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Double In Utero Electroporation to Target Temporally and Spatially Separated Cell Populations

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Layer 6b Is Driven by Intracortical Long-Range Projection Neurons.

Timothy A Zolnik¹, Julia Ledderose², Maria Toumazou¹

¹Institute for Biology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.

|March 12, 2020

Summary

Layer 6b (L6b) integrates long-range cortical information, not traditional thalamocortical inputs. This deep neocortical layer receives strong excitatory input from other cortical areas and inhibition from specific interneurons.

Keywords:

cortex layer 6 layer 6b long-range thalamus

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Published on: January 10, 2015

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Cortical Circuitry
Brain State Modulation

Background:

Layer 6b (L6b) is the deepest neocortical layer with unique projections and responsiveness to orexin/hypocretin.
L6b's role in brain state modulation is suggested, but its inputs and influences are largely unknown.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the projections and inputs to Layer 6b (L6b) in the mouse primary somatosensory cortex.
To elucidate the circuit mechanisms governing L6b function and its integration within cortical networks.

Main Methods:

Utilized rabies-based retrograde tracing for identifying input neurons to L6b.
Employed channelrhodopsin-assisted circuit mapping in brain slices for functional circuit analysis.

Main Results:

L6b receives its most significant excitatory input from long-range intracortical projection neurons, including contralateral sources.
Thalamocortical input to L6b is notably weaker compared to other cortical layers.
Parvalbumin (PV) and somatostatin (SST) interneurons provide the strongest inhibitory input to L6b.

Conclusions:

Layer 6b (L6b) primarily integrates long-range intracortical information.
L6b is distinct from the canonical thalamocortical loop, suggesting a unique role in cortical processing.
Findings redefine the understanding of L6b's contribution to brain state regulation.