Author : Zahraa Chorghay
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (129 download)
Book Synopsis Neuron-glia Interactions Underlying Activity-dependent Plasticity in the Developing Visual System by : Zahraa Chorghay
Download or read book Neuron-glia Interactions Underlying Activity-dependent Plasticity in the Developing Visual System written by Zahraa Chorghay and published by . This book was released on 2021 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "A fundamental aspect of biological organisation is intercellular communication, which is necessary for the coordination and function of multicellular assemblies, and ultimately, for the survival of organisms in an everchanging environment. Within the developing nervous system, the different cell types - neuronal and glial - must work together for the formation, maintenance, and refinement of brain circuits. To further our understanding of activity-dependent circuit plasticity, two distinct phenomena of neuron-glia interactions in the developing visual system were investigated. First, the developmental progression of early myelin ensheathment in the Xenopus laevis was characterised. Based on this work, an appropriate developmental window was identified to investigate myelin plasticity, specifically, by examining the effects of early patterned sensory visual experience on myelin ensheathment in the Xenopus retinotectal circuit. We observed that patterned sensory experience evoking robust neuronal activity also increased early myelin ensheathment, whereas dampened neuronal activity reduced it. These findings thus lend support to the possibility of shared mechanisms for the control of timing-dependent plasticity and myelination during circuit development. In parallel, we explored the role of D-serine, which is a co-agonist of the N-methyl-D-aspartate glutamate receptor (NMDAR) and its availability is regulated by neuron-glia interactions. D-serine administration appears to prematurely stabilise the dendritic arbours and synapses of recently differentiating tectal neurons, though chronic exposure may also lead to functional compensation in overall synaptic density and visually evoked calcium responses in the optic tectum. Thus, the neuron-glia-dependent availability of D-serine at glutamatergic synapses may contribute to activity-dependent NMDAR-mediated refinement of the developing tectal circuit. By examining some of the neuron-glia interactions underlying activity-dependent plasticity, this dissertation aims to contribute to our understanding of the complex and dynamic processes necessary for biological systems to function optimally in their environment"--