2+ oligodendrocyte progenitor cells were also increased in number in mutant cortices, but we detected no significant change in myelination. Behavioral analyses revealed no significant changes in voluntary locomotor activity, anxiety-like behavior, or sociability. Surprisingly, Raf1L613V/wt mice performed better than controls in select aspects of the water radial-arm maze, Morris water maze, and cued fear conditioning tasks. Overall, these data show that increased astrocyte and oligodendrocyte progenitor cell (OPC) density in the cortex coincides with enhanced cognition in Raf1L613V/wt mutants and further highlight the distinct effects of RASopathy mutations on nervous system development and function. The RASopathies are a large and complex family of syndromes caused by mutations in the RAS/MAPK signaling cascade with no known cure. Individuals with these syndromes often present with heart defects, craniofacial differences, and neurological abnormalities, such as developmental delay, cognitive changes, epilepsy, and an increased risk of autism. However, there is wide variation in the extent of intellectual ability between individuals. It is currently unclear how different RASopathy mutations affect brain development. Here, we describe the cellular and behavioral consequences of a mutation in a gene called Raf1 that is associated with a common RASopathy, Noonan Syndrome. We find that mice harboring a mutation in Raf1 show moderate increases in the number of two subsets of glial cells, which is also observed in a number of other RASopathy brain samples. Surprisingly, we found that Raf1 mutant mice show improved performance in several learning and memory tasks. Our work highlights potential mutation-specific changes in RASopathy brain function and helps set the framework for future personalized therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael C. Holter
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Lauren. T. Hewitt
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Stephanie V. Koebele
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States of America
- Arizona Alzheimer’s Consortium, Phoenix, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Jessica M. Judd
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Lei Xing
- Neuroscience Center, The University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Heather A. Bimonte-Nelson
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States of America
- Arizona Alzheimer’s Consortium, Phoenix, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Cheryl D. Conrad
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Toshiyuki Araki
- Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Benjamin G. Neel
- Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - William D. Snider
- Neuroscience Center, The University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Jason M. Newbern
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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11
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NMNAT Proteins that Limit Wallerian Degeneration Also Regulate Critical Period Plasticity in the Visual Cortex. eNeuro 2019; 6:eN-NWR-0277-18. [PMID: 30671537 PMCID: PMC6338469 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0277-18.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2018] [Revised: 12/03/2018] [Accepted: 12/04/2018] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Many brain regions go through critical periods of development during which plasticity is enhanced. These critical periods are associated with extensive growth and retraction of thalamocortical and intracortical axons. Here, we investigated whether a signaling pathway that is central in Wallerian axon degeneration also regulates critical period plasticity in the primary visual cortex (V1). Wallerian degeneration is characterized by rapid disintegration of axons once they are separated from the cell body. This degenerative process is initiated by reduced presence of cytoplasmic nicotinamide mononucleotide adenylyltransferases (NMNATs) and is strongly delayed in mice overexpressing cytoplasmic NMNAT proteins, such as WldS mutant mice producing a UBE4b-NMNAT1 fusion protein or NMNAT3 transgenic mice. Here, we provide evidence that in WldS mice and NMNAT3 transgenic mice, ocular dominance (OD) plasticity in the developing visual cortex is reduced. This deficit is only observed during the second half of the critical period. Additionally, we detect an early increase of visual acuity in the V1 of WldS mice. We do not find evidence for Wallerian degeneration occurring during OD plasticity. Our findings suggest that NMNATs do not only regulate Wallerian degeneration during pathological conditions but also control cellular events that mediate critical period plasticity during the physiological development of the cortex.
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12
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Synaptic and circuit development of the primary sensory cortex. Exp Mol Med 2018; 50:1-9. [PMID: 29628505 PMCID: PMC5938038 DOI: 10.1038/s12276-018-0029-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2017] [Accepted: 12/06/2017] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Animals, including humans, optimize their primary sensory cortex through the use of input signals, which allow them to adapt to the external environment and survive. The time window at the beginning of life in which external input signals are connected sensitively and strongly to neural circuit optimization is called the critical period. The critical period has attracted the attention of many neuroscientists due to the rapid activity-/experience-dependent circuit development that occurs, which is clearly differentiated from other developmental time periods and brain areas. This process involves various types of GABAergic inhibitory neurons, the extracellular matrix, neuromodulators, transcription factors, and neurodevelopmental factors. In this review, I discuss recent progress regarding the biological nature of the critical period that contribute to a better understanding of brain development.
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13
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Long-Term Visual Training Increases Visual Acuity and Long-Term Monocular Deprivation Promotes Ocular Dominance Plasticity in Adult Standard Cage-Raised Mice. eNeuro 2018; 5:eN-NWR-0289-17. [PMID: 29379877 PMCID: PMC5780841 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0289-17.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2017] [Revised: 11/05/2017] [Accepted: 12/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
For routine behavioral tasks, mice predominantly rely on olfactory cues and tactile information. In contrast, their visual capabilities appear rather restricted, raising the question whether they can improve if vision gets more behaviorally relevant. We therefore performed long-term training using the visual water task (VWT): adult standard cage (SC)-raised mice were trained to swim toward a rewarded grating stimulus so that using visual information avoided excessive swimming toward nonrewarded stimuli. Indeed, and in contrast to old mice raised in a generally enriched environment (Greifzu et al., 2016), long-term VWT training increased visual acuity (VA) on average by more than 30% to 0.82 cycles per degree (cyc/deg). In an individual animal, VA even increased to 1.49 cyc/deg, i.e., beyond the rat range of VAs. Since visual experience enhances the spatial frequency threshold of the optomotor (OPT) reflex of the open eye after monocular deprivation (MD), we also quantified monocular vision after VWT training. Monocular VA did not increase reliably, and eye reopening did not initiate a decline to pre-MD values as observed by optomotry; VA values rather increased by continued VWT training. Thus, optomotry and VWT measure different parameters of mouse spatial vision. Finally, we tested whether long-term MD induced ocular dominance (OD) plasticity in the visual cortex of adult [postnatal day (P)162–P182] SC-raised mice. This was indeed the case: 40–50 days of MD induced OD shifts toward the open eye in both VWT-trained and, surprisingly, also in age-matched mice without VWT training. These data indicate that (1) long-term VWT training increases adult mouse VA, and (2) long-term MD induces OD shifts also in adult SC-raised mice.
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14
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Jenks KR, Kim T, Pastuzyn ED, Okuno H, Taibi AV, Bito H, Bear MF, Shepherd JD. Arc restores juvenile plasticity in adult mouse visual cortex. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:9182-9187. [PMID: 28790183 PMCID: PMC5576785 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1700866114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The molecular basis for the decline in experience-dependent neural plasticity over age remains poorly understood. In visual cortex, the robust plasticity induced in juvenile mice by brief monocular deprivation during the critical period is abrogated by genetic deletion of Arc, an activity-dependent regulator of excitatory synaptic modification. Here, we report that augmenting Arc expression in adult mice prolongs juvenile-like plasticity in visual cortex, as assessed by recordings of ocular dominance (OD) plasticity in vivo. A distinguishing characteristic of juvenile OD plasticity is the weakening of deprived-eye responses, believed to be accounted for by the mechanisms of homosynaptic long-term depression (LTD). Accordingly, we also found increased LTD in visual cortex of adult mice with augmented Arc expression and impaired LTD in visual cortex of juvenile mice that lack Arc or have been treated in vivo with a protein synthesis inhibitor. Further, we found that although activity-dependent expression of Arc mRNA does not change with age, expression of Arc protein is maximal during the critical period and declines in adulthood. Finally, we show that acute augmentation of Arc expression in wild-type adult mouse visual cortex is sufficient to restore juvenile-like plasticity. Together, our findings suggest a unifying molecular explanation for the age- and activity-dependent modulation of synaptic sensitivity to deprivation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle R Jenks
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112
| | - Taekeun Kim
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - Elissa D Pastuzyn
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112
| | - Hiroyuki Okuno
- Medical Innovation Center, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
- Department of Neurochemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Hongo 7-3-1, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Andrew V Taibi
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112
| | - Haruhiko Bito
- Department of Neurochemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Hongo 7-3-1, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Mark F Bear
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139;
| | - Jason D Shepherd
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112;
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15
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Neuregulin-Dependent Regulation of Fast-Spiking Interneuron Excitability Controls the Timing of the Critical Period. J Neurosci 2017; 36:10285-10295. [PMID: 27707966 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.4242-15.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2015] [Accepted: 08/01/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Maturation of excitatory drive onto fast-spiking interneurons (FS INs) in the visual cortex has been implicated in the control of the timing of the critical period for ocular dominance plasticity. However, the mechanisms that regulate the strength of these synapses over cortical development are not understood. Here we use a mouse model to show that neuregulin (NRG) and the receptor tyrosine kinase erbB4 regulate the timing of the critical period. NRG1 enhanced the strength of excitatory synapses onto FS INs, which inhibited ocular dominance plasticity during the critical period but rescued plasticity in transgenics with hypoexcitable FS INs. Blocking the effects of endogenous neuregulin via inhibition of erbBs rescued ocular dominance plasticity in postcritical period adults, allowing recovery from amblyopia induced by chronic monocular deprivation. Thus, the strength of excitation onto FS INs is a key determinant of critical period plasticity and is maintained at high levels by NRG-erbB4 signaling to constrain plasticity in adulthood. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Despite decades of experimentation, the mechanisms by which critical periods of enhanced synaptic plasticity are initiated and terminated are not completely understood. Here we show that neuregulin (NRG) and the receptor tyrosine kinase erbB4 determine critical period timing by controlling the strength of excitatory synapses onto FS INs. NRG1 enhanced excitatory drive onto fast spiking interneurons, which inhibited ocular dominance plasticity in juveniles but rescued plasticity in transgenics with hypoexcitable FS INs. Blocking the effects of endogenous neuregulin via inhibition of erbBs rescued ocular dominance plasticity in adults, allowing recovery from amblyopia induced by chronic monocular deprivation. Thus, in contrast to prevailing views of the termination of the critical period, active maintenance of strong excitation onto FS INs constrains plasticity in adults.
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16
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Nogo Receptor 1 Confines a Disinhibitory Microcircuit to the Critical Period in Visual Cortex. J Neurosci 2017; 36:11006-11012. [PMID: 27798181 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0935-16.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2016] [Accepted: 09/02/2016] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
A characteristic of the developing mammalian visual system is a brief interval of plasticity, termed the "critical period," when the circuitry of primary visual cortex is most sensitive to perturbation of visual experience. Depriving one eye of vision (monocular deprivation [MD]) during the critical period alters ocular dominance (OD) by shifting the responsiveness of neurons in visual cortex to favor the nondeprived eye. A disinhibitory microcircuit involving parvalbumin-expressing (PV) interneurons initiates this OD plasticity. The gene encoding the neuronal nogo-66-receptor 1 (ngr1/rtn4r) is required to close the critical period. Here we combined mouse genetics, electrophysiology, and circuit mapping with laser-scanning photostimulation to investigate whether disinhibition is confined to the critical period by ngr1 We demonstrate that ngr1 mutant mice retain plasticity characteristic of the critical period as adults, and that ngr1 operates within PV interneurons to restrict the loss of intracortical excitatory synaptic input following MD in adult mice, and this disinhibition induces a "lower PV network configuration" in both critical-period wild-type mice and adult ngr1-/- mice. We propose that ngr1 limits disinhibition to close the critical period for OD plasticity and that a decrease in PV expression levels reports the diminished recent cumulative activity of these interneurons. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Life experience refines brain circuits throughout development during specified critical periods. Abnormal experience during these critical periods can yield enduring maladaptive changes in neural circuits that impair brain function. In the developing visual system, visual deprivation early in life can result in amblyopia (lazy-eye), a prevalent childhood disorder comprising permanent deficits in spatial vision. Here we identify that the nogo-66 receptor 1 gene restricts an early and essential step in OD plasticity to the critical period. These findings link the emerging circuit-level description of OD plasticity to the genetic regulation of the critical period. Understanding how plasticity is confined to critical periods may provide clues how to better treat amblyopia.
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17
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Cai S, Fischer QS, He Y, Zhang L, Liu H, Daw NW, Yang Y. GABAB receptor-dependent bidirectional regulation of critical period ocular dominance plasticity in cats. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0180162. [PMID: 28662175 PMCID: PMC5491141 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0180162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2017] [Accepted: 06/09/2017] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Gama amino butyric acid (GABA) inhibition plays an important role in the onset and offset of the critical period for ocular dominance (OD) plasticity in the primary visual cortex. Previous studies have focused on the involvement of GABAA receptors, while the potential contribution of GABAB receptors to OD plasticity has been neglected. In this study, the GABAB receptor antagonist SCH50911 or agonist baclofen was infused into the primary visual cortex of cats concurrently with a period of monocular deprivation (MD). Using single-unit recordings we found that the OD shift induced by four days of MD during the critical period was impaired by infusion of the antagonist SCH50911, but enhanced by infusion of the agonist baclofen. In contrast, seven days of MD in adult cats did not induce any significant OD shift, even when combined with the infusion of SCH50911 or baclofen. Together, these findings indicate that an endogenous GABAB receptor-mediated inhibition contributes to juvenile, but not adult, OD plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shanshan Cai
- CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Diseases, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Quentin S. Fischer
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Yu He
- CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Diseases, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Li Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Diseases, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Hanxiao Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Diseases, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Nigel W. Daw
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Yupeng Yang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Diseases, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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18
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The Role of CREB, SRF, and MEF2 in Activity-Dependent Neuronal Plasticity in the Visual Cortex. J Neurosci 2017; 37:6628-6637. [PMID: 28607167 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0766-17.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2017] [Revised: 04/30/2017] [Accepted: 05/29/2017] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The transcription factors CREB (cAMP response element binding factor), SRF (serum response factor), and MEF2 (myocyte enhancer factor 2) play critical roles in the mechanisms underlying neuronal plasticity. However, the role of the activation of these transcription factors in the different components of plasticity in vivo is not well known. In this study, we tested the role of CREB, SRF, and MEF2 in ocular dominance plasticity (ODP), a paradigm of activity-dependent neuronal plasticity in the visual cortex. These three proteins bind to the synaptic activity response element (SARE), an enhancer sequence found upstream of many plasticity-related genes (Kawashima et al., 2009; Rodríguez-Tornos et al., 2013), and can act cooperatively to express Arc, a gene required for ODP (McCurry et al., 2010). We used viral-mediated gene transfer to block the transcription function of CREB, SRF, and MEF2 in the visual cortex, and measured visually evoked potentials in awake male and female mice before and after a 7 d monocular deprivation, which allowed us to examine both the depression component (Dc-ODP) and potentiation component (Pc-ODP) of plasticity independently. We found that CREB, SRF, and MEF2 are all required for ODP, but have differential effects on Dc-ODP and Pc-ODP. CREB is necessary for both Dc-ODP and Pc-ODP, whereas SRF and MEF2 are only needed for Dc-ODP. This finding supports previous reports implicating SRF and MEF2 in long-term depression (required for Dc-ODP), and CREB in long-term potentiation (required for Pc-ODP).SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Activity-dependent neuronal plasticity is the cellular basis for learning and memory, and it is crucial for the refinement of neuronal circuits during development. Identifying the mechanisms of activity-dependent neuronal plasticity is crucial to finding therapeutic interventions in the myriad of disorders where it is disrupted, such as Fragile X syndrome, Rett syndrome, epilepsy, major depressive disorder, and autism spectrum disorder. Transcription factors are essential nuclear proteins that trigger the expression of gene programs required for long-term functional and structural plasticity changes. Our results elucidate the specific role of the transcription factors CREB, SRF, and MEF2 in the depression and potentiation components of ODP in vivo, therefore better informing future attempts to find therapeutic targets for diseases where activity-dependent plasticity is disrupted.
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19
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Castaño-Castaño S, Garcia-Moll A, Morales-Navas M, Fernandez E, Sanchez-Santed F, Nieto-Escamez F. Transcranial direct current stimulation improves visual acuity in amblyopic Long-Evans rats. Brain Res 2017; 1657:340-346. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2017.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2016] [Revised: 11/28/2016] [Accepted: 01/01/2017] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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20
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Rapid recovery from the effects of early monocular deprivation is enabled by temporary inactivation of the retinas. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2016; 113:14139-14144. [PMID: 27856748 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1613279113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
A half-century of research on the consequences of monocular deprivation (MD) in animals has revealed a great deal about the pathophysiology of amblyopia. MD initiates synaptic changes in the visual cortex that reduce acuity and binocular vision by causing neurons to lose responsiveness to the deprived eye. However, much less is known about how deprivation-induced synaptic modifications can be reversed to restore normal visual function. One theoretically motivated hypothesis is that a period of inactivity can reduce the threshold for synaptic potentiation such that subsequent visual experience promotes synaptic strengthening and increased responsiveness in the visual cortex. Here we have reduced this idea to practice in two species. In young mice, we show that the otherwise stable loss of cortical responsiveness caused by MD is reversed when binocular visual experience follows temporary anesthetic inactivation of the retinas. In 3-mo-old kittens, we show that a severe impairment of visual acuity is also fully reversed by binocular experience following treatment and, further, that prolonged retinal inactivation alone can erase anatomical consequences of MD. We conclude that temporary retinal inactivation represents a highly efficacious means to promote recovery of function.
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21
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van Versendaal D, Levelt CN. Inhibitory interneurons in visual cortical plasticity. Cell Mol Life Sci 2016; 73:3677-91. [PMID: 27193323 PMCID: PMC5002041 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-016-2264-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2015] [Revised: 04/30/2016] [Accepted: 05/03/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
For proper maturation of the neocortex and acquisition of specific functions and skills, exposure to sensory stimuli is vital during critical periods of development when synaptic connectivity is highly malleable. To preserve reliable cortical processing, it is essential that these critical periods end after which learning becomes more conditional and active interaction with the environment becomes more important. How these age-dependent forms of plasticity are regulated has been studied extensively in the primary visual cortex. This has revealed that inhibitory innervation plays a crucial role and that a temporary decrease in inhibition is essential for plasticity to take place. Here, we discuss how different interneuron subsets regulate plasticity during different stages of cortical maturation. We propose a theory in which different interneuron subsets select the sources of neuronal input that undergo plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniëlle van Versendaal
- Department of Molecular Visual Plasticity, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Meibergdreef 47, 1105 BA, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Christiaan N Levelt
- Department of Molecular Visual Plasticity, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Meibergdreef 47, 1105 BA, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. .,Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, VU University Amsterdam, de Boelelaan 1085, 1081HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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22
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Greifzu F, Parthier D, Goetze B, Schlüter OM, Löwel S. Ocular Dominance Plasticity after Stroke Was Preserved in PSD-95 Knockout Mice. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0149771. [PMID: 26930616 PMCID: PMC4773175 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0149771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2015] [Accepted: 01/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuronal plasticity is essential to enable rehabilitation when the brain suffers from injury, such as following a stroke. One of the most established models to study cortical plasticity is ocular dominance (OD) plasticity in the primary visual cortex (V1) of the mammalian brain induced by monocular deprivation (MD). We have previously shown that OD-plasticity in adult mouse V1 is absent after a photothrombotic (PT) stroke lesion in the adjacent primary somatosensory cortex (S1). Exposing lesioned mice to conditions which reduce the inhibitory tone in V1, such as raising animals in an enriched environment or short-term dark exposure, preserved OD-plasticity after an S1-lesion. Here we tested whether modification of excitatory circuits can also be beneficial for preserving V1-plasticity after stroke. Mice lacking postsynaptic density protein-95 (PSD-95), a signaling scaffold present at mature excitatory synapses, have lifelong juvenile-like OD-plasticity caused by an increased number of AMPA (α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid) -silent synapses in V1 but unaltered inhibitory tone. In fact, using intrinsic signal optical imaging, we show here that OD-plasticity was preserved in V1 of adult PSD-95 KO mice after an S1-lesion but not in PSD-95 wildtype (WT)-mice. In addition, experience-enabled enhancement of the optomotor reflex of the open eye after MD was compromised in both lesioned PSD-95 KO and PSD-95 WT mice. Basic V1-activation and retinotopic map quality were, however, not different between lesioned PSD-95 KO mice and their WT littermates. The preserved OD-plasticity in the PSD-95 KO mice indicates that V1-plasticity after a distant stroke can be promoted by either changes in excitatory circuitry or by lowering the inhibitory tone in V1 as previously shown. Furthermore, the present data indicate that an increased number of AMPA-silent synapses preserves OD-plasticity not only in the healthy brain, but also in another experimental paradigm of cortical plasticity, namely the long-range influence on V1-plasticity after an S1-lesion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franziska Greifzu
- Systems Neuroscience, Bernstein Fokus Neurotechnologie, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institut für Zoologie und Anthropologie, Georg-August-Universität, Göttingen, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Daniel Parthier
- Systems Neuroscience, Bernstein Fokus Neurotechnologie, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institut für Zoologie und Anthropologie, Georg-August-Universität, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Bianka Goetze
- Systems Neuroscience, Bernstein Fokus Neurotechnologie, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institut für Zoologie und Anthropologie, Georg-August-Universität, Göttingen, Germany
| | | | - Siegrid Löwel
- Systems Neuroscience, Bernstein Fokus Neurotechnologie, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institut für Zoologie und Anthropologie, Georg-August-Universität, Göttingen, Germany
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23
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Smolders K, Vreysen S, Laramée ME, Cuyvers A, Hu TT, Van Brussel L, Eysel UT, Nys J, Arckens L. Retinal lesions induce fast intrinsic cortical plasticity in adult mouse visual system. Eur J Neurosci 2016; 44:2165-75. [PMID: 26663520 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.13143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2015] [Accepted: 12/01/2015] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Neuronal activity plays an important role in the development and structural-functional maintenance of the brain as well as in its life-long plastic response to changes in sensory stimulation. We characterized the impact of unilateral 15° laser lesions in the temporal lower visual field of the retina, on visually driven neuronal activity in the afferent visual pathway of adult mice using in situ hybridization for the activity reporter gene zif268. In the first days post-lesion, we detected a discrete zone of reduced zif268 expression in the contralateral hemisphere, spanning the border between the monocular segment of the primary visual cortex (V1) with extrastriate visual area V2M. We could not detect a clear lesion projection zone (LPZ) in areas lateral to V1 whereas medial to V2M, agranular and granular retrosplenial cortex showed decreased zif268 levels over their full extent. All affected areas displayed a return to normal zif268 levels, and this was faster in higher order visual areas than in V1. The lesion did, however, induce a permanent LPZ in the retinorecipient layers of the superior colliculus. We identified a retinotopy-based intrinsic capacity of adult mouse visual cortex to recover from restricted vision loss, with recovery speed reflecting the areal cortical magnification factor. Our observations predict incomplete visual field representations for areas lateral to V1 vs. lack of retinotopic organization for areas medial to V2M. The validation of this mouse model paves the way for future interrogations of cortical region- and cell-type-specific contributions to functional recovery, up to microcircuit level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrien Smolders
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neuroproteomics, Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Naamsestraat 59, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Samme Vreysen
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neuroproteomics, Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Naamsestraat 59, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Marie-Eve Laramée
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neuroproteomics, Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Naamsestraat 59, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Annemie Cuyvers
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neuroproteomics, Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Naamsestraat 59, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Tjing-Tjing Hu
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neuroproteomics, Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Naamsestraat 59, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Leen Van Brussel
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neuroproteomics, Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Naamsestraat 59, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Ulf T Eysel
- Department of Neurophysiology, Medical School, Bochum, Germany
| | - Julie Nys
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neuroproteomics, Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Naamsestraat 59, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Lutgarde Arckens
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neuroproteomics, Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Naamsestraat 59, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium
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24
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Stephany CÉ, Frantz MG, McGee AW. Multiple Roles for Nogo Receptor 1 in Visual System Plasticity. Neuroscientist 2015; 22:653-666. [PMID: 26552866 DOI: 10.1177/1073858415614564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
During the developmental critical period for visual plasticity, discordant vision alters the responsiveness of neurons in visual cortex. The subsequent closure of the critical period not only consolidates neural function but also limits recovery of acuity from preceding abnormal visual experience. Despite species-specific differences in circuitry of the visual system, these characteristics are conserved. The nogo-66 receptor 1 (ngr1) is one of only a small number of genes identified thus far that is essential to closing the critical period. Mice lacking a functional ngr1 gene retain developmental visual plasticity as adults and their visual acuity spontaneously improves after prolonged visual deprivation. Experiments employing conditional mouse genetics have revealed that ngr1 restricts plasticity within distinct circuits for ocular dominance and visual acuity. However, the mechanisms by which NgR1 limits plasticity have not been elucidated, in part because the subcellular localization and signal transduction of the protein are only partially understood. Here we explore potential mechanisms for NgR1 function in relation to manipulations that reactivate visual plasticity in adults and propose lines of investigation to address relevant gaps in knowledge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Céleste-Élise Stephany
- Developmental Neuroscience Program, Saban Research Institute, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Department of Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Michael G Frantz
- Developmental Neuroscience Program, Saban Research Institute, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Department of Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Aaron W McGee
- Developmental Neuroscience Program, Saban Research Institute, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Department of Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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25
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Ehrlich DE, Josselyn SA. Plasticity-related genes in brain development and amygdala-dependent learning. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2015; 15:125-43. [PMID: 26419764 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2015] [Revised: 09/12/2015] [Accepted: 09/14/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Learning about motivationally important stimuli involves plasticity in the amygdala, a temporal lobe structure. Amygdala-dependent learning involves a growing number of plasticity-related signaling pathways also implicated in brain development, suggesting that learning-related signaling in juveniles may simultaneously influence development. Here, we review the pleiotropic functions in nervous system development and amygdala-dependent learning of a signaling pathway that includes brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), extracellular signaling-related kinases (ERKs) and cyclic AMP-response element binding protein (CREB). Using these canonical, plasticity-related genes as an example, we discuss the intersection of learning-related and developmental plasticity in the immature amygdala, when aversive and appetitive learning may influence the developmental trajectory of amygdala function. We propose that learning-dependent activation of BDNF, ERK and CREB signaling in the immature amygdala exaggerates and accelerates neural development, promoting amygdala excitability and environmental sensitivity later in life.
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Affiliation(s)
- D E Ehrlich
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, Neuroscience Institute, NYU Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Otolaryngology, NYU Langone School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - S A Josselyn
- Program in Neurosciences & Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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26
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Pielecka-Fortuna J, Kalogeraki E, Greifzu F, Löwel S. A Small Motor Cortex Lesion Abolished Ocular Dominance Plasticity in the Adult Mouse Primary Visual Cortex and Impaired Experience-Dependent Visual Improvements. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0137961. [PMID: 26368569 PMCID: PMC4569386 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0137961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2015] [Accepted: 08/24/2015] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
It was previously shown that a small lesion in the primary somatosensory cortex (S1) prevented both cortical plasticity and sensory learning in the adult mouse visual system: While 3-month-old control mice continued to show ocular dominance (OD) plasticity in their primary visual cortex (V1) after monocular deprivation (MD), age-matched mice with a small photothrombotically induced (PT) stroke lesion in S1, positioned at least 1 mm anterior to the anterior border of V1, no longer expressed OD-plasticity. In addition, in the S1-lesioned mice, neither the experience-dependent increase of the spatial frequency threshold (“visual acuity”) nor of the contrast threshold (“contrast sensitivity”) of the optomotor reflex through the open eye was present. To assess whether these plasticity impairments can also occur if a lesion is placed more distant from V1, we tested the effect of a PT-lesion in the secondary motor cortex (M2). We observed that mice with a small M2-lesion restricted to the superficial cortical layers no longer expressed an OD-shift towards the open eye after 7 days of MD in V1 of the lesioned hemisphere. Consistent with previous findings about the consequences of an S1-lesion, OD-plasticity in V1 of the nonlesioned hemisphere of the M2-lesioned mice was still present. In addition, the experience-dependent improvements of both visual acuity and contrast sensitivity of the open eye were severely reduced. In contrast, sham-lesioned mice displayed both an OD-shift and improvements of visual capabilities of their open eye. To summarize, our data indicate that even a very small lesion restricted to the superficial cortical layers and more than 3mm anterior to the anterior border of V1 compromised V1-plasticity and impaired learning-induced visual improvements in adult mice. Thus both plasticity phenomena cannot only depend on modality-specific and local nerve cell networks but are clearly influenced by long-range interactions even from distant brain regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justyna Pielecka-Fortuna
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institut für Zoologie und Anthropologie and Bernstein Fokus Neurotechnologie, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Evgenia Kalogeraki
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institut für Zoologie und Anthropologie and Bernstein Fokus Neurotechnologie, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Franziska Greifzu
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institut für Zoologie und Anthropologie and Bernstein Fokus Neurotechnologie, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Siegrid Löwel
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institut für Zoologie und Anthropologie and Bernstein Fokus Neurotechnologie, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
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Lunghi C, Berchicci M, Morrone MC, Di Russo F. Short-term monocular deprivation alters early components of visual evoked potentials. J Physiol 2015; 593:4361-72. [PMID: 26119530 DOI: 10.1113/jp270950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2015] [Accepted: 06/22/2015] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
KEY POINTS Short-term monocular deprivation in adult humans produces a perceptual boost of the deprived eye reflecting homeostatic plasticity. Visual evoked potentials (VEPs) to transient stimuli change after 150 min of monocular deprivation in adult humans. The amplitude of the C1 component of the VEP at a latency of about 100 ms increases for the deprived eye and decreases for the non-deprived eye after deprivation, the two effects being highly negatively correlated. Similarly, the evoked alpha rhythm increases after deprivation for the deprived eye and decreases for the non-deprived eye. The data demonstrate that primary visual cortex excitability is altered by a short period of monocular deprivation, reflecting homeostatic plasticity. ABSTRACT Very little is known about plasticity in the adult visual cortex. In recent years psychophysical studies have shown that short-term monocular deprivation alters visual perception in adult humans. Specifically, after 150 min of monocular deprivation the deprived eye strongly dominates the dynamics of binocular rivalry, reflecting homeostatic plasticity. Here we investigate the neural mechanisms underlying this form of short-term visual cortical plasticity by measuring visual evoked potentials (VEPs) on the scalp of adult humans during monocular stimulation before and after 150 min of monocular deprivation. We found that monocular deprivation had opposite effects on the amplitude of the earliest component of the VEP (C1) for the deprived and non-deprived eye stimulation. C1 amplitude increased (+66%) for the deprived eye, while it decreased (-29%) for the non-deprived eye. Source localization analysis confirmed that the C1 originates in the primary visual cortex. We further report that following monocular deprivation, the amplitude of the peak of the evoked alpha spectrum increased on average by 23% for the deprived eye and decreased on average by 10% for the non-deprived eye, indicating a change in cortical excitability. These results indicate that a brief period of monocular deprivation alters interocular balance in the primary visual cortex of adult humans by both boosting the activity of the deprived eye and reducing the activity of the non-deprived eye. This indicates a high level of residual homeostatic plasticity in the adult human primary visual cortex, probably mediated by a change in cortical excitability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Lunghi
- Department of Translational Research on New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, via Savi 10, 56126, Pisa, Italy.,Institute of Neuroscience, CNR, via Moruzzi 1, 56127, Pisa, Italy
| | - Marika Berchicci
- Department of Movement, Human and Health Sciences, University of Rome 'Foro Italico', Piazza Lauro de Bosis 15, 00135, Rome (RM), Italy
| | - M Concetta Morrone
- Department of Translational Research on New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, via Savi 10, 56126, Pisa, Italy.,Scientific Institute Stella Maris (IRCSS), Calambrone (Pisa), Italy
| | - Francesco Di Russo
- Department of Movement, Human and Health Sciences, University of Rome 'Foro Italico', Piazza Lauro de Bosis 15, 00135, Rome (RM), Italy.,Santa Lucia Foundation IRCCS, via Ardeatina 280, 00144, Rome (RM), Italy
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28
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CREB Regulates Experience-Dependent Spine Formation and Enlargement in Mouse Barrel Cortex. Neural Plast 2015; 2015:651469. [PMID: 26075101 PMCID: PMC4436461 DOI: 10.1155/2015/651469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2015] [Revised: 03/31/2015] [Accepted: 04/01/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Experience modifies synaptic connectivity through processes that involve dendritic spine rearrangements in neuronal circuits. Although cAMP response element binding protein (CREB) has a key function in spines changes, its role in activity-dependent rearrangements in brain regions of rodents interacting with the surrounding environment has received little attention so far.
Here we studied the effects of vibrissae trimming, a widely used model of sensory deprivation-induced cortical plasticity, on processes associated with dendritic spine rearrangements in the barrel cortex of a transgenic mouse model of CREB downregulation (mCREB mice). We found that sensory deprivation through prolonged whisker trimming leads to an increased number of thin spines in the layer V of related barrel cortex (Contra) in wild type but not mCREB mice. In the barrel field controlling spared whiskers (Ipsi), the same trimming protocol results in a CREB-dependent enlargement of dendritic spines. Last, we demonstrated that CREB regulates structural rearrangements of synapses that associate with dynamic changes of dendritic spines. Our findings suggest that CREB plays a key role in dendritic spine dynamics and synaptic circuits rearrangements that account for new brain connectivity in response to changes in the environment.
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30
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Brief dark exposure restored ocular dominance plasticity in aging mice and after a cortical stroke. Exp Gerontol 2014; 60:1-11. [PMID: 25220148 DOI: 10.1016/j.exger.2014.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2014] [Revised: 07/31/2014] [Accepted: 09/11/2014] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
In the primary visual cortex (V1), monocular deprivation (MD) induces a shift in the ocular dominance (OD) of binocular neurons towards the open eye (Wiesel and Hubel, 1963; Gordon and Stryker, 1996). In V1 of C57Bl/6J mice, this OD-plasticity is maximal in juveniles, declines in adults and is absent beyond postnatal day (PD) 110 (Lehmann and Löwel, 2008) if mice are raised in standard cages. Since it was recently shown that brief dark exposure (DE) restored OD-plasticity in young adult rats (PD70-100) (He et al., 2006), we wondered whether DE would restore OD-plasticity also in adult and old mice and after a cortical stroke. To this end, we raised mice in standard cages until adulthood and transferred them to a darkroom for 10-14 days. Using intrinsic signal optical imaging we demonstrate that short-term DE can restore OD-plasticity after MD in both adult (PD138) and old mice (PD535), and that OD-shifts were mediated by an increase of open eye responses in V1. Interestingly, restored OD-plasticity after DE was accompanied by a reduction of both parvalbumin expressing cells and perineuronal nets and was prevented by increasing intracortical inhibition with diazepam. DE also maintained OD-plasticity in adult mice (PD150) after a stroke in the primary somatosensory cortex. In contrast, short-term DE did not affect basic visual parameters as measured by optomotry. In conclusion, short-term DE was able to restore OD-plasticity in both adult and aging mice and even preserved plasticity after a cortical stroke, most likely mediated by reducing intracortical inhibition.
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Félix-Oliveira A, Dias RB, Colino-Oliveira M, Rombo DM, Sebastião AM. Homeostatic plasticity induced by brief activity deprivation enhances long-term potentiation in the mature rat hippocampus. J Neurophysiol 2014; 112:3012-22. [PMID: 25210161 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00058.2014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Different forms of plasticity occur concomitantly in the nervous system. Whereas homeostatic plasticity monitors and maintains neuronal activity within a functional range, Hebbian changes such as long-term potentiation (LTP) modify the relative strength of specific synapses after discrete changes in activity and are thought to provide the cellular basis for learning and memory. Here, we assessed whether homeostatic plasticity could influence subsequent LTP in acute hippocampal slices that had been briefly deprived of activity by blocking action potential generation and N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor activation for 3 h. Activity deprivation enhanced the frequency and the amplitude of spontaneous miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents and enhanced basal synaptic transmission in the absence of significant changes in intrinsic excitability. Changes in the threshold for Hebbian plasticity were evaluated by inducing LTP with stimulation protocols of increasing strength. We found that activity-deprived slices consistently showed higher LTP magnitude compared with control conditions even when using subthreshold theta-burst stimulation. Enhanced LTP in activity-deprived slices was also observed when picrotoxin was used to prevent the modulation of GABAergic transmission. Finally, we observed that consecutive LTP inductions attained a higher magnitude of facilitation in activity-deprived slices, suggesting that the homeostatic plasticity mechanisms triggered by a brief period of neuronal silencing can both lower the threshold and raise the ceiling for Hebbian modifications. We conclude that even brief periods of altered activity are able to shape subsequent synaptic transmission and Hebbian plasticity in fully developed hippocampal circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Félix-Oliveira
- Instituto de Farmacologia e Neurociencias, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal; and
| | - R B Dias
- Instituto de Farmacologia e Neurociencias, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal; and Unidade de Neurociencias, Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - M Colino-Oliveira
- Instituto de Farmacologia e Neurociencias, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal; and Unidade de Neurociencias, Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - D M Rombo
- Instituto de Farmacologia e Neurociencias, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal; and Unidade de Neurociencias, Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - A M Sebastião
- Instituto de Farmacologia e Neurociencias, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal; and Unidade de Neurociencias, Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
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Medini P. Experience-dependent plasticity of visual cortical microcircuits. Neuroscience 2014; 278:367-84. [PMID: 25171791 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2014.08.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2014] [Revised: 08/05/2014] [Accepted: 08/07/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The recent decade testified a tremendous increase in our knowledge on how cell-type-specific microcircuits process sensory information in the neocortex and on how such circuitry reacts to manipulations of the sensory environment. Experience-dependent plasticity has now been investigated with techniques endowed with cell resolution during both postnatal development and in adult animals. This review recapitulates the main recent findings in the field using mainly the primary visual cortex as a model system to highlight the more important questions and physiological principles (such as the role of non-competitive mechanisms, the role of inhibition in excitatory cell plasticity, the functional importance of spine and axonal plasticity on a microscale level). I will also discuss on which scientific problems the debate and controversies are more pronounced. New technologies that allow to perturbate cell-type-specific subcircuits will certainly shine new light in the years to come at least on some of the still open questions.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Medini
- Institutionen för Molekylärbiologi, and Institutionen för Integrativ Medicinsk Biologi (IMB), Fysiologi Avdelning, Umeå Universitet, 90187 Umeå, Sweden.
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Allegra M, Genovesi S, Maggia M, Cenni MC, Zunino G, Sgadò P, Caleo M, Bozzi Y. Altered GABAergic markers, increased binocularity and reduced plasticity in the visual cortex of Engrailed-2 knockout mice. Front Cell Neurosci 2014; 8:163. [PMID: 24987331 PMCID: PMC4060086 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2014.00163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2013] [Accepted: 05/29/2014] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The maturation of the GABAergic system is a crucial determinant of cortical development during early postnatal life, when sensory circuits undergo a process of activity-dependent refinement. An altered excitatory/inhibitory balance has been proposed as a possible pathogenic mechanism of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The homeobox-containing transcription factor Engrailed-2 (En2) has been associated to ASD, and En2 knockout (En2−/−) mice show ASD-like features accompanied by a partial loss of cortical GABAergic interneurons. Here we studied GABAergic markers and cortical function in En2−/− mice, by exploiting the well-known anatomical and functional features of the mouse visual system. En2 is expressed in the visual cortex at postnatal day 30 and during adulthood. When compared to age-matched En2+/+ controls, En2−/− mice showed an increased number of parvalbumin (PV+), somatostatin (SOM+), and neuropeptide Y (NPY+) positive interneurons in the visual cortex at P30, and a decreased number of SOM+ and NPY+ interneurons in the adult. At both ages, the differences in distinct interneuron populations observed between En2+/+ and En2−/− mice were layer-specific. Adult En2−/− mice displayed a normal eye-specific segregation in the retino-geniculate pathway, and in vivo electrophysiological recordings showed a normal development of basic functional properties (acuity, response latency, receptive field size) of the En2−/− primary visual cortex. However, a significant increase of binocularity was found in P30 and adult En2−/− mice, as compared to age-matched controls. Differently from what observed in En2+/+ mice, the En2−/− primary visual cortex did not respond to a brief monocular deprivation performed between P26 and P29, during the so-called “critical period.” These data suggest that altered GABAergic circuits impact baseline binocularity and plasticity in En2−/− mice, while leaving other visual functional properties unaffected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuela Allegra
- Neuroscience Institute, National Research Council (CNR) Pisa, Italy ; Laboratory of Neurobiology, Scuola Normale Superiore Pisa, Italy
| | - Sacha Genovesi
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuropathology, Centre for Integrative Biology, University of Trento Mattarello, Trento, Italy
| | - Marika Maggia
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuropathology, Centre for Integrative Biology, University of Trento Mattarello, Trento, Italy
| | - Maria C Cenni
- Neuroscience Institute, National Research Council (CNR) Pisa, Italy
| | - Giulia Zunino
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuropathology, Centre for Integrative Biology, University of Trento Mattarello, Trento, Italy
| | - Paola Sgadò
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuropathology, Centre for Integrative Biology, University of Trento Mattarello, Trento, Italy
| | - Matteo Caleo
- Neuroscience Institute, National Research Council (CNR) Pisa, Italy
| | - Yuri Bozzi
- Neuroscience Institute, National Research Council (CNR) Pisa, Italy ; Laboratory of Molecular Neuropathology, Centre for Integrative Biology, University of Trento Mattarello, Trento, Italy
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Adult cortical plasticity following injury: Recapitulation of critical period mechanisms? Neuroscience 2014; 283:4-16. [PMID: 24791715 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2014.04.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2014] [Revised: 04/16/2014] [Accepted: 04/17/2014] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
A primary goal of research on developmental critical periods (CPs) is the recapitulation of a juvenile-like state of malleability in the adult brain that might enable recovery from injury. These ambitions are often framed in terms of the simple reinstatement of enhanced plasticity in the growth-restricted milieu of an injured adult brain. Here, we provide an analysis of the similarities and differences between deprivation-induced and injury-induced cortical plasticity, to provide for a nuanced comparison of these remarkably similar processes. As a first step, we review the factors that drive ocular dominance plasticity in the primary visual cortex of the uninjured brain during the CP and in adults, to highlight processes that might confer adaptive advantage. In addition, we directly compare deprivation-induced cortical plasticity during the CP and plasticity following acute injury or ischemia in mature brain. We find that these two processes display a biphasic response profile following deprivation or injury: an initial decrease in GABAergic inhibition and synapse loss transitions into a period of neurite expansion and synaptic gain. This biphasic response profile emphasizes the transition from a period of cortical healing to one of reconnection and recovery of function. Yet while injury-induced plasticity in adult shares several salient characteristics with deprivation-induced plasticity during the CP, the degree to which the adult injured brain is able to functionally rewire, and the time required to do so, present major limitations for recovery. Attempts to recapitulate a measure of CP plasticity in an adult injury context will need to carefully dissect the circuit alterations and plasticity mechanisms involved while measuring functional behavioral output to assess their ultimate success.
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Nys J, Aerts J, Ytebrouck E, Vreysen S, Laeremans A, Arckens L. The cross-modal aspect of mouse visual cortex plasticity induced by monocular enucleation is age dependent. J Comp Neurol 2014; 522:950-70. [DOI: 10.1002/cne.23455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2013] [Revised: 06/17/2013] [Accepted: 08/14/2013] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Julie Nys
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neuroproteomics; KU Leuven; 3000 Leuven Belgium
| | - Jeroen Aerts
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neuroproteomics; KU Leuven; 3000 Leuven Belgium
| | - Ellen Ytebrouck
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neuroproteomics; KU Leuven; 3000 Leuven Belgium
| | - Samme Vreysen
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neuroproteomics; KU Leuven; 3000 Leuven Belgium
| | - Annelies Laeremans
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neuroproteomics; KU Leuven; 3000 Leuven Belgium
| | - Lutgarde Arckens
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neuroproteomics; KU Leuven; 3000 Leuven Belgium
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Gu Y, Huang S, Chang MC, Worley P, Kirkwood A, Quinlan EM. Obligatory role for the immediate early gene NARP in critical period plasticity. Neuron 2013; 79:335-46. [PMID: 23889936 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2013.05.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/08/2013] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The immediate early gene neuronal activity-regulated pentraxin (NARP) is an α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptor (AMPAR) binding protein that is specifically enriched at excitatory synapses onto fast-spiking parvalbumin-positive interneurons (FS [PV] INs). Here, we show that transgenic deletion of NARP decreases the number of excitatory synaptic inputs onto FS (PV) INs and reduces net excitatory synaptic drive onto FS (PV) INs. Accordingly, the visual cortex of NARP(-/-) mice is hyperexcitable and unable to express ocular dominance plasticity, although many aspects of visual function are unimpaired. Importantly, the number and strength of inhibitory synaptic contacts from FS (PV) INs onto principle neurons in the visual cortex is normal in NARP(-/-) mice, and enhancement of this output recovers the expression of experience-dependent synaptic plasticity. Thus the recruitment of inhibition from FS (PV) INs plays a central role in enabling the critical period for ocular dominance plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Gu
- Neuroscience and Cognitive Sciences Program, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
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37
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Rosa AM, Silva MF, Ferreira S, Murta J, Castelo-Branco M. Plasticity in the human visual cortex: an ophthalmology-based perspective. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2013; 2013:568354. [PMID: 24205505 PMCID: PMC3800612 DOI: 10.1155/2013/568354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2013] [Revised: 08/05/2013] [Accepted: 08/19/2013] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Neuroplasticity refers to the ability of the brain to reorganize the function and structure of its connections in response to changes in the environment. Adult human visual cortex shows several manifestations of plasticity, such as perceptual learning and adaptation, working under the top-down influence of attention. Plasticity results from the interplay of several mechanisms, including the GABAergic system, epigenetic factors, mitochondrial activity, and structural remodeling of synaptic connectivity. There is also a downside of plasticity, that is, maladaptive plasticity, in which there are behavioral losses resulting from plasticity changes in the human brain. Understanding plasticity mechanisms could have major implications in the diagnosis and treatment of ocular diseases, such as retinal disorders, cataract and refractive surgery, amblyopia, and in the evaluation of surgical materials and techniques. Furthermore, eliciting plasticity could open new perspectives in the development of strategies that trigger plasticity for better medical and surgical outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreia Martins Rosa
- Departamento de Oftalmologia, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, 3000 Coimbra, Portugal
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Azinhaga de Santa Comba, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Maria Fátima Silva
- Visual Neuroscience Laboratory, IBILI, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Azinhaga de Santa Comba, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Sónia Ferreira
- Visual Neuroscience Laboratory, IBILI, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Azinhaga de Santa Comba, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Joaquim Murta
- Departamento de Oftalmologia, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, 3000 Coimbra, Portugal
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Azinhaga de Santa Comba, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
- Visual Neuroscience Laboratory, IBILI, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Azinhaga de Santa Comba, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Miguel Castelo-Branco
- Visual Neuroscience Laboratory, IBILI, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Azinhaga de Santa Comba, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
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Montey KL, Eaton NC, Quinlan EM. Repetitive visual stimulation enhances recovery from severe amblyopia. Learn Mem 2013; 20:311-7. [PMID: 23685763 DOI: 10.1101/lm.030361.113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Severe amblyopia, characterized by a significant reduction in visual acuity through the affected eye, is highly resistant to reversal in adulthood. We have previously shown that synaptic plasticity can be reactivated in the adult rat visual cortex by dark exposure, and the reactivated plasticity can be harnessed to promote the recovery from severe amblyopia. Here we show that deprived-eye visually evoked responses are rapidly strengthened in dark-exposed amblyopes by passive viewing of repetitive visual stimuli. Surprisingly, passive visual stimulation rapidly enhanced visually evoked responses to novel stimuli and enhanced the recovery from severe amblyopia driven by performance of active visual discriminations. Thus a series of simple, noninvasive manipulations of visual experience can be used in combination to significantly guide the recovery of visual response strength, selectivity, and spatial acuity in adult amblyopes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen L Montey
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA
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Sun X, Zhang J. The expression of NMDA receptor and pCREB in the visual cortex of monocularly-deprived rats. Mol Med Rep 2013; 7:1273-7. [PMID: 23381906 DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2013.1304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2012] [Accepted: 01/07/2013] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor subunit 1 (NMDAR1) and cAMP response element binding protein (CREB) play a role in vision plasticity. However, the correlation between their expression and vision plasticity is not clear. The present study aimed to examine the expression of NMDAR1 and phosphorylated CREB (pCREB) in the visual cortex of monocularly-deprived (MD) rats in the developmental phase. Eighty healthy Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into 4 groups (n=20); normal, MD, KN-93 (MD rats treated with KN-93, a calmodulin kinase IV inhibitor) and saline (MD rats treated with saline as control). All rats were reared for 45 days in a naturally lit environment. The expression of NMDAR1 and pCREB in the hibateral visual cortex of rats from each group was detected by immunohistochemistry and western blot analysis. The results demonstrate that, compared with the normal group, the expression of NMDAR1 and pCREB was increased in deprived and decreased in the non-deprived-side visual cortex in MD. Compared with the saline group, no significant difference was identified in NMDAR1 expression while pCREB expression was decreased in the deprived-side visual cortex in KN‑93. No significant difference in the expression of NMDAR1 and pCREB in the non-deprived-side visual cortex between the KN-93 and saline groups was observed. The results indicate that NMDAR1 and CREB are involved in the ocular dominance forming process and play a role in vision plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaonan Sun
- The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110005, P.R. China
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Foxe JJ, Yeap S, Leavitt VM. Brief monocular deprivation as an assay of short-term visual sensory plasticity in schizophrenia - "the binocular effect". Front Psychiatry 2013; 4:164. [PMID: 24381563 PMCID: PMC3865422 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2013.00164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2013] [Accepted: 11/25/2013] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Visual sensory processing deficits are consistently observed in schizophrenia, with clear amplitude reduction of the visual evoked potential (VEP) during the initial 50-150 ms of processing. Similar deficits are seen in unaffected first-degree relatives and drug-naïve first-episode patients, pointing to these deficits as potential endophenotypic markers. Schizophrenia is also associated with deficits in neural plasticity, implicating dysfunction of both glutamatergic and GABAergic systems. Here, we sought to understand the intersection of these two domains, asking whether short-term plasticity during early visual processing is specifically affected in schizophrenia. METHODS Brief periods of monocular deprivation (MD) induce relatively rapid changes in the amplitude of the early VEP - i.e., short-term plasticity. Twenty patients and 20 non-psychiatric controls participated. VEPs were recorded during binocular viewing, and were compared to the sum of VEP responses during brief monocular viewing periods (i.e., Left-eye + Right-eye viewing). RESULTS Under monocular conditions, neurotypical controls exhibited an effect that patients failed to demonstrate. That is, the amplitude of the summed monocular VEPs was robustly greater than the amplitude elicited binocularly during the initial sensory processing period. In patients, this "binocular effect" was absent. LIMITATIONS Patients were all medicated. Ideally, this study would also include first-episode unmedicated patients. CONCLUSION These results suggest that short-term compensatory mechanisms that allow healthy individuals to generate robust VEPs in the context of MD are not effectively activated in patients with schizophrenia. This simple assay may provide a useful biomarker of short-term plasticity in the psychotic disorders and a target endophenotype for therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- John J Foxe
- The Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research , Orangeburg, NY , USA ; The Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, St. Vincent's Hospital , Dublin , Ireland ; Program in Neuropsychology, Department of Psychology, Queens College, The City University of New York , Flushing, NY , USA ; The Sheryl and Daniel R. Tishman Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, Departments of Pediatrics and Neuroscience, Children's Evaluation and Rehabilitation Center (CERC), Albert Einstein College of Medicine , Bronx, NY , USA
| | - Sherlyn Yeap
- The Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, St. Vincent's Hospital , Dublin , Ireland
| | - Victoria M Leavitt
- The Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research , Orangeburg, NY , USA ; Program in Neuropsychology, Department of Psychology, Queens College, The City University of New York , Flushing, NY , USA
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Callaghan BL, Graham BM, Li S, Richardson R. From resilience to vulnerability: mechanistic insights into the effects of stress on transitions in critical period plasticity. Front Psychiatry 2013; 4:90. [PMID: 23964249 PMCID: PMC3741646 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2013.00090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2013] [Accepted: 07/31/2013] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
While early experiences are proposed to be important for the emergence of anxiety and other mental health problems, there is little empirical research examining the impact of such experiences on the development of emotional learning. Of the research that has been performed in this area, however, a complex picture has emerged in which the maturation of emotion circuits is influenced by the early experiences of the animal. For example, under typical laboratory rearing conditions infant rats rapidly forget learned fear associations (infantile amnesia) and express a form of extinction learning which is relapse-resistant (i.e., extinction in infant rats may be due to fear erasure). In contrast, adult rats exhibit very long-lasting memories of past learned fear associations, and express a form of extinction learning that is relapse-prone (i.e., the fear returns in a number of situations). However, when rats are reared under stressful conditions then they exhibit adult-like fear retention and extinction behaviors at an earlier stage of development (i.e., good retention of learned fear and relapse-prone extinction learning). In other words, under typical rearing conditions infant rats appear to be protected from exhibiting anxiety whereas after adverse rearing fear learning appears to make those infants more vulnerable to the later development of anxiety. While the effects of different experiences on infant rats' fear retention and extinction are becoming better documented, the mechanisms which mediate the early transition seen following stress remain unclear. Here we suggest that rearing stress may lead to an early maturation of the molecular and cellular signals shown to be involved in the closure of critical period plasticity in sensory modalities (e.g., maturation of GABAergic neurons, development of perineuronal nets), and speculate that these signals could be manipulated in adulthood to reopen infant forms of emotional learning (i.e., those that favor resilience).
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Affiliation(s)
- Bridget L Callaghan
- School of Psychology, The University of New South Wales , Sydney, NSW , Australia
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Vierci G, Oliveira CSD, Perera LR, Bornia N, Leal RB, Rossi FM. Creb is modulated in the mouse superior colliculus in developmental and experimentally-induced models of plasticity. Int J Dev Neurosci 2012; 31:46-52. [PMID: 23085336 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2012.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2012] [Revised: 09/28/2012] [Accepted: 10/07/2012] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In the central nervous system long-term plastic processes need the activation of specific gene expression programs and the synthesis of new protein in order to occur. A transcription factor fundamental for several plasticity mechanisms in various CNS areas is the cAMP response element-binding protein, CREB. This factor is activated through phosphorylation at its Serine 133 residue by multiple signaling pathways. Little is known about CREB role in the superior colliculus, a midbrain area considered an experimentally useful model for the study of neuronal plasticity processes. In the present work we studied by Western blot analysis the modulation of CREB expression and activation in the mouse superior colliculus in three models of neuronal plasticity: (1) developmental plasticity; (2) lesion-induced plasticity; (3) and fluoxetine-induced restored plasticity. We used an antibody that detects endogenous level of the total CREB protein (anti-TCREB) to identify possible modulations at CREB expression level, and a second antibody (anti-PCREB) that detects endogenous level of CREB only when it is phosphorylated at Ser133, to identify modifications of CREB activation state. The results showed that: (1) the expression and activation of CREB increase during the development of the superior colliculus in temporal correlation with the plastic process of refinement of retino-collicular projections; (2) the activation of CREB is induced by a monocular lesion performed during the critical period for plasticity in young animals but not when performed in less plastic juvenile mice; (3) the expression and activation of CREB increase in adult animals treated with fluoxetine, known to restore high levels of plasticity in adult animals. These results suggest that CREB transcription factor plays a fundamental role in plasticity processes also at the level of the mouse superior colliculus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela Vierci
- Laboratorio de Neurociencias Neuroplasticity Unit, Facultad de Ciencias, UdelaR, Iguá 4225, esq. Mataojo, 11400 Montevideo, Uruguay.
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McGill TJ, Prusky GT, Douglas RM, Yasumura D, Matthes MT, Lowe RJ, Duncan JL, Yang H, Ahern K, Daniello KM, Silver B, LaVail MM. Discordant anatomical, electrophysiological, and visual behavioral profiles of retinal degeneration in rat models of retinal degenerative disease. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2012; 53:6232-44. [PMID: 22899760 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.12-9569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE To assess structural, functional, and visual behavioral relationships in mutant rhodopsin transgenic (Tg) rats and to determine whether early optokinetic tracking (OKT) visual experience, known to permanently elevate visual thresholds in normal rats, can enhance vision in rats with photoreceptor degeneration. METHODS Eight lines of pigmented Tg rats and RCS rats were used in this study. OKT thresholds were tested at single ages (1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 months) in naïve groups of rats, or daily in groups that began at eye-opening (P15) or 10 days later (P25). Electroretinogram (ERG) response amplitudes were recorded after OKT testing, and outer nuclear layer (ONL) thickness measurements were then obtained. RESULTS OKT thresholds, when measured at a single time point in naïve Tg lines beginning at P30, did not decline until months after significant photoreceptor loss. Daily testing of Tg lines resulted mostly with OKT thresholds inversely related to photoreceptor degeneration, with rapid degenerations resulting in sustained OKT thresholds for long periods despite the rapid photoreceptor loss. Slower degenerations resulted in rapid decline of thresholds, long before the loss of most photoreceptors, which was even more pronounced when daily testing began at eye opening. This amplified loss of function was not a result of testing-induced damage to the rod or cone photoreceptors, as ERG amplitudes and ONL thicknesses were the same as untested controls. CONCLUSIONS The unexpected lack of correlation of OKT testing with photoreceptor degeneration in the Tg rats emphasizes the need in behavioral therapeutic studies for careful analysis of visual thresholds of experimental animals prior to therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trevor J McGill
- Department of Ophthalmology, Casey Eye Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA.
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Jaffer S, Vorobyov V, Kind PC, Sengpiel F. Experience-dependent regulation of functional maps and synaptic protein expression in the cat visual cortex. Eur J Neurosci 2012; 35:1281-94. [PMID: 22512257 DOI: 10.1111/j.1460-9568.2012.08044.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Although the basis of our knowledge of experience-dependent plasticity comes from studies on carnivores and primates, studies examining the physiological and molecular mechanisms that underlie development and plasticity have increasingly employed mice. We have used several common rearing paradigms, such as dark-rearing and monocular deprivation (MD), to examine the timing of the physiological and molecular changes to altered experience in the cat primary visual cortex. Dark-rearing from birth or for 1 week starting at 4 weeks of age produced a similar reduction in the amplitude of responses measured through intrinsic signal imaging and a reduction in orientation selectivity. One week of visual experience following dark-rearing until 4 weeks of age yielded normal responses in both amplitude and orientation selectivity. The depression of deprived-eye responses was similar in magnitude after 2 and 7 days of MD. In contrast, non-deprived-eye responses almost doubled in magnitude after 7 days compared with 2 days of MD. These changes in the functional properties of primary visual cortex neurons were mirrored by specific changes in synaptic protein expression. Changes in proteins such as the NR2A and NR2B subunits of the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor, postsynaptic density protein 95, alpha-CA(2+) /calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (αCaMKII), and GABA(A) α1a indicated that the levels of sensory activity regulated mechanisms associated with both excitatory (NR2A and NR2B) and inhibitory (GABA(A) α1a) transmission so as to maintain response homeostasis. Additionally, we found that MD regulated the AMPA receptor glutamate (GluR1) subunit as well as signalling molecules (αCaMKII and synaptic Ras GTPase activating protein, SynGAP) downstream of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors. Proteins in a common signalling pathway appeared to have similar developmental expression profiles that were broadly similar between cats and rodents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sajjida Jaffer
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Museum Avenue, Cardiff CF10 3AX, UK
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Affiliation(s)
- Christiaan N. Levelt
- Department of Molecular Visual Plasticity, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, an Institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, 1105BA Amsterdam, The Netherlands;
| | - Mark Hübener
- Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, D-82152 Martinsried, Germany;
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Abstract
There are numerous examples of enduring effects of early experience on gene transcription and neural function. We review the emerging evidence for epigenetics as a candidate mechanism for such effects. There is now evidence that intracellular signals activated by environmental events can directly modify the epigenetic state of the genome, including CpG methylation, histone modifications and microRNAs. We suggest that this process reflects an activity-dependent epigenetic plasticity at the level of the genome, comparable with that observed at the synapse. This epigenetic plasticity mediates neuronal differentiation and phenotypic plasticity, including that associated with learning and memory. Altered epigenetic states are also associated with the risk for and expression of mental disorders. In a broader context, these studies define a biological basis for the interplay between environmental signals and the genome in the regulation of individual differences in behavior, cognition and physiology, as well as the risk for psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judy Sng
- Integrative Neuroscience Program, Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, 30 Medial Drive, Singapore.
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Iurilli G, Benfenati F, Medini P. Loss of visually driven synaptic responses in layer 4 regular-spiking neurons of rat visual cortex in absence of competing inputs. Cereb Cortex 2011; 22:2171-81. [PMID: 22047965 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhr304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Monocular deprivation (MD) during development shifts the ocular preference of primary visual cortex (V1) neurons by depressing closed-eye responses and potentiating open-eye responses. As these 2 processes are temporally and mechanistically distinct, we tested whether loss of responsiveness occurs also in absence of competing inputs. We thus compared the effects of long-term MD in layer 4 regular-spiking pyramidal neurons (L4Ns) of binocular and monocular V1 (bV1 and mV1) with whole-cell recordings. In bV1, input depression was larger than potentiation, and the ocular dominance shift was larger for spike outputs. MD-but not retinal inactivation with tetrodotoxin-caused a comparable loss of synaptic and spike responsiveness in mV1, which is innervated only by the deprived eye. Conversely, brief MD depressed synaptic responses only in bV1. MD-driven depression in mV1 was accompanied by a proportional reduction of visual thalamic inputs, as assessed upon pharmacological silencing of intracortical transmission. Finally, sub- and suprathreshold responsiveness was similarly degraded in L4Ns of bV1 upon complete deprivation of patterned vision through a binocular deprivation period of comparable length. Thus, loss of synaptic inputs from the deprived eye occurs also in absence of competition in the main thalamorecipient lamina, albeit at a slower pace.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuliano Iurilli
- Neuroscience and Brain Technologies Department, Italian Institute of Technology, Genova, Italy
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Barco A, Marie H. Genetic approaches to investigate the role of CREB in neuronal plasticity and memory. Mol Neurobiol 2011; 44:330-49. [PMID: 21948060 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-011-8209-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2011] [Accepted: 09/09/2011] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
In neurons, the convergence of multiple intracellular signaling cascades leading to cAMP-responsive element-binding protein (CREB) activation suggests that this transcription factor plays a critical role in integrating different inputs and mediating appropriate neuronal responses. The nature of this transcriptional response depends on both the type and strength of the stimulus and the cellular context. CREB-dependent gene expression has been involved in many different aspects of nervous system function, from embryonic development to neuronal survival, and synaptic, structural, and intrinsic plasticity. Here, we first review the different methodological approaches used to genetically manipulate CREB activity and levels in neurons in vivo in the adult brain, including recombinant viral vectors, mouse transgenesis, and gene-targeting techniques. We then discuss the impact of these approaches on our understanding of CREB's roles in neuronal plasticity and memory in rodents. Studies combining these genetic approaches with electrophysiology and behavior provide strong evidence that CREB is critically involved in the regulation of synaptic plasticity, intrinsic excitability, and long-term memory formation. These findings pave the way for the development of novel therapeutic strategies to treat memory disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angel Barco
- Instituto de Neurociencias de Alicante, Universidad Miguel Hernández-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Campus de Sant Joan, Apt. 18, Sant Joan d'Alacant, 03550 Alicante, Spain.
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Greifzu F, Schmidt S, Schmidt KF, Kreikemeier K, Witte OW, Löwel S. Global impairment and therapeutic restoration of visual plasticity mechanisms after a localized cortical stroke. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2011; 108:15450-5. [PMID: 21873250 PMCID: PMC3174619 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1016458108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
We tested the influence of a photothrombotic lesion in somatosensory cortex on plasticity in the mouse visual system and the efficacy of anti-inflammatory treatment to rescue compromised learning. To challenge plasticity mechanisms, we induced monocular deprivation (MD) in 3-mo-old mice. In control animals, MD induced an increase of visual acuity of the open eye and an ocular dominance (OD) shift towards this eye. In contrast, after photothrombosis, there was neither an enhancement of visual acuity nor an OD-shift. However, OD-plasticity was present in the hemisphere contralateral to the lesion. Anti-inflammatory treatment restored sensory learning but not OD-plasticity, as did a 2-wk delay between photothrombosis and MD. We conclude that (i) both sensory learning and cortical plasticity are compromised in the surround of a cortical lesion; (ii) transient inflammation is responsible for impaired sensory learning, suggesting anti-inflammatory treatment as a useful adjuvant therapy to support rehabilitation following stroke; and (iii) OD-plasticity cannot be conceptualized solely as a local process because nonlocal influences are more important than previously assumed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franziska Greifzu
- Institut für Allgemeine Zoologie und Tierphysiologie, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, D-07743 Jena, Germany; and
| | - Silvio Schmidt
- Hans-Berger Klinik für Neurologie, Universitätsklinikum Jena, D-07747 Jena, Germany
| | - Karl-Friedrich Schmidt
- Institut für Allgemeine Zoologie und Tierphysiologie, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, D-07743 Jena, Germany; and
| | - Klaus Kreikemeier
- Institut für Allgemeine Zoologie und Tierphysiologie, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, D-07743 Jena, Germany; and
| | - Otto W. Witte
- Hans-Berger Klinik für Neurologie, Universitätsklinikum Jena, D-07747 Jena, Germany
| | - Siegrid Löwel
- Institut für Allgemeine Zoologie und Tierphysiologie, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, D-07743 Jena, Germany; and
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The role of GABAergic inhibition in ocular dominance plasticity. Neural Plast 2011; 2011:391763. [PMID: 21826276 PMCID: PMC3150150 DOI: 10.1155/2011/391763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2011] [Accepted: 05/27/2011] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
During the last decade, we have gained much insight into the mechanisms that open and close a sensitive period of plasticity in the visual cortex. This brings the hope that novel treatments can be developed for brain injuries requiring renewed plasticity potential and neurodevelopmental brain disorders caused by defective synaptic plasticity. One of the central mechanisms responsible for opening the sensitive period is the maturation of inhibitory innervation. Many molecular and cellular events have been identified that drive this developmental process, including signaling through BDNF and IGF-1, transcriptional control by OTX2, maturation of the extracellular matrix, and GABA-regulated inhibitory synapse formation. The mechanisms through which the development of inhibitory innervation triggers and potentially closes the sensitive period may involve plasticity of inhibitory inputs or permissive regulation of excitatory synapse plasticity. Here, we discuss the current state of knowledge in the field and open questions to be addressed.
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