Activity-dependent synaptic remodeling in the developing sensory thalamus.

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K06862
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 46010:Neuroscience-general-related
• Research Institution: Tokyo Women's Medical University
• Principal Investigator: Kawamura Hisako (Nakayama Hisako) (中山寿子) 東京女子医科大学, 医学部, 准教授 (70397181)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 体性感覚視床 / シナプス刈り込み / 神経活動依存性 / 臨界期 / 発達

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We studied how neural activities eliminate and strengthen synapses from brainstem PrV2 to thalamic VPm neurons in the somatosensory pathway during postnatal development by using AAV expressing Kir2.1 or hM4D(Gi). Inhibition of PrV2 and VPm neuronal activities during P12-15 disturbed the elimination and strengthening of PrV2-VPm synapses, as in the case of plucking whiskers during P12-15. Inhibition of PrV2 activity during P8-11 impaired synapse elimination while inhibiting VPm activity diminished synaptic strength. Our results revealed that in addition to the whisker-experience-dependent critical period of P12-15, synapse elimination and strengthening during P8-11 differentially depend on the neural activity of PrV2 and VPm neurons.

Free Research Field

神経生理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

PrV2-VPmシナプスの強化と刈り込みは生後2-3週目に渡り生じるが、先行研究では、P12-15という限られた期間の過程がヒゲ抜去で障害されることが明らかにされているものの、その前後の発達過程を制御する機構は不明であった。我々の研究は、PrV2-VPmシナプスの強化と刈り込み過程にP8-11とP12-15という2つの段階があり、それぞれ異なる細胞の神経活動によって制御されるという全く新しい知見であり、今後の制御機構解明に大きく貢献すると考えられる。