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Neurons communicate by firing action potentials—the electrochemical signal that is propagated along the axon. The signal results in the release of neurotransmitters at axon terminals, thereby transmitting information to the nervous system. An action potential is a specific "all-or-none" change in membrane potential that results in a rapid spike in voltage.
Membrane potential in neurons
Neurons typically have a resting membrane potential of about -70 millivolts (mV). When they receive...
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Double In Utero Electroporation to Target Temporally and Spatially Separated Cell Populations
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Developmental stage-specific spontaneous activity contributes to callosal axon projections.

Yuta Tezuka1, Kenta M Hagihara2, Kenichi Ohki2,3,4,5,6

  • 1Department of Biophysics, Kyoto University Graduate School of Science, Kyoto, Japan.

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|August 24, 2022
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Summary

Spontaneous network activity is crucial for developing brain connections during a specific critical period. Restoring this activity during this window, but not after, enables long-range axonal projections in the cortex.

Keywords:
activity dependentcerebral cortexdevelopmentmouseneuroscience

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Biology
  • Neurobiology

Background:

  • Spontaneous network activity in the developing neocortex is linked to cortical circuit formation.
  • Callosal axon projections, a major long-range pathway, are known to be activity-dependent.
  • The precise timing and nature of indispensable network activity for these projections remain unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the specific timing and type of network activity required for callosal axon projection development.
  • To investigate the role of spontaneous network activity during critical developmental periods.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized a genetic method for stage-specific manipulation of network activity in mouse visual cortex.
  • Employed in vivo Ca2+ imaging to monitor neuronal activity.
  • Assessed the impact of restoring neuronal activity at different developmental stages on callosal projections.

Main Results:

  • Network activity is essential for callosal axon projections specifically during a critical developmental period.
  • Restoring neuronal activity during this critical period rescued projections, while restoration after this period did not.
  • Callosal projections can form even without complete restoration of highly synchronous network activity.

Conclusions:

  • Spontaneous network activity plays a selective, time-dependent role in the formation of long-range cortical projections.
  • A critical developmental window exists where network activity is indispensable for establishing callosal pathways.
  • The findings highlight the importance of precisely timed neural activity for proper brain wiring.