Functional and molecular profiling of cellular diversity and identity of the intermediate nucleus of the lateral lemniscus – a largely unexplored auditory center.

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The three auditory nuclei in the lateral lemniscus are thought to be important filters for central sound processing. The function and cellular features of the two inhibitory, the dorsal and the ventral nucleus, have been described und partially elucidated. However, the function and the cellular features of the glutamatergic neurons in the intermediate nucleus of the lateral lemniscus (INLL) are largely unexplored. Contrary to most other auditory nuclei, our preliminary data indicates a large range of integration time windows in INLL neurons and a cellular heterogeneity. To gain insights into the cellular features underlying sound processing in the INLL, we plan to investigate the cellular physiology of INLL neurons and compare these to the molecular cell heterogeneity. Combining whole-cell recordings and Patch-seq based single cell transcriptome analysis, we seek to identify candidate transcripts defining specific sub-populations and elucidate the integration properties of distinct INLL neurons. This proposal, therefore, generates the cellular understanding for illuminating the functional significance of the INLL. This proposal is submitted in the format of a ‘package proposal’, together with a proposal by Eckhard Friauf. In our final work package, we will combine the datasets on INLL neurons with Friaufs’s on the lateral superior olive for joint assessment within a meta-analysis.