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- Title
GAP-43 in the cat visual cortex during postnatal development.
- Authors
McIntosh, Helen; Daw, Nigel; Parkinson, David
- Abstract
GAP-43 levels have been determined by immunoassay in cat visual cortex during postnatal development to test the idea that GAP-43 expression could be related to the duration of the critical period for plasticity. For comparison, GAP-43 levels have also been assayed in primary motor cortex, primary somatosensory cortex, and cerebellum at each age. GAP-43 levels were high in all regions at 5 d (with concentrations ranging from 7−10 ng;/μg protein) and then declined 60−80% by 60 d of age. After 60 d of age, GAP-43 concentrations in each region continued a slow decline to adult values, which ranged from 0.5−2 ng/μg protein. To test for the involvement of GAP-43 in ocular dominance plasticity during the critical period, the effect of visual deprivation on GAP-43 levels was investigated. Monocular deprivation for 2−7 d, ending at either 27 or 35 d of age, had no effect on total membrane levels of GAP-43. The concentrations of membrane-associated GAP-43 prior to 40 d of age correlate with events that occur during postnatal development of the cat visual cortex. However, the slow decline in membrane-associated GAP-43 levels after 40 d of age may be an index of relative plasticity remaining after the peak of the critical period.
- Publication
Visual Neuroscience, 1990, Vol 4, Issue 6, p585
- ISSN
0952-5238
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1017/S0952523800005782