| First Author | Prönneke A | Year | 2020 |
| Journal | Cereb Cortex | Volume | 30 |
| Issue | 2 | Pages | 488-504 |
| PubMed ID | 31210267 | Mgi Jnum | J:286592 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:6402845 | Doi | 10.1093/cercor/bhz102 |
| Citation | Pronneke A, et al. (2020) Neuromodulation Leads to a Burst-Tonic Switch in a Subset of VIP Neurons in Mouse Primary Somatosensory (Barrel) Cortex. Cereb Cortex 30(2):488-504 |
| abstractText | Neocortical GABAergic interneurons expressing vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) contribute to sensory processing, sensorimotor integration, and behavioral control. In contrast to other major subpopulations of GABAergic interneurons, VIP neurons show a remarkable diversity. Studying morphological and electrophysiological properties of VIP cells, we found a peculiar group of neurons in layer II/III of mouse primary somatosensory (barrel) cortex, which showed a highly dynamic burst firing behavior at resting membrane potential that switched to tonic mode at depolarized membrane potentials. Furthermore, we demonstrate that burst firing depends on T-type calcium channels. The burst-tonic switch could be induced by acetylcholine (ACh) and serotonin. ACh mediated a depolarization via nicotinic receptors whereas serotonin evoked a biphasic depolarization via ionotropic and metabotropic receptors in 48% of the population and a purely monophasic depolarization via metabotropic receptors in the remaining cells. These data disclose an electrophysiologically defined subpopulation of VIP neurons that via neuromodulator-induced changes in firing behavior is likely to regulate the state of cortical circuits in a profound manner. |
