Figure 5. Bilateral inputs to the barrel cortex in Robo3^R3-5-cKO mice.

(A) Tangential sections through the barrel cortex from P10 mice stained for anti-Vglut2. Barrels are more numerous and smaller in mutants. (B) Tangential sections through Flat-mounted cortices at the level of the barrel cortex in whisker-deprived adult mice immunostained for Vglut2 and c-Fos. In controls, c-Fos+ cell density is high in the barrel cortex contralateral to the intact whiskers and low on the ipsilateral side. In Robo3^R3-5-cKO mutants, c-Fos expression is induced bilaterally in complementary domains on either side of the cortex, ipsilateral and contralateral to the stimulated side. (C) Interpretation of the results from (B). (D) Tangential sections through Flat-mounted cortices at the level of the barrel cortex, in whisker-deprived adult mice immunostained for Vglut2 and c-Fos. The left side of the face was fully shaved, while only the first arc (left panels) or b row (right panels) was spared on the right side. Only the contralateral sides are shown for controls. Mutants show bilateral patterns of c-Fos (E) Schematic representation of the whisker map deduced from c-Fos activation patterns. (F) General model for the wiring of the Robo3^R3-5-cKO mutant mice. Scale bars are 200 µm.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.23494.011

Figure 5—figure supplement 1. Comparison of the organization of the layer 4 of the Barrel Cortex across several adult mutant and controls.

Tangential sections through cortical layer 4 in adult flat-mounted cortices of control and Robo3^R3-5-cKO mutant mice stained for Vglut2. Both left and right sides are shown. In mutant animals, the organization of the barrels is similar, but variations in the shape of the inner maps are seen from animal to animal, and also between left and right sides. Scale bars are 500 µm.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.23494.012

Figure 5—figure supplement 2. Quantification of the surface of the barrels from sections in adult controls and mutants.

Quantification of the surface of major barrels from tangential sections through cortical layer 4 in P30 control and Robo3^R3-5-cKO mutant mice.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.23494.013

Figure 5—figure supplement 3. Quantification of the cross-section surface of individual barrels in cortical layer 4.

(A) Tangential sections through cortical layer 4 in P10 flat-mounted cortices of control and Robo3^R3-5-cKO mutant mice stained for cytochrome oxidase (Cyt.ox.). The black dashed outline shows the presence of two domains in the mutant map, delimited by a cytochrome oxidase-free band. (B) Coronal sections through adult brains at the level of the barrel cortex in whisker-deprived mice immunostained for c-Fos and Hoechst. Barrels in layer 4 are indicated. In controls, c-Fos+ cell density is high in the barrel cortex contralateral to the intact whiskers and low on the ipsilateral side. In Robo3^R3-5-cKO mutants, c-Fos expression is induced bilaterally in complementary domains on either side of the cortex, ipsilateral and contralateral to the stimulated side. Of note, the bilateral activation of c-Fos in mutants is visible across all cortical layers. Scale bars are 200 µm.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.23494.014