Neonatal social isolation increases the proportion of the immature spines in the layer 2/3 pyramidal neurons of the somatosensory cortex

In this study, we evaluated the possibility that environmental factors may induce alternation in spine characteristics and dynamics. We isolated mice from the mother and siblings from postnatal day 7 to 11 for 6 hours per day. Both dynamics and structural properties of spines in the layer 2/3 pyramidal neurons of the somatosensory cortex were measured at postnatal 3 weeks by in vivo two-photon microscopy. We found decrease in the ratio of PSD-95-positive dendritic spines in the mice after social isolation. These mice did not show alteration in spine dynamics. Those results suggest that the neonatal social isolation results in less mature spines, with normal rate of their turnover, which is distinct from spine phenotype seen in multiple models of autism spectrum disorders.
Source: Neuroscience Research - Category: Neuroscience Source Type: research