Bidirectional regulation of mitochondrial gene expression during developmental neuroplasticity of visual cortex.
The first several months of life are a critical period for neuronal plasticity in the visual cortex, during which anatomical and physiological development depends upon visual experience. Rearing in darkness slows the time course of this critical period, such that at 5 weeks normal cats are more plastic than dark-reared cats, while at 20 weeks dark-reared cats are more plastic. This study reports the identification of a subset of mitochondrial genes that are regulated in this manner. Opponent patterns of bidirectional expression were found: several genes (ATPase 6, cytochrome b, NADH dehydrogenase subunits 4 and 2) showed elevation in normal cats at 5 weeks and in dark-reared cats at 20 weeks ("plasticity" genes); others (NADH dehydrogenase subunits 3 and 5) showed the opposite ("anti-plasticity" genes). These findings add a new dimension to the growing evidence that changes in mitochondrial gene expression are involved in the neuroplastic response.
Yang
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C
Department of Anatomical Sciences and Neurobiology, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, Kentucky 40202, USA.
Silver
B
B
Ellis
S R
SR
Mower
G D
GD
D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases / Q000235:genetics; D000818:Animals; D002415:Cats; D003573:Cytochrome b Group / Q000235:genetics; D003624:Darkness; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000235:genetics*; D009245:NADH Dehydrogenase / Q000235:genetics; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000235:genetics*; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014793:Visual Cortex / Q000254:growth & development*
D003573:Cytochrome b Group; D009245:NADH Dehydrogenase; D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases