title: Layer 4 pyramidal neurons exhibit robust dendritic spine plasticity in vivo after input deprivation.
abstract: Pyramidal neurons in layers 2/3 and 5 of primary somatosensory cortex (S1) exhibit somewhat modest synaptic plasticity after whisker input deprivation. Whether neurons involved at earlier steps of sensory processing show more or less plasticity has not yet been examined. Here, we used longitudinal in vivo two-photon microscopy to investigate dendritic spine dynamics in apical tufts of GFP-expressing layer 4 (L4) pyramidal neurons of the vibrissal (barrel) S1 after unilateral whisker trimming. First, we characterize the molecular, anatomical, and electrophysiological properties of identified L4 neurons in Ebf2-Cre transgenic mice. Next, we show that input deprivation results in a substantial (∼50%) increase in the rate of dendritic spine loss, acutely (4-8 d) after whisker trimming. This robust synaptic plasticity in L4 suggests that primary thalamic recipient pyramidal neurons in S1 may be particularly sensitive to changes in sensory experience. Ebf2-Cre mice thus provide a useful tool for future assessment of initial steps of sensory processing in S1.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Neurology and amaya.miq@gmail.com cpcailliau@mednet.ucla.edu.
authors.forename: Amaya
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1718-6107
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Miquelajauregui
authors.affiliation: Departments of Neurology and.
authors.forename: Sahana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kribakaran
authors.affiliation: Departments of Neurology and.
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5379-0080
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mostany
authors.affiliation: Division of Neuroscience, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy, and.
authors.forename: Aurora
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4316-5003
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Badaloni
authors.affiliation: Division of Neuroscience, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy, and Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, 20132 Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: G Giacomo
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4594-6273
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Consalez
authors.affiliation: Departments of Neurology and Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California 90095, amaya.miq@gmail.com cpcailliau@mednet.ucla.edu.
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5735-6380
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Portera-Cailliau
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D049229:Dendritic Spines / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology; D017966:Pyramidal Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D012683:Sensory Deprivation / Q000502:physiology*; D013003:Somatosensory Cortex / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D014738:Vibrissae / Q000294:innervation / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Ebf2; barrel cortex; electrophysiology; optogenetics; two-photon; whisker