Figure 7: Knockdown of Cdk5 in the contralateral PL reverts the deactivation of PL excitatory neurons. | Nature Communications

Figure 7: Knockdown of Cdk5 in the contralateral PL reverts the deactivation of PL excitatory neurons.

From: Deactivation of excitatory neurons in the prelimbic cortex via Cdk5 promotes pain sensation and anxiety

Figure 7

(a) Expression of Cdk5 shRNA lentiviruses in the PL (Bregma 2.30 mm). (b) Cdk5 protein level after infection of lentiviruses that express Cdk5 shRNA (**P<0.05, paired t-test). (c) p-Cdk5 protein level after infection of lentiviruses that express Cdk5 shRNA (*P<0.05, paired t-test). (d) Number of spikes induced by injected currents in the contralateral PL excitatory neurons from the rats injected with lentiviruses that express non-silence shRNA or Cdk5 shRNA 1 day after CFA (n=22, 19 neurons, *P<0.05, **P<0.01, ***P<0.001, two-way ANOVA with Bonferroni post tests). (e) Examples of AP responses to positive current steps recorded from pyramidal neurons from the non-silence shRNA and Cdk5 shRNA rats 1 day after CFA. (f) The current required to drive APs at a frequency of 12.5 Hz was smaller in the Cdk5 shRNA rats (215.8±19.92 pA, n=19 neurons) compared with the non-silence shRNA rats (287.3±17.13 pA, n=22 neurons; **P<0.01, two-tailed t-test). (g) Phase plots of APs from the non-silence shRNA and Cdk5 shRNA rats 1 day after CFA evoked by brief current injections. Note the different initial point of the firing threshold. (h) Plot diagram summary of the AP thresholds from the non-silence shRNA rats (−25.09±1.590 mV, n=18 neurons) and Cdk5 shRNA rats (−30.49±1.692 mV, n=18 neurons, *P<0.05, two-tailed t-test) 1 day after CFA. (i) Representative sEPSC recording traces from the rats injected with lentiviruses that express non-silence shRNA or Cdk5 shRNA. Scale bars, 10 pA and 500 ms. (j, k) Cumulative probabilities (Frequency distribution, ***P<0.001; Amplitude distribution, **P<0.01; Kolmogorov–Smirnov two sample test) and average sEPSC frequencies and amplitudes from the non-silence shRNA group (frequency: 0.8224±0.7596 Hz, amplitude: 11.32±0.4476, pA, n=16 neurons) and the Cdk5 shRNA group (frequency: 0.7664±0.1192 Hz, amplitude: 12.16±0.6138, pA, n=16 neurons, two-tailed t-test). The data are presented as mean±s.e.m.

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