How does the brain change with experience? Once the brain is mature, can it be rewired by growth of new synapses and loss of older ones? Classic studies measuring spine densities or synapse numbers have relied on post-mortem techniques which do not allow direct observation of spine growth and loss. Recently, 2-photon microscopy in fluorescent protein transgenic animals has made it possible to follow dendrites and spines over weeks to months of an animal's life.
The aim of the project will be to describe the long-term effect of sensory experience changes on dendrite and spine persistence in layer V and layer I I/I 11 neurons of the barrel cortex. Receptive field plasticity has been observed in deprived barrel columns where responses to deprived whiskers become depressed within days and responses to adjacent spared whiskers are enhanced 1-3 weeks later. It is not known if either process involves the formation or loss of synapses. Using long-term in vivo imaging and electron microscopy in wild-type and alphaCamKIIT286A (receptive field plasticity impaired) mice, we will document the loss and formation of synapses that occur normally and 1- 3 weeks after chessboard whisker deprivation.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development (NICHD)
Type
Postdoctoral Individual National Research Service Award (F32)
Project #
5F32HD047104-02
Application #
7085397
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1-F03B (20))
Program Officer
Grave, Gilman D
Project Start
2005-07-01
Project End
2006-12-31
Budget Start
2006-07-01
Budget End
2006-12-31
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
2006
Total Cost
$24,398
Indirect Cost
Name
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Department
Type
DUNS #
065968786
City
Cold Spring Harbor
State
NY
Country
United States
Zip Code
11724
Boivin, Josiah R; Piekarski, David J; Thomas, A Wren et al. (2018) Adolescent pruning and stabilization of dendritic spines on cortical layer 5 pyramidal neurons do not depend on gonadal hormones. Dev Cogn Neurosci 30:100-107
Wilbrecht, Linda; Holtmaat, Anthony; Wright, Nick et al. (2010) Structural plasticity underlies experience-dependent functional plasticity of cortical circuits. J Neurosci 30:4927-32