MIR-132/212 DELETION PREVENTS EFFECTS OF BINOCULAR VISUAL EXPERIENCE IN MOUSE VISUAL CORTEX

MicroRNA-132/212 (miR-132/212) is an experience and cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) dependent MicroRNA (miRNA) that acts in the central nervous system and in peripheral tissue regulating important biological processes, such as circadian clock, spine maturation and neural inflammation. Recently miR- 132/212 has been involved in Ocular Dominance (OD) plasticity during the critical period in mouse visual cortex. We have studied OD plasticity and binocular matching in MicroRNA-132/212 Knockout (miR-132/212 KO) mice, where the genomic locus of miR-132/212 is completely deleted. To examine the role of miR-132/212 in visual cortical function, we analyzed Local Field Potentials (LFP) responses to pattern Visual Evoked Potential (VEP) and measured single units activity to drifting sine gratings, in Wild Type (WT) and miR-132/212 KO mice. We found that the preferred orientations of individual cortical cells are mismatched through the two eyes at a significant higher level in animals that lack of miR-132/212 and monocularly deprived mice, respect to aged-matched WT subjects. Furthermore, as seen before, three days of Monocular Deprivation (MD) were not sufficient to induce OD shift during the critical period in miR-132/212 KO mice, assessed using pattern VEP responses. These results suggest a possible role of miR-132/212 in trigger adaptive rewiring of neuronal circuits following visually driven patterned activity.