Structural plasticity of developing optic synapses under different lighting conditions.
Four-month-old male hooded rats were reared from birth under constant light and darkness conditions. Changes in the amount of postsynaptic density material in the optic synapses in the suprachiasmatic nucleus of these rats were compared with animals maintained under routine light-dark (12 h) cycles. The thickness of postsynaptic density material was found to be significantly greater in dark-reared rats relative to light-reared animals. The plasticity of this structure may have functional implications in the sensitivity of postsynaptic response. There was no significant difference in the lengths of the synaptic apposition and the size of boutons.
D000818:Animals; D008027:Light; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity; D051381:Rats; D013493:Suprachiasmatic Nucleus / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D013569:Synapses / Q000648:ultrastructure; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology