Figure 2.
FMRP expression is transiently upregulated in the visual cortex after visual experience. A, FMRP-positive cells from visual cortex of P44-P45 dark-reared rats exposed to light for 0, 15, or 30 min. Cells in both layers II/III and V/VI (A) show an increase in FMRP immunofluorescence after 15 min of light exposure. The increase in FMRP immunoreactivity is attenuated by 30 min of light exposure. FMRP immunoreactivity is not altered by visual experience in CA1 (data not shown). DAPI, 4′,6′-Diamidino-2-phenylindole. B, FMRP expression in visual cortex layers V/VI of dark-reared rats after 0, 15, or 30 min of light exposure. A total of 15 animals, across two litters, were used for immunohistochemical analysis (5 animals per condition). Two sections per animal were used to analyze FMRP expression in 300 neurons within layers II/III and V/VI. C, Quantification of the percentage of FMRP-positive cells with FMRP-positive dendrites in layers V/VI and II/III of the visual cortex from dark-reared rats exposed to light for 0, 15, or 30 min. The number of FMRP-positive cells with FMRP-positive dendrites in sagittal sections (10 μm) was counted as a percentage of the total number of FMRP-positive cells. Student's t tests; *p < 0.04; **p < 0.02; ***p < 0.001. Scale bars: A, B, 10 μm.