Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA.
Annu Rev Neurosci. 2010;33:23-48. doi: 10.1146/annurev-neuro-060909-153244.
The developing mammalian cerebral cortex contains a distinct class of cells, subplate neurons (SPns), that play an important role during early development. SPns are the first neurons to be generated in the cerebral cortex, they reside in the cortical white matter, and they are the first to mature physiologically. SPns receive thalamic and neuromodulatory 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. SPn removal also alters ocular dominance plasticity during the critical period. Therefore, SPns are a key regulator of cortical development and plasticity. SPns are vulnerable to injury during prenatal stages and might provide a crucial link between brain injury in development and later cognitive malfunction.
哺乳动物发育中的大脑皮层包含一类特殊的细胞，即基板神经元（subplate neurons，SPns），它们在早期发育中发挥着重要作用。SPns 是大脑皮层中最早产生的神经元，它们位于皮质白质中，并且在生理上是最早成熟的。SPns 接收丘脑和神经调质的输入，并投射到发育中的皮质板，主要投射到第 4 层。因此，SPns 形成了最早的功能性皮质回路之一，它们被要求将早期的振荡活动传递到发育中的皮质板。SPn 的病理生理损伤或缺失会严重影响功能皮质的发育。视觉皮层中 SPn 的去除会阻止丘脑皮质突触的成熟、第 4 层抑制的成熟、方位选择性反应的发展和眼优势柱的形成。SPn 的去除也会改变关键期的眼优势可塑性。因此，SPns 是皮质发育和可塑性的关键调节者。SPns 在产前阶段容易受到损伤，并且可能在发育中的脑损伤与后期认知功能障碍之间提供了一个关键联系。
