Welcoming Remarks and Overview: What neurons can do in vivo as their neurites trespass layers and columns

Chiye Aoki

Abstract

A short presentation will be made to cover the topic of plasticity in adulthood. Examples will be taken from the adult visual cortex of monocular primates, in which the synaptic molecules within neurons and astrocytes can be seen to abide by columnar and laminar boundaries, even though their neurites trespass multiple layers and columns. These observations suggest that the intracellular trafficking of synaptic molecules within dendrites (and axons?) is determined, at least in part, by afferent levels of activities that can occur segregated across the layers and columns.

C. Aoki, F. Fenstemaker, M. Lubin, and C.-G. Go. 1993. Nitric oxide synthase in the visual cortex of monocular monkeys as revealed by light and electron microscopic immunocytochemistry, Brain Res., 620: 97-113.

C. Aoki, M. Lubin and F. Fenstemaker. 1994. Columnar regulation of _-adrenergic receptor-like immunoreactivity in monkey V1.Vis. Neurosci. 11: 179-187.

C Aoki, S Fujisawa, V Mahadomrongkul, PJ Shah, K Nader and A Erisir. (2003) NMDA receptor blockade in intact adult cortex increases trafficking of NR2A subunits into spines, postsynaptic densities and axon terminals. Brain Research, 963:139-149.

Fujisawa S and C Aoki (2003) In vivo blockade of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors induces rapid trafficking of NR2B subunits away from synapses and out of spines and terminals in adult cortex. Neuroscience,121: 51-63.

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