a,b, VGluT2 immunolabeling of TC inputs in tangential sections of the control and deprived barrel cortex in P90 Cx3cr1+/+ (a) and Cx3cr1−/− (b) littermates. TC inputs remain in Cx3cr1−/− mice after sustained whisker removal (b, right panel). Scale bar, 150 μm. Representative images taken from 2 independent experiments/animals. c, Representative sEPSC traces from layer IV stellate neurons for the control and deprived barrel cortices of P42-P56 Cx3cr1+/+ and Cx3cr1−/− mice. d,e, Quantification of stellate neuron sEPSC frequency and amplitude in Cx3cr1+/+ (d; sEPSC Frequency: n = 17 control and 16 deprived cells from 3 Cx3cr1+/+ littermates, Two-tailed Student’s t-test, P = 0.0484, t =2.054, df =31; sEPSC Amplitude, Two-tailed Student’s t-test, P = 0.0105, t =2.723, df =31) and Cx3cr1−/− (e; sEPSC Frequency: n = 10 control and 13 deprived cells from 3 Cx3cr1−/− littermates, Two-tailed Student’s t-test, P = 0.1286, t =1.582, df =21; sEPSC Amplitude, Two-tailed Student’s t-test, P = 0.9432, t =0.07205, df =21) mice in the deprived (grey bars) compared to the contralateral control (black bars) barrel cortex. Cx3cr1−/− mice show no significant decrease in stellate neuron sEPSC frequency or amplitude. All data presented as mean ± SEM.