Developmental and visual input-dependent regulation of the CB1 cannabinoid receptor in the mouse visual cortex

PLoS One. 2013;8(1):e53082. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0053082. Epub 2013 Jan 8.

Abstract

The mammalian visual system exhibits significant experience-induced plasticity in the early postnatal period. While physiological studies have revealed the contribution of the CB1 cannabinoid receptor (CB1) to developmental plasticity in the primary visual cortex (V1), it remains unknown whether the expression and localization of CB1 is regulated during development or by visual experience. To explore a possible role of the endocannabinoid system in visual cortical plasticity, we examined the expression of CB1 in the visual cortex of mice. We found intense CB1 immunoreactivity in layers II/III and VI. CB1 mainly localized at vesicular GABA transporter-positive inhibitory nerve terminals. The amount of CB1 protein increased throughout development, and the specific laminar pattern of CB1 appeared at P20 and remained until adulthood. Dark rearing from birth to P30 decreased the amount of CB1 protein in V1 and altered the synaptic localization of CB1 in the deep layer. Dark rearing until P50, however, did not influence the expression of CB1. Brief monocular deprivation for 2 days upregulated the localization of CB1 at inhibitory nerve terminals in the deep layer. Taken together, the expression and the localization of CB1 are developmentally regulated, and both parameters are influenced by visual experience.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Electrical Synapses / ultrastructure
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
  • Light
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Neurons / metabolism
  • Neurons / ultrastructure
  • Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1 / analysis*
  • Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1 / genetics
  • Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1 / metabolism*
  • Sensory Deprivation
  • Vision, Monocular
  • Visual Cortex / growth & development*
  • Visual Cortex / metabolism

Substances

  • Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1

Grants and funding

This work was supported by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas - Mesoscopic Neurocircuitry - from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan (22115010 to YH) and a Grant-in-Aid for JSPS Research Fellows (10J06736 to TY). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.