title: Specific GABAA circuits for visual cortical plasticity.
abstract: Weak inhibition within visual cortex early in life prevents experience-dependent plasticity. Loss of responsiveness to an eye deprived of vision can be initiated prematurely by enhancing gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-mediated transmission with benzodiazepines. Here, we use a mouse "knockin" mutation to alpha subunits that renders individual GABA type A (GABA(A)) receptors insensitive to diazepam to show that a particular inhibitory network controls expression of the critical period. Only alpha1-containing circuits were found to drive cortical plasticity, whereas alpha2-enriched connections separately regulated neuronal firing. This dissociation carries implications for models of brain development and the safe design of benzodiazepines for use in infants.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Neuronal Circuit Development, RIKEN Brain Science Institute, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako-shi, Saitama, 351-0198 Japan.
authors.forename: Michela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fagiolini
authors.forename: Jean-Marc
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Fritschy
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Löw
authors.forename: Hanns
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Möhler
authors.forename: Uwe
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Rudolph
authors.forename: Takao K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Hensch
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003975:Diazepam / Q000494:pharmacology; D023882:Dominance, Ocular / Q000502:physiology*; D007395:Interneurons / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008959:Models, Neurological; D009154:Mutation; D009433:Neural Inhibition; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D021122:Protein Subunits; D011725:Pyridines / Q000494:pharmacology; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D009435:Synaptic Transmission; D014785:Vision, Ocular; D014793:Visual Cortex / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D000077334:Zolpidem; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: C546241:Gabra1 protein, mouse; D021122:Protein Subunits; D011725:Pyridines; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; D000077334:Zolpidem; D003975:Diazepam