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Updated: Jun 5, 2026
Monocular Visual Deprivation and Ocular Dominance Plasticity Measurement in the Mouse Primary Visual Cortex
Published on: February 8, 2020
[Study of CPG15 expression in the visual cortex of normal and monocular form deprived development rats]
Xia Chen1, Jing Chen, Chun-hui Tian
1Tianjin Eye Hospital, Tianjin 300020, China. chenxia9453@yahoo.com.cn
Insights
CPG15 mRNA and protein expression in rat visual cortex changes with age and visual experience. Monocular deprivation significantly reduced CPG15 levels, suggesting its role in visual development and plasticity.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Molecular Biology
- Developmental Biology
Context:
- The visual cortex undergoes significant development and maturation during early life.
- Visual experience plays a crucial role in shaping neural circuits in the visual cortex.
- CPG15 (also known as Neuritin) is a neurotrophic factor implicated in neuronal development.
Purpose:
- To investigate the expression patterns of CPG15 mRNA and protein in the developing rat visual cortex.
- To determine the association between CPG15 expression and visual development.
- To examine the impact of monocular form deprivation (MD) on CPG15 expression in the visual cortex.
Summary:
- CPG15 mRNA and protein expression levels varied significantly with age in both normal and MD rats, peaking around postnatal day 28.
- Monocular deprivation led to a significant decrease in CPG15 mRNA and protein expression compared to normal development at postnatal days 21, 28, and 45.
- These findings indicate that CPG15 expression is influenced by both age and visual experience during critical periods of visual development.
Impact:
- CPG15 expression correlates with visual experience and age, highlighting its role during critical periods of visual development.
- The significant downregulation of CPG15 by monocular deprivation suggests it is sensitive to visual input.
- CPG15 may be a key molecular factor involved in the plasticity and maturation of visual cortical neurons.
Objective:
To explore the expression of CPG15 mRNA and protein the visual cortex of normal and monocular form deprived development rats, To explore the association CPG15 with visual development.
Methods:
It was an experimental research. one hundred healthy Wistar rats were divided into 10 groups: the time-point for normal group is postnatal 7, 14, 21, 28, 45 days. The time-point for MD group is postnatal 21, 28, 45 days, 10 in every group. MD groups were sutured right eyelid at postnatal 14 days, and to make the model of monocular form deprived. Rats were housed in alike environment. To detect the expression of Neuritin mRNA and immuno-positive neurons protein in the visual cortex of normal and monocular form deprived rats by SYBR green I real-time fluorescent polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry stain methods.
Result:
We found that: (1) The expression of normal and MD rats visual cortex CPG15 mRNA and immuno-positive neurons and the IOD of protein, significant deviation existed among different ages with one-factor analysis of variance (P < 0.05), and reached its climax in P28 and MD28. (2) The expression of CPG15 mRNA and immuno-positive neurons and the IOD of protein in MD group obviously lower than the normal group in postnatal 21, 28, 45 days, there was statistically different in that ages (P < 0.05).
Conclusion:
The expression of CPG15 mRNA and immuno-positive neurons and the IOD of protein in the development normal and MD rats show that the stage change by development vision. Its expression correlated with visual experience and age factor, and there was a high expression in critical period, and obviously influence by monocular form deprived. So we supposed that CPG15 may affect development and maturation in the visual cortical neuron. It may be the one of molecular basis to participated in visual developmental plasticity.
