Regulation of forebrain perineuronal nets
during a critical period for vocal learning
-
1
University of Minnesota Medical School, United States
Extracellular matrix structures known as perineuronal nets (PNNs) appear to have roles in the closure of sensory critical periods and may define the critical period for ocular dominance plasticity in the primary visual cortex (Hensch, 2005; Pizzorusso et al., 2002). We hypothesized that similar mechanisms may also underlie sensorimotor critical periods, such as that for speech. For our model, we chose the zebra finch songbird (Taeniopygia guttata). As in humans, vocal sensorimotor learning in the zebra finch occurs during a well-defined and restricted developmental period. The finch learns a song from an adult tutor and then gradually matches the song he produces to the memorized tutor song. Song learning and production depend on a set of anatomically distinct forebrain song nuclei, which allows precise investigation of brain areas with defined behavioral roles. PNNs in song nuclei were examined at the beginning, middle, and end of the sensorimotor learning phase using antibodies to chondroitin sulfate, which composes the PNNs. We found that PNNs are strongly expressed in the adult song system (Fig. 1).PNNs in mammals are preferentially expressed around typically fast-spiking neurons that express parvalbumin, a calcium-binding protein. Finch brain sections were thus also stained for parvalbumin. All neurons in each nucleus were identified using a fluorescent Nissl stain. Consistent with a role for PNNs in vocal development, both the percent of neurons with PNNs and the percent of parvalbumin-positive neurons with PNNs increased to adult levels during the sensorimotor period of vocal development in all song nuclei examined. Stereological quantification confirmed these findings. Several perturbations alter vocal learning, such as overstimulation with tutor song auditory playback, isolation from a song tutor, and chronic exposure to testosterone. Preliminary data suggest that experimentally-induced shifts in the vocal critical period also shift PNN expression pattern. These data suggest that perineuronal nets may regulate plasticity in forebrain networks that underlie sensorimotor learning.
Conference:
10th International Conference on Cognitive Neuroscience, Bodrum, Türkiye, 1 Sep - 5 Sep, 2008.
Presentation Type:
Poster Presentation
Topic:
Neuronal Plasticity
Citation:
Nick
TA,
Balmer
TS,
Carels
VM and
Frisch
JL
(2008). Regulation of forebrain perineuronal nets
during a critical period for vocal learning.
Conference Abstract:
10th International Conference on Cognitive Neuroscience.
doi: 10.3389/conf.neuro.09.2009.01.311
Copyright:
The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers.
They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters.
The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated.
Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed.
For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions.
Received:
10 Dec 2008;
Published Online:
10 Dec 2008.
*
Correspondence:
Teresa A Nick, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, United States, nickx002@umn.edu