Social isolation suppresses actin dynamics and synaptic plasticity through ADF/cofilin inactivation in the developing rat barrel cortex

• Main Authors: Hirobumi Tada, Tomoyuki Miyazaki, Kiwamu Takemoto, Susumu Jitsuki, Waki Nakajima, Mayu Koide, Naoko Yamamoto, Akiko Taguchi, Honami Kawai, Kasane Komiya, Kumiko Suyama, Hiroki Abe, Akane Sano, Takuya Takahashi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Nature Publishing Group 2017-08-01
• Series: Scientific Reports
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-08849-3

Abstract Exposure to a stressful environment early in life can cause psychiatric disorders by disrupting circuit formation. Actin plays central roles in regulating neuronal structure and protein trafficking. We have recently reported that neonatal isolation inactivated ADF/cofilin, the actin depolymerizing factor, resulted in a reduced actin dynamics at spines and an attenuation of synaptic α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acid (AMPA) receptor delivery in the juvenile rat medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), leading to altered social behaviours. Here, we investigated the impact of neonatal social isolation in the developing rat barrel cortex. Similar to the mPFC study, we detected an increase in stable actin fraction in spines and this resulted in a decreased synaptic AMPA receptor delivery. Thus, we conclude that early life social isolation affects multiple cortical areas with common molecular changes.