Physiological research
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Physiological research · Nov 2017
The absence of brain-specific link protein Bral2 in perineuronal nets hampers auditory temporal resolution and neural adaptation in mice.
Brain-specific link protein Bral2 represents a substantial component of perineuronal nets (PNNs) enwrapping neurons in the central nervous system. To elucidate the role of Bral2 in auditory signal processing, the hearing function in knockout Bral2(-/-) (KO) mice was investigated using behavioral and electrophysiological methods and compared with wild type Bral2(+/+) (WT) mice. The amplitudes of the acoustic startle reflex (ASR) and the efficiency of the prepulse inhibition of ASR (PPI of ASR), produced by prepulse noise stimulus or gap in continuous noise, was similar in 2-week-old WT and KO mice. ⋯ However, amplitudes and peak latencies of individual waves of click-evoked ABR did not differ significantly between WT and KO mice. Temporal resolution and neural adaptation were significantly better in 2-month-old WT mice than in age-matched KO mice. These results support a hypothesis that the absence of perineuronal net formation at the end of the developmental period in the KO mice results in higher hearing threshold at high frequencies and weaker temporal resolution ability in adult KO animals compared to WT mice.