Study reveals clues to brain d...( Many studies have shown that sensory de...)

Many studies have shown that sensory deprivation, such as a lack of visual stimulation soon after birth, can lead to developmental abnormalities in the brain. This is why parents are counseled to take their newborns on frequent outings to new environments, and why strollers, cribs, and bassinets are outfitted with objects sharply patterned in black and white or contrasting primary colors. Far fewer studies have investigated precisely how visual stimulation drives the formation of new neuronal structures in the brain.

Now, researchers at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory have demonstrated that visual stimulation causes particular neurons in the brains of tadpoles to sprout new branches, and that such branching requires increased activity of some proteins (for instance, receptors for the neurotransmitter, glutamate) plus decreased activities of other proteins. The study--published this week in Nature (October 3)--provides one of the first comprehensive views of how visual stimulation guides the development of normal brain architecture.

The study focused on a region of the tadpole brain called the optic tectum, which corresponds to a structure called the superior colliculus in the brains of humans. This part of the brain coordinates visually guided movements, such as playing sports or eating a meal.

To determine how visual stimulation shapes brain architecture, the researchers engineered individual cells of the optic tectum to express a naturally fluorescent protein called Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP). GFP floats freely throughout cells, into every nook and cranny. By using time-lapse fluorescence microscopy, the scientists could observe changes in the complex three-dimensional branching patterns of optic tectal neurons, and could automatically measure such changes with the aid of a custom computer program written by one of the members of their team.

In one experiment, tadpoles were placed i
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Contact: Peter Sherwood
sherwood@cshl.edu
516-367-6947
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
2-Oct-2002

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