Shared rhythmic subcortical GABAergic input to the entorhinal cortex and presubiculum
Tim James Viney1, Minas Salib1, Abhilasha Joshi1
1Department of Pharmacology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.
Elife
|April 6, 2018
Summary
Researchers discovered novel subcortical neurons, termed orchid cells, that regulate brain rhythms essential for memory and navigation. These cells modulate neural synchrony, impacting cognitive functions like spatial memory.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cellular Biology
- Systems Neuroscience
Background:
- Theta oscillations (5-12 Hz) coordinate neuronal activity across the cortex.
- The hippocampal and entorhinal cortices are crucial for spatial navigation and episodic memory.
- Cellular mechanisms linking these regions remain unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify the cellular mechanisms underlying dynamic coupling between the hippocampus and entorhinal cortex.
- To investigate subcortical inputs modulating entorhinal cortex activity.
Main Methods:
- Monosynaptically-restricted retrograde viral tracing in mice.
- Extracellular recording and labeling of GABAergic neurons in awake, behaving mice.
Main Results:
- Identified a subcortical GABAergic input from the medial septum to the entorhinal cortex and dorsal presubiculum.
- Discovered 'orchid cells' that fire rhythmic bursts and synchronize with theta and gamma oscillations.
- Orchid cells target specific GABAergic interneurons in extra-hippocampal circuits.
Conclusions:
- Orchid cells represent a specialized subcortical pathway for rhythmic GABAergic modulation.
- This pathway influences cortico-cortical circuits involved in mnemonic functions.
- Findings elucidate cellular mechanisms for coordinating brain rhythms in memory and navigation.
Keywords:
GABAergic neuronsentorhinal cortexgamma oscillationsinhibitionmedial septummouseneurosciencetheta oscillationsMore Related Videos
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