Fm. Rossi et al., Monocular deprivation decreases brain-derived neurotrophic factor immunoreactivity in the rat visual cortex, NEUROSCIENC, 90(2), 1999, pp. 363-368
Neurotrophins play a crucial role in the development and activity-dependent
plasticity of the visual cortex [Berardi N. et al. (1994) Proc. natn. Acad
. Sci U.S.A. 91, 684-688; Bonhoeffer T. (1996) Curr. Opin. Neurobiol. 6, 11
9-126; Cellerino A. and Maffei L. (1996) Frog. Neurobiol. 49, 53-71; Domeni
ci L. et nl. (1994) NeuroReport 5, 2041-2044; Galuske R. A. W, et al. (1996
) Eur. J. Neurosci. 8, 1554-1559; Katz L. C. and Shatz C. J. (1996) Science
274, 1133-1138, Maffei L, el al. (1992) J. Neurosci 12, 4651-4662, Pizzoru
sso T. and Maffei L. (1996) Cure Opin Neurol. 9, 122-125, Thoenen H. (1995)
Science 270, 593-598]. As a possible mechanism of action, it has been post
ulated that the activity-dependent expression of neurotrophins by cortical
cells could regulate synapse stabilization during the first period of postn
atal life (critical period). Indeed, brain-derived neurotrophic factor mess
enger RNA expression in the visual cortex is regulated by neuronal activity
as well as during development [Castren E. et al. (1992) Proc. natn. Acad.
Sci U.S.A. 89, 9444-9448]. Moreover, we showed that monocular deprivation d
ecreases brain-derived neurotrophic factor messenger RNA levels in the Visu
al cortex receiving input from the deprived eye [Bozzi Y. et al. (1995) Neu
roscience 69, 1133-1144]. What is missing, however, is the demonstration th
at brain-derived neurotrophic factor protein expression follows that of bra
in-derived neurotrophic factor messenger RNA. The aim of the present study
is to fill this important gap in order to support the hypothesis that brain
-derived neurotrophic factor is fundamental in the plasticity of the visual
cortex. We found that brain-derived neurotrophic factor immunoreactivity p
eaks during the critical period and that it is preferentially localized in
layers II-III and V-VI. We also demonstrated Chat monocular deprivation det
ermines a decrease of brain-derived neurotrophic factor immunoreactivity ex
clusively in the visual cortex contralateral to the deprived eye.
Our results support the proposed role for brain-derived neurotrophic factor
in the development and activity-dependent plasticity of the visual cortex
[Cabelli R. J. et al. (1995) Science 267, 1662-1666]. (C) 1999 IBRO. Publis
hed by Elsevier Science Ltd.