Inhibitory maturation and ocular dominance plasticity in mouse visual cortex require astrocyte CB1 receptors
Rogier Min,
Yi Qin,
Sven Kerst,
M. Hadi Saiepour,
Mariska van Lier,
Christiaan N. Levelt
Affiliations
Rogier Min
Department of Molecular Visual Plasticity, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, an Institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Child Neurology, Amsterdam Leukodystrophy Center, Emma Children’s Hospital, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Corresponding author
Yi Qin
Department of Molecular Visual Plasticity, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, an Institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Sven Kerst
Department of Molecular Visual Plasticity, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, an Institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Child Neurology, Amsterdam Leukodystrophy Center, Emma Children’s Hospital, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
M. Hadi Saiepour
Department of Molecular Visual Plasticity, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, an Institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Mariska van Lier
Department of Molecular Visual Plasticity, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, an Institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Christiaan N. Levelt
Department of Molecular Visual Plasticity, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, an Institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Corresponding author
Summary: Endocannabinoids, signaling through the cannabinoid CB1 receptor (CB1R), regulate several forms of neuronal plasticity. CB1Rs in the developing primary visual cortex (V1) play a key role in the maturation of inhibitory circuits. Although CB1Rs were originally thought to reside mainly on presynaptic axon terminals, several studies have highlighted an unexpected role for astrocytic CB1Rs in endocannabinoid mediated plasticity. Here, we investigate the impact of cell-type-specific removal of CB1Rs from interneurons or astrocytes on development of inhibitory synapses and network plasticity in mouse V1. We show that removing CB1Rs from astrocytes interferes with maturation of inhibitory synaptic transmission. In addition, it strongly reduces ocular dominance (OD) plasticity during the critical period. In contrast, removing interneuron CB1Rs leaves these processes intact. Our results reveal an unexpected role of astrocytic CB1Rs in critical period plasticity in V1 and highlight the involvement of glial cells in plasticity and synaptic maturation of sensory circuits.
