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Development of visual response selectivity in cortical GABAergic interneurons.
Jeremy T Chang1, David Fitzpatrick2
1Department of Functional Architecture and Development of Cerebral Cortex, Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience, Jupiter, FL, USA. jeremy.chang@mpfi.org.
Nature Communications
|July 1, 2022
Summary
Before visual experience, inhibitory interneurons show weak tuning. One week of visual input rapidly matures their modular organization and orientation tuning, unlike excitatory networks.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Neuroscience
- Visual System Research
Background:
- The visual cortex exhibits modular network organization in carnivores and primates.
- Excitatory networks develop modularity before sensory experience.
- The developmental trajectory of inhibitory interneuron networks is less understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the developmental timeline of modular network organization in GABAergic interneurons within the visual cortex.
- To determine the role of visual experience in the maturation of interneuron function and network activity.
Main Methods:
- In vivo calcium imaging was employed to monitor neural activity in the ferret visual cortex.
- Neural activity and orientation tuning of interneurons were assessed before and after visual experience.
Main Results:
- Before visual experience, interneurons exhibited weak orientation tuning and widespread, correlated activity.
- Following one week of visual experience, robust modular organization and orientation tuning emerged.
- Visual experience is necessary for orientation tuning maturation but not for reducing widespread network activity.
Conclusions:
- Inhibitory cortical networks mature through a delayed, parallel process compared to excitatory neurons.
- Visual experience significantly shapes the functional development of inhibitory interneurons.
- The visual cortex demonstrates experience-dependent maturation of inhibitory circuitry.
