Adult neurogenesis and the plasticity of the dentate gyrus network

LUCAS MONGIAT; ALEJANDRO F. SCHINDER

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE

WILEY-BLACKWELL PUBLISHING, INC

Año: 2011 vol. 33 p. 1055 - 1061

0953-816X

The granule cell layer (GCL) of the dentate gyrus contains neurons generated during embryonic, early postnatal and adult life. During adulthood there is a continuous production of neuronal cohorts that develop and functionally integrate in the preexisting circuits. This morphogenic process generates a stratified GCL, with the outermost layers containing dentate granule cells (DGCs) generated during perinatal life, and the innermost layers containing adult-born DGCs. In this review we analyse the functional profile of the different neuronal populations of the GCL, with an emphasis on adult-born neurons as they develop, mature and integrate in the dentate gyrus network. We focus on the contribution of adult-born neurons to activity-dependent synaptic modification in the dentate gyrus and, in turn, discuss how network activity modulates integration and survival of new neurons.