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Cholinergic input to mouse visual cortex signals a movement state and acutely enhances layer 5 responsiveness
Baba Yogesh1,2, Georg B Keller1,2
1Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland.
Elife
|July 26, 2024
Summary
Basal forebrain cholinergic axons signal locomotion state in the visual cortex. Acetylcholine enhances layer 5 neuron responses to external inputs, aiding locomotion-driven representational switching.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Computational Neuroscience
- Systems Neuroscience
Background:
- Cholinergic projections from the basal forebrain to the visual cortex are crucial for modulating neural activity.
- The precise signals and computational roles of these cholinergic projections remain largely undetermined.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the functional role of basal forebrain cholinergic axons in the mouse visual cortex during locomotion.
- To elucidate the impact of acetylcholine on visual processing and neuronal activity modulation.
Main Methods:
- Two-photon calcium imaging in behaving mice to monitor neuronal activity.
- Optogenetic and chemogenetic manipulations to control cholinergic activity.
- Analysis of neuronal responses to visual stimuli and locomotion states.
Main Results:
- Basal forebrain cholinergic axons in the visual cortex signal a binary locomotion state.
- Cholinergic activation potentiated layer 5 neuron responses to top-down and bottom-up inputs, decreasing latency.
- Acetylcholine mediated locomotion-associated decorrelation of neuronal activity in layers 2/3 and 5.
Conclusions:
- Acetylcholine acts as a locomotion state signal within the visual cortex.
- Enhanced responsiveness of layer 5 neurons to external inputs by acetylcholine may facilitate rapid switching of internal representations during locomotion.
