In a collaboration with the Gu lab, Jun Ding and Won-Jong Oh demonstrate that Plexin-D1 is expressed by direct pathway medium spiny neurons and limits their post-natal innervation by thalamic axons (PDF). In contrast, Hyungabe Kwon found that glutamate stimulation is sufficient to quickly (<20 seconds!) generate new synapses and dendritic spines in cortical layer 2/3 pyramidal neurons (PDF).
January 24th, 2012