Molecules of map plasticity in the somatosensory cortex
Sensory maps are representations of the sensory epithelia in the brain. Despite the intuitive explanatory power behind sensory maps as being neuronal precursors to sensory perception, and sensory cortical plasticity as a neural correlate of perceptual learning, molecular mechanisms that regulate map plasticity are not well understood. Here we perform a meta-analysis of transcriptional and translational changes during altered whisker use to nominate the major molecular correlates of experience-dependent map plasticity in the barrel cortex. We argue that brain plasticity is a systems level response, involving all cell classes, from neuron and glia to non-neuronal cells including endothelia. Using molecular pathway analysis, we further propose a gene regulatory network that could couple activity dependent changes in neurons to adaptive changes in neurovasculature, and finally we show that transcriptional regulations observed in major brain disorders target genes that are modulated by altered sensory experience. Thus understanding the molecular mechanisms of experience-dependent plasticity of sensory maps might help to unravel the cellular events that shape brain plasticity in health and disease.\n\nHighlightsO_LIExperience alters gene transcription in all major cell types of the brain\nC_LIO_LIGene expression profile during brain plasticity is cell-type specific\nC_LIO_LITemporal profile of gene expression is dynamic, regulated by recent experience\nC_LIO_LINeural activity-dependent gene regulation might cause neurovascular reorganization\nC_LIO_LIGenes that are regulated by experience are commonly dysregulated in brain disorders\nC_LI