Synapses of Inhibitory Neurons in the Visual Cortex

描述（由申请人提供）：抑制性（GABA能）神经元构成 大约15- 30%的细胞在新皮层，并分为不同的 根据其形态学和组织化学分组。但 这种多样性的功能意义和抑制性的特征 特定类型GABA能神经元在局部回路中的相互作用 大脑新皮层的信息组织和处理能力 明白 我们已经开发了一些方法，使我们能够识别和研究 特定类型的抑制性神经元。使用这些方法，我们已经表明， 一类重要的抑制性神经元，即快速发放（FS）细胞， 特别是通过电突触广泛地相互连接。 此外，我们还发现，FS细胞网络可以产生同步， 并且可能对同时发生的活动敏感。在初步研究中， 已经在另一类细胞中发现了广泛的电突触， 在层1中称为后期尖峰（LS）细胞。综合起来，这些数据让我们 假设不同类型的神经元之间的特定突触连接 抑制性神经元形成GABA能网络， 新皮层 这项提案的长期目标是研究不同类别的 抑制性中间神经元按照其特定的突触 相互作用，并研究这些相互作用的功能影响， 视觉皮层对信息的处理。我们建议解决 以下三个具体目标： 1. FS细胞与LS形成的GABA能突触的生理特性 细胞 2. FS细胞和LS细胞之间的电突触特性。 3. FS细胞和LS细胞形成的网络的涌现性质。

DESCRIPTION (Provided by applicant): Inhibitory (GABAergic) neurons constitute about 15-30 percent of cells in the neocortex and are classified into distinct groups according to their morphology and histochemistry. However, the functional significance of this diversity and the characteristics of inhibitory interactions of specific types of GABAergic neurons in terms of local circuit organization and the processing of information in the neocortex are only poorly understood. We have developed methods allowing us to identify and study interactions of specific types of inhibitory neurons. Using these methods we have shown that a prominent class of inhibitory neurons, the fast-spiking (FS) cells, is specifically and extensively interconnected via electrical synapses. Furthermore, we have found that the FS cell network can produce synchronous spiking and can be sensitive to coincident activity. In preliminary studies we have found extensive electrical synapses among another class of cells located in layer 1 termed late-spiking (LS) cells. Together, these data lead us to hypothesize that specific synaptic connections of different classes of inhibitory neurons form GABAergic networks that coordinate activity in the neocortex. The long-term goals of this proposal are to study how different classes of inhibitory interneurons are organized in terms of their specific synaptic interactions and to study the functional implications of these interactions for the processing of information in the visual cortex. We propose to address the following three specific aims: 1. Physiological properties of GABAergic synapses made by FS cells and LS cells. 2. Properties of electrical synapses among FS cells and among LS cells. 3. Emergent properties of networks formed by FS cells and LS cells.