scholarly journals Synapse-selective control of cortical maturation and plasticity engages an interneuron-autonomous synaptic switch

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adema Ribic ◽  
Michael C. Crair ◽  
Thomas Biederer

HighlightsThe synaptogenic molecule SynCAM 1 is selectively regulated by visual experienceSynCAM 1 controls thalamic input onto cortical Parvalbumin (PV+) interneuronsPV+-specific knockdown of SynCAM 1 arrests maturation of cortical inhibitionThalamic excitation onto PV+ interneurons is essential for critical period closureeTOC BlurbRibic et al. show that network plasticity in both young and adult cortex is restricted by the synapse organizing molecule SynCAM 1. On a cellular level, it functions in Parvalbumin-positive interneurons to recruit thalamocortical terminals. This controls the maturation of inhibitory drive and restricts plasticity in the cortex. These results reveal the synaptic locus of cortical plasticity and identify the first cell-autonomous synaptic factor for closure of cortical critical periods.SummaryBrain plasticity peaks early in life and tapers in adulthood. This is exemplified in the primary visual cortex, where brief loss of vision to one eye abrogates cortical responses to inputs from that eye during the critical period, but not in adulthood. The synaptic locus of critical period plasticity and the cell-autonomous synaptic factors timing these periods remain unclear. We here demonstrate that the immunoglobulin protein Synaptic Cell Adhesion Molecule 1 (SynCAM 1/Cadm1) is regulated by visual experience and limits visual cortex plasticity. SynCAM 1 selectively controls the number of excitatory thalamocortical (TC) inputs onto Parvalbumin (PV+) interneurons and loss of SynCAM 1 in turn impairs the maturation of TC-driven feed-forward inhibition. SynCAM 1 acts in cortical PV+ interneurons to perform these functions and its PV+-specific knockdown prevents the age-related plasticity decline. These results identify a synapse type-specific, cell-autonomous mechanism that governs circuit maturation and closes the visual critical period.

2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clémence Bernard ◽  
Alain Prochiantz

The ability of the environment to shape cortical function is at its highest during critical periods of postnatal development. In the visual cortex, critical period onset is triggered by the maturation of parvalbumin inhibitory interneurons, which gradually become surrounded by a specialized glycosaminoglycan-rich extracellular matrix: the perineuronal nets. Among the identified factors regulating cortical plasticity in the visual cortex, extracortical homeoprotein Otx2 is transferred specifically into parvalbumin interneurons and this transfer regulates both the onset and the closure of the critical period of plasticity for binocular vision. Here, we review the interaction between the complex sugars of the perineuronal nets and homeoprotein Otx2 and how this interaction regulates cortical plasticity during critical period and in adulthood.


1984 ◽  
Vol 52 (5) ◽  
pp. 941-960 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Tong ◽  
R. E. Kalil ◽  
P. D. Spear

Previous experiments have found that neurons in the cat's lateral suprasylvian (LS) visual area of cortex show functional compensation following removal of visual cortical areas 17, 18, and 19 on the day of birth. Correspondingly, an enhanced retino-thalamic pathway to LS cortex develops in these cats. The present experiments investigated the critical periods for these changes. Unilateral lesions of areas 17, 18, and 19 were made in cats ranging in age from 1 day postnatal to 26 wk. When the cats were adult, single-cell recordings were made from LS cortex ipsilateral to the lesion. In addition, transneuronal autoradiographic methods were used to trace the retino-thalamic projections to LS cortex in many of the same animals. Following lesions in 18- and 26-wk-old cats, there is a marked reduction in direction-selective LS cortex cells and an increase in cells that respond best to stationary flashing stimuli. These results are similar to those following visual cortex lesions in adult cats. In contrast, the percentages of cells with these properties are normal following lesions made from 1 day to 12 wk of age. Thus the critical period for development of direction selectivity and greater responses to moving than to stationary flashing stimuli in LS cortex following a visual cortex lesion ends between 12 and 18 wk of age. Following lesions in 26-wk-old cats, there is a decrease in the percentage of cells that respond to the ipsilateral eye, which is similar to results following visual cortex lesions in adult cats. However, ocular dominance is normal following lesions made from 1 day to 18 wk of age. Thus the critical period for development of responses to the ipsilateral eye following a lesion ends between 18 and 26 wk of age. Following visual cortex lesions in 2-, 4-, or 8-wk-old cats, about 30% of the LS cortex cells display orientation selectivity to elongated slits of light. In contrast, few or no cells display this property in normal adult cats, cats with lesions made on the day of birth, or cats with lesions made at 12 wk of age or later. Thus an anomalous property develops for many LS cells, and the critical period for this property begins later (between 1 day and 2 wk) and ends earlier (between 8 and 12 wk) than those for other properties.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven F. Grieco ◽  
Xin Qiao ◽  
Xiaoting Zheng ◽  
Yongjun Liu ◽  
Lujia Chen ◽  
...  

SummarySubanesthetic ketamine evokes rapid and long-lasting antidepressant effects in human patients. The mechanism for ketamine’s effects remains elusive, but ketamine may broadly modulate brain plasticity processes. We show that single-dose ketamine reactivates adult mouse visual cortical plasticity and promotes functional recovery of visual acuity defects from amblyopia. Ketamine specifically induces down-regulation of neuregulin-1 (NRG1) expression in parvalbumin-expressing (PV) inhibitory neurons in mouse visual cortex. NRG1 downregulation in PV neurons co-tracks both the fast onset and sustained decreases in synaptic inhibition to excitatory neurons, along with reduced synaptic excitation to PV neurons in vitro and in vivo following a single ketamine treatment. These effects are blocked by exogenous NRG1 as well as PV targeted receptor knockout. Thus ketamine reactivation of adult visual cortical plasticity is mediated through rapid and sustained cortical disinhibition via downregulation of PV-specific NRG1 signaling. Our findings reveal the neural plasticity-based mechanism for ketamine-mediated functional recovery from adult amblyopia.Highlights○ Disinhibition of excitatory cells by ketamine occurs in a fast and sustained manner○ Ketamine evokes NRG1 downregulation and excitatory input loss to PV cells○ Ketamine induced plasticity is blocked by exogenous NRG1 or its receptor knockout○ PV inhibitory cells are the initial functional locus underlying ketamine’s effects


2018 ◽  
Vol 35 ◽  
Author(s):  
TAKAO K. HENSCH ◽  
ELIZABETH M. QUINLAN

AbstractThe shift in ocular dominance (OD) of binocular neurons induced by monocular deprivation is the canonical model of synaptic plasticity confined to a postnatal critical period. Developmental constraints on this plasticity not only lend stability to the mature visual cortical circuitry but also impede the ability to recover from amblyopia beyond an early window. Advances with mouse models utilizing the power of molecular, genetic, and imaging tools are beginning to unravel the circuit, cellular, and molecular mechanisms controlling the onset and closure of the critical periods of plasticity in the primary visual cortex (V1). Emerging evidence suggests that mechanisms enabling plasticity in juveniles are not simply lost with age but rather that plasticity is actively constrained by the developmental up-regulation of molecular ‘brakes’. Lifting these brakes enhances plasticity in the adult visual cortex, and can be harnessed to promote recovery from amblyopia. The reactivation of plasticity by experimental manipulations has revised the idea that robust OD plasticity is limited to early postnatal development. Here, we discuss recent insights into the neurobiology of the initiation and termination of critical periods and how our increasingly mechanistic understanding of these processes can be leveraged toward improved clinical treatment of adult amblyopia.


2005 ◽  
Vol 22 (5) ◽  
pp. 685-691 ◽  
Author(s):  
JIANHUA CANG ◽  
VALERY A. KALATSKY ◽  
SIEGRID LÖWEL ◽  
MICHAEL P. STRYKER

The responses of cells in the visual cortex to stimulation of the two eyes changes dramatically following a period of monocular visual deprivation (MD) during a critical period in early life. This phenomenon, referred to as ocular dominance (OD) plasticity, is a widespread model for understanding cortical plasticity. In this study, we designed stimulus patterns and quantification methods to analyze OD in the mouse visual cortex using optical imaging of intrinsic signals. Using periodically drifting bars restricted to the binocular portion of the visual field, we obtained cortical maps for both contralateral (C) and ipsilateral (I) eyes and computed OD maps as (C − I)/(C + I). We defined the OD index (ODI) for individual animals as the mean of the OD map. The ODI obtained from an imaging session of less than 30 min gives reliable measures of OD for both normal and monocularly deprived mice under Nembutal anesthesia. Surprisingly, urethane anesthesia, which yields excellent topographic maps, did not produce consistent OD findings. Normal Nembutal-anesthetized mice have positive ODI (0.22 ± 0.01), confirming a contralateral bias in the binocular zone. For mice monocularly deprived during the critical period, the ODI of the cortex contralateral to the deprived eye shifted negatively towards the nondeprived, ipsilateral eye (ODI after 2-day MD: 0.12 ± 0.02, 4-day: 0.03 ± 0.03, and 6- to 7-day MD: −0.01 ± 0.04). The ODI shift induced by 4-day MD appeared to be near maximal, consistent with previous findings using single-unit recordings. We have thus established optical imaging of intrinsic signals as a fast and reliable screening method to study OD plasticity in the mouse.


2020 ◽  
Vol 175 ◽  
pp. 03023
Author(s):  
Olga Dilekova ◽  
Cristina Pavlova ◽  
Valentina Shpygova ◽  
Nikolai Agarkov ◽  
Vladislav Porublyov

In domestic animals in postnatal ontogenesis, statistically significant changes in the number of α-endocrinocytes and the values of their nuclear-cytoplasmic ratio in the endocrine islets of pancreas have been revealed, which reflects the species and age-related dynamic processes of its morphofunctional development in animals. In cattle and small cattle (sheep), pigs, dogs and cats, two critical periods of postnatal development of the pancreas have been identified. The first critical period is observed from the birth to the age of three months. It is associated with an alimentary factor: the transition from a dairy diet to roughage, which leads to a decrease in the values of morphometric indicators of the pancreas and the restructuring of the functional work of the organ as a whole. The second critical period is registered in animals during puberty, that is, at 6 months of age, which is associated with the release of hormonal inducers aimed primarily at the implementation of physiological changes in the body.


2020 ◽  
Vol 117 (38) ◽  
pp. 23242-23251 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca K. Reh ◽  
Brian G. Dias ◽  
Charles A. Nelson ◽  
Daniela Kaufer ◽  
Janet F. Werker ◽  
...  

Brain plasticity is dynamically regulated across the life span, peaking during windows of early life. Typically assessed in the physiological range of milliseconds (real time), these trajectories are also influenced on the longer timescales of developmental time (nurture) and evolutionary time (nature), which shape neural architectures that support plasticity. Properly sequenced critical periods of circuit refinement build up complex cognitive functions, such as language, from more primary modalities. Here, we consider recent progress in the biological basis of critical periods as a unifying rubric for understanding plasticity across multiple timescales. Notably, the maturation of parvalbumin-positive (PV) inhibitory neurons is pivotal. These fast-spiking cells generate gamma oscillations associated with critical period plasticity, are sensitive to circadian gene manipulation, emerge at different rates across brain regions, acquire perineuronal nets with age, and may be influenced by epigenetic factors over generations. These features provide further novel insight into the impact of early adversity and neurodevelopmental risk factors for mental disorders.


2015 ◽  
Vol 112 (24) ◽  
pp. E3131-E3140 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaojie Huang ◽  
Sophia K. Stodieck ◽  
Bianka Goetze ◽  
Lei Cui ◽  
Man Ho Wong ◽  
...  

During critical periods, all cortical neural circuits are refined to optimize their functional properties. The prevailing notion is that the balance between excitation and inhibition determines the onset and closure of critical periods. In contrast, we show that maturation of silent glutamatergic synapses onto principal neurons was sufficient to govern the duration of the critical period for ocular dominance plasticity in the visual cortex of mice. Specifically, postsynaptic density protein-95 (PSD-95) was absolutely required for experience-dependent maturation of silent synapses, and its absence before the onset of critical periods resulted in lifelong juvenile ocular dominance plasticity. Loss of PSD-95 in the visual cortex after the closure of the critical period reinstated silent synapses, resulting in reopening of juvenile-like ocular dominance plasticity. Additionally, silent synapse-based ocular dominance plasticity was largely independent of the inhibitory tone, whose developmental maturation was independent of PSD-95. Moreover, glutamatergic synaptic transmission onto parvalbumin-positive interneurons was unaltered in PSD-95 KO mice. These findings reveal not only that PSD-95–dependent silent synapse maturation in visual cortical principal neurons terminates the critical period for ocular dominance plasticity but also indicate that, in general, once silent synapses are consolidated in any neural circuit, initial experience-dependent functional optimization and critical periods end.


1988 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 205-210 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Shaw ◽  
G. Prusky ◽  
M. Cynader

AbstractRecent studies have shown that several receptor populations in cat visual cortex undergo alterations in their laminar distributions during postnatal development (Shaw et al., 1984a, b; 1986b). These redistributions occur during the first few months of postnatal life, coincident with the physiologically defined critical period for cortical plasticity. In the present communication, we demonstrate that receptor redistributions can be prevented from occurring, or progressing once started, by surgically isolating the visual cortex at appropriate postnatal ages. These data suggest that the maturation of the chemical circuitry of the visual cortex is dependent on factors of extrinsic origin.


2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiangping Chan ◽  
Xiangwen Hao ◽  
Qiong Liu ◽  
Jianhua Cang ◽  
Yu Gu

Binocular matching of orientation preference between the two eyes is a common form of binocular integration that is regarded as the basis for stereopsis. How critical period plasticity enables binocular matching under the guidance of normal visual experience has not been fully demonstrated. To investigate how critical period closure affects the binocular matching, a critical period prolonged mouse model was constructed through the administration of bumetanide, an NKCC1 transporter antagonist. Using acute in vivo extracellular recording and molecular assay, we revealed that binocular matching was transiently disrupted due to heightened plasticity after the normal critical period, together with an increase in the density of spines and synapses, and the upregulation of GluA1 expression. Diazepam (DZ)/[(R, S)-3-(2-carboxypiperazin-4-yl) propyl-1-phosphonic acid (CPP)] could reclose the extended critical period, and rescue the deficits in binocular matching. Furthermore, the extended critical period, alone, with normal visual experience is sufficient for the completion of binocular matching in amblyopic mice. Similarly, prolonging the critical period into adulthood by knocking out Nogo-66 receptor can prevent the normal maturation of binocular matching and depth perception. These results suggest that maintaining an optimal plasticity level during adolescence is most beneficial for the systemic maturation. Extending the critical period provides new clues for the maturation of binocular vision and may have critical implications for the treatment of amblyopia.


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