NE33CH02-Kanold ARI 14 May 2010 15:44 The Subplate and Early Cortical Circuits Patrick O. Kanold1 and Heiko J. Luhmann2 1Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742; email:
[email protected] 2Institute of Physiology and Pathophysiology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, D-55128 Mainz, Germany; email:
[email protected] Annu. Rev. Neurosci. 2010. 33:23–48 Key Words First published online as a Review in Advance on cerebral cortex, development, plasticity, cortical column, neuronal March 4, 2010 network, connectivity, cell death, neuropeptides, MAP2, The Annual Review of Neuroscience is online at neurotransmitters neuro.annualreviews.org This article’s doi: Abstract 10.1146/annurev-neuro-060909-153244 The developing mammalian cerebral cortex contains a distinct class of Copyright c 2010 by Annual Reviews. cells, subplate neurons (SPns), that play an important role during early All rights reserved development. SPns are the first neurons to be generated in the cerebral 0147-006X/10/0721-0023$20.00 cortex, they reside in the cortical white matter, and they are the first to mature physiologically. SPns receive thalamic and neuromodulatory Annu. Rev. Neurosci. 2010.33:23-48. Downloaded from www.annualreviews.org by Universitat Zurich- Hauptbibliothek Irchel on 12/03/11. For personal use only. inputs and project into the developing cortical plate, mostly to layer 4. Thus SPns form one of the first functional cortical circuits and are required to relay early oscillatory activity into the developing cortical plate. Pathophysiological impairment or removal of SPns profoundly affects functional cortical development. SPn removal in visual cortex prevents the maturation of thalamocortical synapses, the maturation of inhibition in layer 4, the development of orientation selective responses and the formation of ocular dominance columns.