2013 Fiscal Year Final Research Report
Regulation of visual cortical plasticity by nNOS neurons
| Project/Area Number |
23300116
|
|---|
| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
|
| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
|---|
| Section | 一般 |
|---|
| Research Field |
Neuroscience in general
|
|---|
| Research Institution | Nagoya University |
|---|
Principal Investigator |
KOMATSU Yukio 名古屋大学, 環境医学研究所, 教授 (90135343)
|
|---|
| Project Period (FY) |
2011-04-01 – 2014-03-31
|
| Keywords | シナプス可塑性 / 経験依存的発達 / 一酸化窒素 / 視覚野 |
|---|
| Research Abstract |
In visual cortex, neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) is expressed only in a subgroup of GABAergic interneurons. I investigated the regulation of synaptic plasticity and experience-dependent development by nitric oxide (NO) released from nNOS neurons. We found that released NO suppressed the induction of T-type calcium channel-dependent long-term potentiation (LTP) at excitatory synapses in rat layer 2/3 pyramidal cells, whereas it facilitated the induction of LTP at the inhibitory synapses in these cells. Both effects were mediated by the activation of guanylyl cyclase and a resultant increase in cGMP. Our in vivo studies suggest that NO regulates the development of visual responsiveness of visual cortical cells through the modulation of synaptic plasticity.
|
