title: Molecular basis of plasticity in the visual cortex.
abstract: Sensory experience is known to shape the maturation of cortical circuits during development. A paradigmatic example is the effect of monocular deprivation on ocular dominance of visual cortical neurons. Although visual cortical plasticity has been widely studied since its initial discovery by Hubel and Wiesel >40 years ago, the description of the underlying molecular mechanisms has lagged behind. Several new findings are now beginning to close this gap. Recent data deepen our knowledge of the factors involved in the intercellular communication and intracellular signaling that mediate experience-dependent plasticity in the developing visual cortex. In addition, new findings suggest a role for the extracellular matrix in inhibition of ocular-dominance plasticity in the adult visual cortex.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Institute of Neuroscience, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Nicoletta
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Berardi
authors.forename: Tommaso
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pizzorusso
authors.forename: Gian Michele
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Ratto
authors.forename: Lamberto
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Maffei
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D023882:Dominance, Ocular; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000378:metabolism; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D009433:Neural Inhibition; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D012683:Sensory Deprivation; D015398:Signal Transduction; D009435:Synaptic Transmission; D014793:Visual Cortex / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate