Early development of SI cortical barrel subfield representation of forelimb in normal and deafferented neonatal rat as delineated by peroxidase conjugated lectin, peanut agglutinin (PNA).

Development of the barrel field representation of the forelimb in the primary somatosensory cortex (SI) was studied in normal and deafferented neonatal rat pups by means of the peroxidase conjugated lectin peanut agglutinin (PNA), which most likely binds to radial glial cells within barrel boundaries. 1. Alterations in lectin binding were seen in animals sacrificed on postnatal day 8 (PND-8) if deafferentation took place on PND-1 (day of birth) through PND-6. 2. Deafferentation on PND-5 or on PND-6 had the least effect on lectin binding. In these animals, lectin binding was reduced, although the prospective representation was intact. 3. Deafferentation on PND-2, 3, and 4 had the greatest effect on lectin binding. In these animals, lectin binding was reduced and the prospective cortical representation was disrupted. 4. Deafferentation on PND-1 resulted in reduced lectin binding, however the prospective cortical representation was only slightly impaired compared to that in animals deafferented on PND-2, 3, and 4. 5. These results suggest that SI barrel field boundaries are important to plasticity and that a sensitive period for predevelopment of the forelimb barrels consists of postnatal days 1 through 6. Furthermore, the formation of normal SI barrel field boundaries requires an ongoing interaction between incoming afferents and radial glial cells.