title: Plasticity-Related Gene 1 Affects Mouse Barrel Cortex Function via Strengthening of Glutamatergic Thalamocortical Transmission.
abstract: Plasticity-related gene-1 (PRG-1) is a brain-specific protein that modulates glutamatergic synaptic transmission. Here we investigated the functional role of PRG-1 in adolescent and adult mouse barrel cortex both in vitro and in vivo. Compared with wild-type (WT) animals, PRG-1-deficient (KO) mice showed specific behavioral deficits in tests assessing sensorimotor integration and whisker-based sensory discrimination as shown in the beam balance/walking test and sandpaper tactile discrimination test, respectively. At P25-31, spontaneous network activity in the barrel cortex in vivo was higher in KO mice compared with WT littermates, but not at P16-19. At P16-19, sensory evoked cortical responses in vivo elicited by single whisker stimulation were comparable in KO and WT mice. In contrast, at P25-31 evoked responses were smaller in amplitude and longer in duration in WT animals, whereas KO mice revealed no such developmental changes. In thalamocortical slices from KO mice, spontaneous activity was increased already at P16-19, and glutamatergic thalamocortical inputs to Layer 4 spiny stellate neurons were potentiated. We conclude that genetic ablation of PRG-1 modulates already at P16-19 spontaneous and evoked excitability of the barrel cortex, including enhancement of thalamocortical glutamatergic inputs to Layer 4, which distorts sensory processing in adulthood.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Physiology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, D-55128 Mainz, Germany.
authors.forename: Petr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Unichenko
authors.affiliation: Institute of Physiology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, D-55128 Mainz, Germany.
authors.forename: Sergei
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kirischuk
authors.affiliation: Institute of Physiology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, D-55128 Mainz, Germany.
authors.forename: Jenq-Wei
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Institute for Microanatomy and Neurobiology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Langenbeckstrasse 1, Building 708, D-55131 Mainz, Germany.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Baumgart
authors.affiliation: Institute of Anatomy, Otto-von-Guericke-University of Magdeburg, Leipziger Str. 44, D-39120 Magdeburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Roskoden
authors.affiliation: Institute of Anatomy, Otto-von-Guericke-University of Magdeburg, Leipziger Str. 44, D-39120 Magdeburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.affiliation: Institute of Anatomy, Otto-von-Guericke-University of Magdeburg, Leipziger Str. 44, D-39120 Magdeburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sommer
authors.affiliation: Institute for Microanatomy and Neurobiology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Langenbeckstrasse 1, Building 708, D-55131 Mainz, Germany.
authors.forename: Guilherme
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Horta
authors.affiliation: Focus Program Translational Neuroscience, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany.
authors.forename: Konstantin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Radyushkin
authors.affiliation: Institute for Microanatomy and Neurobiology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Langenbeckstrasse 1, Building 708, D-55131 Mainz, Germany.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nitsch
authors.affiliation: Institute for Microanatomy and Neurobiology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Langenbeckstrasse 1, Building 708, D-55131 Mainz, Germany.
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vogt
authors.affiliation: Institute of Physiology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, D-55128 Mainz, Germany.
authors.forename: Heiko J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Luhmann
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002148:Calmodulin-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000502:physiology; D013003:Somatosensory Cortex / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000502:physiology*; D013788:Thalamus / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D046509:Tissue Culture Techniques; D055698:Touch Perception / Q000502:physiology; D014738:Vibrissae / Q000502:physiology*; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D002148:Calmodulin-Binding Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C000625938:Prg-1 protein, mouse; D018698:Glutamic Acid
keywords: behavior; in vitro; in vivo; network activity; patch-clamp recordings