During critical periods of development, experience shapes cortical circuits, resulting in the acquisition of functions used throughout life. The classic example of critical-period plasticity is ocular dominance (OD) plasticity, which optimizes binocular vision but can reduce the responsiveness of the primary visual cortex (V1) to an eye providing low-grade visual input. The onset of the critical period of OD plasticity involves the maturation of inhibitory synapses within V1, specifically those containing the GABA_A receptor α1 subunit. Here we show that thalamic relay neurons in mouse dorsolateral geniculate nucleus (dLGN) also undergo OD plasticity. This process depends on thalamic α1-containing synapses and is required for consolidation of the OD shift in V1 during long-term deprivation. Our findings demonstrate that thalamic inhibitory circuits play a central role in the regulation of the critical period. This has far-reaching consequences for the interpretation of studies investigating the molecular and cellular mechanisms regulating critical periods of brain development.

中文翻译：

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丘脑抑制作用可调节视觉皮层和丘脑的临界期可塑性。

在发展的关键时期，体验会塑造皮质电路，从而获得终生使用的功能。临界期可塑性的经典示例是眼优势（OD）可塑性，它可以优化双目视觉，但会降低初级视觉皮层（V1）对提供低级视觉输入的眼睛的响应能力。OD可塑性关键期的开始涉及V1内抑制性突触的成熟，特别是含有GABA _A的抑制性突触的成熟。受体α1亚基。在这里，我们显示在小鼠背外侧膝状核（dLGN）中的丘脑中继神经元也经历了OD可塑性。此过程取决于含有丘脑α1的突触，并且在长期剥夺过程中巩固V1的OD位移是必需的。我们的发现表明，丘脑抑制回路在关键时期的调节中起着核心作用。这对于解释研究调节大脑发育关键时期的分子和细胞机制的研究产生了深远的影响。