title: Distribution of N-Acetylgalactosamine-Positive Perineuronal Nets in the Macaque Brain: Anatomy and Implications.
abstract: Perineuronal nets (PNNs) are extracellular molecules that form around neurons near the end of critical periods during development. They surround neuronal cell bodies and proximal dendrites. PNNs inhibit the formation of new connections and may concentrate around rapidly firing inhibitory interneurons. Previous work characterized the important role of perineuronal nets in plasticity in the visual system, amygdala, and spinal cord of rats. In this study, we use immunohistochemistry to survey the distribution of perineuronal nets in representative areas of the primate brain. We also document changes in PNN prevalence in these areas in animals of different ages. We found that PNNs are most prevalent in the cerebellar nuclei, surrounding >90% of the neurons there. They are much less prevalent in cerebral cortex, surrounding less than 10% of neurons in every area that we examined. The incidence of perineuronal nets around parvalbumin-positive neurons (putative fast-spiking interneurons) varies considerably between different areas in the brain. Our survey indicates that the presence of PNNs may not have a simple relationship with neural plasticity and may serve multiple functions in the central nervous system.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
authors.forename: Adrienne L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Mueller
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
authors.forename: Samantha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sovich
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
authors.forename: Steven S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Carlson
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
authors.forename: Farrel R
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Robinson
mesh_terms: D000116:Acetylgalactosamine / Q000032:analysis*; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000378:metabolism*; D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D008297:Male; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D013569:Synapses / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins; D000116:Acetylgalactosamine