title: Neuronal pentraxins mediate synaptic refinement in the developing visual system.
abstract: Neuronal pentraxins (NPs) define a family of proteins that are homologous to C-reactive and acute-phase proteins in the immune system and have been hypothesized to be involved in activity-dependent synaptic plasticity. To investigate the role of NPs in vivo, we generated mice that lack one, two, or all three NPs. NP1/2 knock-out mice exhibited defects in the segregation of eye-specific retinal ganglion cell (RGC) projections to the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus, a process that involves activity-dependent synapse formation and elimination. Retinas from mice lacking NP1 and NP2 had cholinergically driven waves of activity that occurred at a frequency similar to that of wild-type mice, but several other parameters of retinal activity were altered. RGCs cultured from these mice exhibited a significant delay in functional maturation of glutamatergic synapses. Other developmental processes, such as pathfinding of RGCs at the optic chiasm and hippocampal long-term potentiation and long-term depression, appeared normal in NP-deficient mice. These data indicate that NPs are necessary for early synaptic refinements in the mammalian retina and dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus. We speculate that NPs exert their effects through mechanisms that parallel the known role of short pentraxins outside the CNS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosciences, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio 44195, USA.
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bjartmar
authors.forename: Andrew D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Huberman
authors.forename: Erik M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Ullian
authors.forename: René C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Rentería
authors.forename: Xiaoqin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Weifeng
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Prezioso
authors.forename: Michael W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Susman
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Stellwagen
authors.forename: Caleb C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Stokes
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Worley
authors.forename: Robert C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Malenka
authors.forename: Sherry
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ball
authors.forename: Neal S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Peachey
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Copenhagen
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Chapman
authors.forename: Masaru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nakamoto
authors.forename: Ben A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Barres
authors.forename: Mark S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Perin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000502:physiology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005829:Geniculate Bodies / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D012160:Retina / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D012165:Retinal Ganglion Cells / Q000502:physiology; D013569:Synapses / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000502:physiology; D014795:Visual Pathways / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D000099153:Pentraxins
chemical_list: D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D000099153:Pentraxins