Requirement of keratan sulfate proteoglycan phosphacan with a specific sulfation pattern for critical period plasticity in the visual cortex.

Requirement of keratan sulfate proteoglycan phosphacan with a specific sulfation pattern for critical period plasticity in the visual cortex. Exp Neurol. 2015 Aug 12; Authors: Takeda-Uchimura Y, Uchimura K, Sugimura T, Yanagawa Y, Kawasaki T, Komatsu Y, Kadomatsu K Abstract Proteoglycans play important roles in regulating the development and functions of the brain. They consist of a core protein and glycosaminoglycans, which are long sugar chains of repeating disaccharide units with sulfation. A recent study demonstrated that the sulfation pattern of chondroitin sulfate on proteoglycans contributes to regulation of the critical period of experience-dependent plasticity in the mouse visual cortex. In the present study, we investigated the role of keratan sulfate (KS), another glycosaminoglycan, in critical period plasticity in the mouse visual cortex. Immunohistochemical analyses demonstrated the presence of KS containing disaccharide units of N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc)-6-sulfate and nonsulfated galactose during the critical period, although KS containing disaccharide units of GlcNAc-6-sulfate and galactose-6-sulfate was already known to disappear before that period. The KS chains were distributed diffusely in the extracellular space and densely around the soma of a large population of excitatory and inhibitory neurons. Electron microscopic analysis revealed that the KS was localized within the perisynaptic spaces and dendrites but ...
Source: Experimental Neurology - Category: Neurology Authors: Tags: Exp Neurol Source Type: research