Experience-Dependent, Layer-Specific Development of Divergent Thalamocortical Connectivity

The main input to primary sensory cortex is via thalamocortical (TC) axons that form the greatest number of synapses in layer 4, but also synapse onto neurons in layer 6. The development of the TC input to layer 4 has been widely studied, but less is known about the development of the layer 6 input....

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Published in:Cerebral cortex (New York, N.Y. 1991) N.Y. 1991), 2015-08, Vol.25 (8), p.2255-2266
Main Authors: Crocker-Buque, Alex, Brown, Sarah M, Kind, Peter C, Isaac, John T R, Daw, Michael I
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Axons - drug effects
Axons - physiology
Electric Stimulation
Excitatory Postsynaptic Potentials - drug effects
Long-Term Potentiation - drug effects
Long-Term Potentiation - physiology
Mice
Neural Pathways - cytology
Neural Pathways - drug effects
Neural Pathways - growth & development
Neural Pathways - physiology
Neuroanatomical Tract-Tracing Techniques
Patch-Clamp Techniques
Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT1B - metabolism
Somatosensory Cortex - cytology
Somatosensory Cortex - drug effects
Somatosensory Cortex - growth & development
Somatosensory Cortex - physiology
Synapses - drug effects
Synapses - physiology
Thalamus - cytology
Thalamus - drug effects
Thalamus - growth & development
Thalamus - physiology
Tissue Culture Techniques
Touch Perception - physiology
Vibrissae - physiology
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Summary:The main input to primary sensory cortex is via thalamocortical (TC) axons that form the greatest number of synapses in layer 4, but also synapse onto neurons in layer 6. The development of the TC input to layer 4 has been widely studied, but less is known about the development of the layer 6 input. Here, we show that, in neonates, the input to layer 6 is as strong as that to layer 4. Throughout the first postnatal week, there is an experience-dependent strengthening specific to layer 4, which correlates with the ability of synapses in layer 4, but not in layer 6, to undergo long-term potentiation (LTP). This strengthening consists of an increase in axon branching and the divergence of connectivity in layer 4 without a change in the strength of individual connections. We propose that experience-driven LTP stabilizes transient TC synapses in layer 4 to increase strength and divergence specifically in layer 4 over layer 6.
ISSN:1047-3211
1460-2199
DOI:10.1093/cercor/bhu031