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The
Function of NMDA Receptors is Essential for the Development of Somatosensory Cortex
Laboratory for Behavioral
Genetics
Laboratory for Neuronal Circuit Dynamics |
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The
Laboratory for Behavioral Genetics (Head, Dr. Shigeyoshi Itohara) and the Laboratory
for Neuronal Circuit Dynamics (Head, Dr.Thomas Kn嗔fel) worked in collaboration
with Louisiana State Universityand Massachusetts Institute of Technology (both
located in the U.S.) and revealed that NMDA receptors serve a significant function
in the development of somatosensory cortex. Layer IV neurons in the mouse somatosensory
cortex aggregate according to the input patterns from whiskers during the first
postnal week , thereby forming a characteristic configuration called barrels.
Attention has been focused on the formation of barrels as an excellent model system
that can help explain the fundamental principles in the development of mammalian
cerebral cortex. However, restrictions on lab techniques have hindered the progress
of research during this formation. In this study, a new DNA recombination system
called Cre/loxP was applied to a method of knocking out target genes only at the
excitatory cortical neurons of mice. Then, this new method was used to knockout
a gene for the essential submit of NMDA receptorsミミspecifically in the cortex.
Analysis of these mice showed that no barrels were formed even in adulthood, revealing
the role of NMDA receptors in barrel formation. It is expected that this result,
together with the newly introduced method, will offer clues to understanding how
the cerebral cortices of mammals, including human beings, develop after birthミミin
molecular level. |
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magnified scene by clicking image
Cortex-restricted NMDAR1 knockout using Cre/loxP system
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Iwasato,
T., Datwani, A., Wolf, A. M., Nishiyama, H., Taguchi, Y., Tonegawa, S., Kn嗔fel,
T., Erzurumulu, R. S., Itohara, S. Cortex-restricted disruption of NMDAR1 impairs
neuronal patterns in the barrel cortex Nature Vol. 406, 17, pp726-731, August
(2000)
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