title: Rewiring of afferent fibers in the somatosensory thalamus of mice caused by peripheral sensory nerve transection.
abstract: The remodeling of neural circuitry and changes in synaptic efficacy after peripheral sensory nerve injury are considered the basis for functional reorganization in the brain, including changes in receptive fields. However, when or how the remodeling occurs is largely unknown. Here we show the rapid rewiring of afferent fibers in the mature ventral posteromedial thalamic nucleus of mice after transection of the peripheral whisker sensory nerve, using the whole-cell voltage-clamp technique. Transection induced the recruitment of afferent fibers to a thalamic relay neuron within 5-6 d of injury. The rewiring was pathway specific, but not sensory experience dependent or peripheral nerve activity dependent. The newly recruited fibers mediated small EPSCs, and postsynaptic GluA2-containing AMPA receptors were selectively upregulated at the new synapses. This rapid and pathway-specific remodeling of thalamic circuitry may be an initial step in the massive axonal reorganization at supraspinal levels, which occurs months or years after peripheral sensory nerve injury.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8666, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takeuchi
authors.forename: Miwako
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yamasaki
authors.forename: Yasuyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nagumo
authors.forename: Keiji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Imoto
authors.forename: Masahiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Mariko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Miyata
mesh_terms: D000344:Afferent Pathways / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000818:Animals; D019706:Excitatory Postsynaptic Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000502:physiology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D059348:Peripheral Nerve Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology*; D018091:Receptors, AMPA / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D013997:Time Factors; D015854:Up-Regulation; D020651:Ventral Thalamic Nuclei / Q000166:cytology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014738:Vibrissae / Q000294:innervation / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D018091:Receptors, AMPA; C104722:glutamate receptor ionotropic, AMPA 2