Visual deprivation reactivates rapid ocular dominance plasticity in adult visual cortex.
Brief monocular deprivation (< or =3 d) induces a rapid shift in the ocular dominance of binocular neurons in the juvenile rodent visual cortex but is ineffective in adults. Here, we report that persistent, rapid, juvenile-like ocular dominance plasticity can be reactivated in adult rodent visual cortex when monocular deprivation is preceded by visual deprivation. Ocular dominance shifts in visually deprived adults are caused by a rapid depression of the response to stimulation of the deprived eye, previously only reported in juveniles, and a simultaneous potentiation of the response to stimulation of the nondeprived eye. The enhanced ocular dominance plasticity induced by visual deprivation persists for days, even if binocular vision precedes monocular deprivation. Visual deprivation also induces a significant decrease in the level of GABAA receptors relative to AMPA receptors and a return to the juvenile form of NMDA receptors in the visual cortex, two molecular changes that we propose enable the persistent reactivation of rapid ocular dominance plasticity.
Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA.
Hai-Yan
HY
He
William
W
Hodos
Elizabeth M
EM
Quinlan
D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D023882:Dominance, Ocular / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D005074:Evoked Potentials, Visual; D005136:Eye Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D008297:Male; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D020318:Rats, Long-Evans; D018091:Receptors, AMPA / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D015349:Vision, Monocular / Q000502:physiology*; D014793:Visual Cortex / Q000502:physiology*
D005136:Eye Proteins; C502185:Gabrb2 protein, rat; C546276:Gabrb3 protein, rat; C120997:NR2A NMDA receptor; C485096:NR2B protein (1292-1308); D010446:Peptide Fragments; D018091:Receptors, AMPA; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; C104722:glutamate receptor ionotropic, AMPA 2