Laminarly orthogonal excitation of fast-spiking and low-threshold-spiking interneurons in mouse motor cortex

Alfonso J. Apicella, Ian R. Wickersham, Hyunjune Sebastian Seung, Gordon M.G. Shepherd

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

67 Scopus citations

Abstract

In motor cortex, long-range output to subcortical motor circuits depends on excitatory and inhibitory inputs converging on projection neurons inlayers 5A/B. How interneurons interconnect with these projection neurons, and whether these microcircuits are interneuron and/or projection specific, is unclear. We found that fast-spiking interneurons received strong intralaminar (horizontal) excitation from pyramidal neurons in layers 5A/B including corticostriatal and corticospinal neurons, implicating them in mediating disynaptic recurrent, feedforward, and feedback inhibition within and across the two projection classes. Low-threshold-spiking (LTS) interneurons were instead strongly excited by descending interlaminar (vertical) input from layer 2/3 pyramidal neurons, implicating them in mediating disynaptic feedforward inhibition to both projection classes. Furthermore, in a novel pattern, lower layer 2/3 preferentially excited interneurons in one layer (5A/LTS) and excitatory neurons in another (5B/corticospinal). Thus, these inhibitory microcircuits in mouse motor cortex follow an orderly arrangement that is laminarly orthogonalized by interneuron-specific, projection-nonspecific connectivity.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)7021-7033
Number of pages13
JournalJournal of Neuroscience
Volume32
Issue number20
DOIs
StatePublished - May 16 2012

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • General Neuroscience

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Laminarly orthogonal excitation of fast-spiking and low-threshold-spiking interneurons in mouse motor cortex'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this