Corticospinal circuit remodeling after central nervous system injury is dependent on neuronal activity.

ABSTRACT: The remodeling of supraspinal axonal circuits mediates functional recovery after spinal cord injury. This process critically depends on the selection of appropriate synaptic connections between cortical projection and spinal relay neurons. To unravel the principles that guide this target selection, we used genetic and chemogenetic tools to modulate NMDA receptor (NMDAR) integrity and function, CREB-mediated transcription, and neuronal firing of relay neurons during injury-induced corticospinal remodeling. We show that NMDAR signaling and CREB-mediated transcription maintain nascent corticospinal tract (CST)-relay neuron contacts. These activity-dependent signals act during a defined period of circuit remodeling and do not affect mature or uninjured circuits. Furthermore, chemogenetic modul

SUBMITTER: Bradley PM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6829605 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature