Light deprivation produces distinct morphological orchestrations on RGCs and cortical cells in a depressive-like YFP-H mouse model

Abstract Neural physiological functions and synaptic changes underlying the pathogenesis of depression have obtained great achievements. However, neuronal morphological changes under a depressive state have not been well understood yet. Here a depressive-like YFP-H transgenic mouse model was produced by light deprivation (LD), and morphological changes of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and primary visual and auditory cortical layer 5 pyramidal cells (L5PCs) were investigated. Three distinct RGC subtypes were identified based on soma- and dendritic field (DF) size. RG A cells were highlighted by large soma and medium-sized to large DF. RG B cells were characterized by small- to medium-sized soma and small- to medium-sized DF. RG C cells were typical of small- to medium-sized soma and large DF. LD showed cell-type-specific morphological orchestrations on RGCs and predominantly promoted the dendritic growth of RG A cells, leaving no significant effect on RG B and RG C cells. LD produced a consistently suppressed effect on the morphology of primary visual and auditory cortical L5PCs. LD enhanced the dendritic spine density of primary visual cortical L5PCs, implying a compensation mechanism underlying morphological changes in individual cortical L5PCs. The increased morphological complexity of RG A cells and the simplified morphology of cortical L5PCs suggest a broad range of neuronal morphological “cross-modal plasticity” among different brain areas. Our observations in morphological changes of RGCs and cortical L5PCs under a depressive-like state will provide some insights into the pathogenesis of depression at a single neuronal morphological level.