LATE DEVELOPMENT OF ZIF268 OCULAR DOMINANCE COLUMNS IN PRIMARY VISUAL-CORTEX OF PRIMATES

Zif268 transcription factor is expressed throughout Cebus apella visua l cortex at high basal levels. Monocular eyelid suture alters the leve ls of Zif268 on neurons connected to the deprived eye, revealing ocula r dominance columns in the striate cortex of Cebus as previously demon strated in Old World monkeys (Chaudhuri and Cynader, Brain Res., 605 ( 1993) 349-353). Zif268 ocular dominance columns are revealed in adult Cebus monkey after 24-48 h of monocular deprivation, but not in infant monkeys up to 3 months of age. In 6-month-old Cebus monkeys, Zif268 o cular dominance columns are still poorly defined. These results sugges t that Zif268 ocular dominance columns establish late during normal pr imate visual system development, and that some degree of visual plasti city is still present at this age in the Cebus monkey.