A Critical Period for Experience-Dependent Remodeling of Adult-Born Neuron Connectivity

• An enriched environment (EE) alters adult-born neuron presynaptic connectivity
• EE-induced input remodeling is restricted to a critical period
• Inputs from interneurons are differentially affected by EE and running
• Cortical innervation remains stable following return to impoverished housing

SummaryNeurogenesis in the dentate gyrus (DG) of the adult hippocampus is a process regulated by experience. To understand whether experience also modifies the connectivity of new neurons, we systematically investigated changes in their innervation following environmental enrichment (EE). We found that EE exposure between 2–6 weeks following neuron birth, rather than merely increasing the number of new neurons, profoundly affected their pattern of monosynaptic inputs. Both local innervation by interneurons and to even greater degree long-distance innervation by cortical neurons were markedly enhanced. Furthermore, following EE, new neurons received inputs from CA3 and CA1 inhibitory neurons that were rarely observed under control conditions. While EE-induced changes in inhibitory innervation were largely transient, cortical innervation remained increased after returning animals to control conditions. Our findings demonstrate an unprecedented experience-dependent reorganization of connections impinging onto adult-born neurons, which is likely to have important impact on their contribution to hippocampal information processing.