Molecular states underlying neuronal cell type development and plasticity in the postnatal whisker cortex
Fig 6
Brief row whisker deprivation (1d RWD) upregulates activity-dependent gene expression programs in deprived columns.
(A) Schematic representation of the 1d row-whisker deprivation (RWD) manipulation and ‘across-row’ S1 section in which all barrel columns are identifiable. A representative image of DAPI labeling in ‘across-row’ S1 section. (B) Dotplots of genes upregulated by 1d RWD in glutamatergic subclasses (panels). Within each panel, rows indicate condition and columns indicate genes. The size of each circle corresponds to the % of cells with nonzero expression, and the color indicates average expression level (S1 Data). (C) Representative wide-field images of wS1. Barrels and barrel fields are indicated with light gray rectangles and labeled. Boxes indicate the locations of ROIs used for analysis in G. (D) Npas4 intensity inside Slc17a7+ L2/3 excitatory cells is increased after 1d RWD. Violin plots show median (dashed line) and quartiles (dotted lines) across individual cells. Mann–Whitney test, p < 0.0001 ****, n = 1,852, 1,699 cells, respectively, from 5 mice per group (S1 Data). (E) Junb intensity inside Slc17a7+ L2/3 cells is increased after 1d RWD. Mann–Whitney test, p < 0.0001 ****, n = 1,864, 1,703 cells, respectively, from 5 mice per group (S1 Data). (F) Btg2 intensity inside Slc17a7+ L2/3 cells is increased after 1d RWD. Mann–Whitney test, p < 0.0001 ****, n = 1,836, 1,706 cells respectively, from 5 mice per group (S1 Data). (G) L2/3 C and D columns were compared to examine whether gene expression changes are specific to the deprived (D) column. Pseudo-colored outlines of Npas4, Junb, and Btg2 expressing cells. Each plot is an overlay of 5 images of L2/3 S1 from 3 mice. Only Slc17a7+ cells are shown. (H) Quantification of column-specific gene expression changes in 1d RWD. Plotted values are the difference between the fraction of Npas4/Junb/Btg2 expressing cells among all excitatory (Slc17a7+) cells in the L2/3 D column and the corresponding fraction in the L2/3 C column. Symbols represent individual sham or 1d RWD mice. For each condition, mean and SEM (error bars) are shown. Two-way RM-ANOVA, Whisker Experience: F(1,8) = 11.41, **p = 0.0097 with Šidák correction for multiple comparisons, Npas4: **p = 0.002. JunB: n.s., p = 0.20. Btg2: *p = 0.014 (S1 Data).