Abstract
Animals exposed to an enriched environment display features of neural plasticity such as an increased brain volume, enhanced number of dendritic spines, as well as enlarged synapses. Here we report the first description of molecular plasticity in the mammalian retina, as revealed by gene expression. A marked upregulation of both NGFI-A and Arc, two candidate-plasticity genes, was observed in adult rats that had been exposed to an enriched environment for 3 weeks. This increase was paralleled by an increase in the expression of the late genes GAP-43 and Synapsin I, which also indicated changes in retinal connectivity. Our results suggest that both NGFI-A and Arc may regulate mechanisms of plasticity that had been invoked by heightened complexity of the visual environment.
Publication types
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Comparative Study
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
MeSH terms
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Animals
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Cell Count
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Cytoskeletal Proteins / biosynthesis
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Cytoskeletal Proteins / genetics
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DNA-Binding Proteins / biosynthesis
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DNA-Binding Proteins / genetics
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Early Growth Response Protein 1
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Environment
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Exploratory Behavior
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Eye Proteins / biosynthesis
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Eye Proteins / genetics*
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GAP-43 Protein / biosynthesis
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GAP-43 Protein / genetics
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Gene Expression Regulation*
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Genes, Immediate-Early
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Handling, Psychological
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Housing, Animal
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Immediate-Early Proteins / biosynthesis
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Male
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Nerve Tissue Proteins / biosynthesis
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Nerve Tissue Proteins / genetics
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Neuronal Plasticity / genetics*
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Rats
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Rats, Sprague-Dawley
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Retina / cytology
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Retina / metabolism*
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Synapsins / biosynthesis
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Synapsins / genetics
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Transcription Factors / biosynthesis
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Transcription Factors / genetics
Substances
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Cytoskeletal Proteins
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DNA-Binding Proteins
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Early Growth Response Protein 1
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Egr1 protein, rat
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Eye Proteins
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GAP-43 Protein
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Immediate-Early Proteins
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Nerve Tissue Proteins
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Synapsins
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Transcription Factors
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activity regulated cytoskeletal-associated protein