生物谷报道：今天出版的Science发表了两篇文章介绍了GABA通路在视皮层发育和可塑性中的重要作用，这是对抑制性神经递质在神经的可塑性中的又一重大报道。其实不仅仅是兴奋性递质起重要的作用，抑制性递质对神经元的可塑性同样至关重要。同时Science上有两篇评论。
Weak inhibition within visual cortex early in life prevents experience-dependent plasticity. Loss of responsiveness to an eye deprived of vision can be initiated prematurely by enhancing -aminobutyric acid (GABA)–mediated transmission with benzodiazepines. Here, we use a mouse "knockin" mutation to subunits that renders individual GABA type A (GABAA) receptors insensitive to diazepam to show that a particular inhibitory network controls expression of the critical period. Only 1-containing circuits were found to drive cortical plasticity, whereas 2-enriched connections separately regulated neuronal firing. This dissociation carries implications for models of brain development and the safe design of benzodiazepines for use in infants.
Original articles:
Columnar Architecture Sculpted by GABA Circuits in Developing Cat Visual Cortex. Takao K. Hensch and Michael P. Stryker.Science 12 March 2004: 1678-1681. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] [Supporting Online Material]
Specific GABAA Circuits for Visual Cortical Plasticity.Michela Fagiolini, Jean-Marc Fritschy, Karin Löw, Hanns Möhler, Uwe Rudolph, and Takao K. Hensch
Science 12 March 2004: 1681-1683. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] [Supporting Online Material]
Blocking Plasticity in the Visual Cortex.David Ferster
Science 2004 303: 1619-1621. (in Perspectives) [Summary] [Full Text]
Columnar Architecture Sculpted by GABA Circuits in Developing Cat Visual Cortex.Takao K. Hensch and Michael P. Stryker
Science 2004 303: 1678-1681. (in Reports) [Abstract] [Full Text]
