2-Photon Imaging of synaptic remodeling in visual cortex

描述（由申请人提供）：本提案旨在使用小鼠视觉皮层中的眼优势可塑性作为模型系统来研究哺乳动物大脑的解剖学和功能可塑性之间的关系。在出生后早期发育过程中，眼睛被堵塞会导致被剥夺的眼睛迅速丧失视力。眼优势可塑性中突触改变的部位和方式是系统神经科学中一个重大的突出问题。最近的证据表明，最早的变化发生在初级视觉皮层的表层（层II/III），其中一些连接似乎在快速的时间尺度上（< 2天）重新布线。通过使用新的成像技术，促进慢性成像的单轴突在活的大脑，我的目标是进一步研究的假设，视觉剥夺刺激突触连接层II/III的快速重排。与此同时，我将使用内在信号成像来跟踪包含轴突的皮层区域的视觉优势。我计划应用这些技术来研究抑制在开启眼优势可塑性关键期中的作用。总之，这项工作很可能有助于阐明皮质可塑性的解剖学基础。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This proposal aims to investigate the relationship between the anatomical and functional plasticity of mammalian brain using ocular dominance plasticity in mouse visual cortex as a model system. Occluding an eye during early postnatal development leads to a rapid loss of vision through the deprived eye. The location and means of synaptic change in ocular dominance plasticity is a major outstanding problem in systems neuroscience. Recent evidence suggests that the earliest changes occur in the superficial layers (layer ll/lll) of primary visual cortex where some connections appear to rewire on a rapid timescale (< 2 days). By using new imaging techniques that facilitate the chronic imaging of single axons in the living brain, I aim to investigate further the hypothesis that visual deprivation stimulates a rapid rearrangement of synaptic connections in layer ll/lll. At the same time, I will use intrinsic signal imaging to keep track of the ocular dominance of the cortical territory containing the axons of study. I plan to apply these techniques to study the role of inhibition in opening the critical period for ocular dominance plasticity. Altogether, it is likely that this work will help elucidate the anatomical underpinnings of cortical plasticity.