Abstract
Diffuse and structured extracellular matrix (ECM) comprise ∼20% of the brain’s volume and play important roles in development and adult plasticity. Perineuronal nets (PNNs), specialized ECM structures that surround certain types of neurons in the brain, emerge during the postnatal period, making their development and maintenance potentially sensitive to experience. Recent studies have shown that stress affects diffuse ECM as well as PNNs, and that such effects are dependent on life stage and brain region. Given that the ECM participates in synaptic plasticity, the generation of neuronal oscillations, and synchronous firing across brain regions, all of which have been linked to cognition and emotional regulation, ECM components may be candidate therapeutic targets for stress-induced neuropsychiatric disease. This review considers the influence of stress over diffuse and structured ECM during postnatal life with a focus on functional outcomes and the potential for translational relevance.
Highlights
In recent decades, it has been recognized that a comprehensive view of brain function requires considering the entirety of the brain’s microenvironment, including neurons, non-neuronal cells, the vasculature, and the extracellular matrix (ECM)
A growing literature suggests that the ECM is important for a wide range of processes that are critical components of experience-dependent change in brain function, including synaptic plasticity (De Luca et al, 2020), neuronal oscillations (Carceller et al, 2020; Wingert and Sorg, 2021), and network connectivity (Bucher et al, 2021; Christensen et al, 2021)
Since plasticity at the synapse, neuronal synchrony within a brain region, and coherence across brain regions are critical for healthy brain function, understanding ECM involvement in these processes may elucidate its role in brain pathology
Summary
Diffuse and structured extracellular matrix (ECM) comprise ∼20% of the brain’s volume and play important roles in development and adult plasticity. Perineuronal nets (PNNs), specialized ECM structures that surround certain types of neurons in the brain, emerge during the postnatal period, making their development and maintenance potentially sensitive to experience. Recent studies have shown that stress affects diffuse ECM as well as PNNs, and that such effects are dependent on life stage and brain region. Given that the ECM participates in synaptic plasticity, the generation of neuronal oscillations, and synchronous firing across brain regions, all of which have been linked to cognition and emotional regulation, ECM components may be candidate therapeutic targets for stress-induced neuropsychiatric disease. This review considers the influence of stress over diffuse and structured ECM during postnatal life with a focus on functional outcomes and the potential for translational relevance
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