A novel developmental critical period of orexinergic signaling in the primary visual thalamus
Anna M. Sanetra,
Jagoda S. Jeczmien-Lazur,
Kamil Pradel,
Jasmin D. Klich,
Katarzyna Palus-Chramiec,
Marcelina E. Janik,
Sylwia Bajkacz,
Gabriela Izowit,
Christian Nathan,
Hugh D. Piggins,
Alessio Delogu,
Mino D.C. Belle,
Marian H. Lewandowski,
Lukasz Chrobok
Affiliations
Anna M. Sanetra
Department of Neurophysiology and Chronobiology, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Krakow, Poland
Jagoda S. Jeczmien-Lazur
Department of Neurophysiology and Chronobiology, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Krakow, Poland
Kamil Pradel
Department of Neurophysiology and Chronobiology, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Krakow, Poland; Institute for Systems Physiology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
Jasmin D. Klich
Department of Neurophysiology and Chronobiology, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Krakow, Poland; Max-Delbrueck-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
Katarzyna Palus-Chramiec
Department of Neurophysiology and Chronobiology, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Krakow, Poland
Marcelina E. Janik
Department of Glycoconjugate Biochemistry, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Krakow, Poland
Sylwia Bajkacz
Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry and Electrochemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Silesian University of Technology, Gliwice, Poland; The Biotechnology Centre, Silesian University of Technology, Gliwice, Poland
Gabriela Izowit
Department of Neurophysiology and Chronobiology, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Krakow, Poland
Christian Nathan
Division of Neuroscience, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK; University of Exeter Medical School, Hatherly Labs, Streatham Campus, Prince of Wales Road, Exeter, Devon, UK
Hugh D. Piggins
School of Physiology, Pharmacology, and Neuroscience, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
Alessio Delogu
Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
Mino D.C. Belle
Division of Neuroscience, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK; University of Exeter Medical School, Hatherly Labs, Streatham Campus, Prince of Wales Road, Exeter, Devon, UK; Corresponding author
Marian H. Lewandowski
Department of Neurophysiology and Chronobiology, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Krakow, Poland; Corresponding author
Lukasz Chrobok
Department of Neurophysiology and Chronobiology, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Krakow, Poland; School of Physiology, Pharmacology, and Neuroscience, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK; Corresponding author
Summary: The orexinergic system of the lateral hypothalamus plays crucial roles in arousal, feeding behavior, and reward modulation. Most research has focused on adult rodents, overlooking orexins’ potential role in the nervous system development. This study, using electrophysiological and molecular tools, highlights importance of orexinergic signaling in the postnatal development of the rodent dorsolateral geniculate nucleus (DLG), a primary visual thalamic center. Orexin activation of DLG thalamocortical neurons occurs in a brief seven-day window around eye-opening, concurrent to transient OX2 receptor expression. Blocking OX2 receptors during this period reduces sensitivity of DLG neurons to green and blue light and lowers spontaneous firing rates in adulthood. This research reveals critical and temporally confined role of orexin signaling in postnatal brain development, emphasizing its contribution to experience-dependent refinement in the DLG and its long-term impact on visual function.
