Topic: GABAergic inhibitory interneurons

The processing of sensory information by the neocortex is at the heart of conscious perception and is known to involve a dynamic interaction between synaptically connected GABAergic inhibitory interneurons (INs) and excitatory principal neurons (PNs). One hypothesis is that sensory feature encoding in PNs is supported by different IN types performing specific functional roles. Here we address this hypothesis in the mouse thermal cortex. The thermal system is a fundamental pathway required for accurate object identification, pain perception and body temperature regulation and one that is highly

Brain activity depends on GABAergic inhibitory interneurons. Dlx5 and Dlx6 are two closely related homeobox genes, expressed by the telencephalic ganglionic eminences. In the adult brain, Dlx5/6 are expressed in most cortical GABAergic interneurons.In the prefrontal cortex, Parvalbumin-positive neurons (PV-neurons) are involved in cognitive functions, and their maturation is critical for cognitive development. Using mouse lines in which Dlx5/6 are either invalidated or overexpressed in GABAergic neurons, we have recently shown that the adult density of PV-neurons is directly correlated to Dlx5

Mutations in the sodium channel NaV1.1, encoded by SCN1A, are associated with a range of epileptic disorders in which febrile seizures with varying rates of severity are involved, such as Dravet syndrome (DS), generalised epilepsy with febrile seizures plus (GEFS+) and familial febrile seizures (FS). It is thought that NaV1.1 deficiency leads to a reduction in firing of GABAergic inhibitory interneurons which causes an imbalance between excitation and inhibition, resulting in a hyperactive network. Alternatively, a hyperactive network can also result from an increase in excitatory signalling,

The vast amount of gut microbiota demonstrates the ability to modulate brain function. Unlike the brain, the gut microbiota is highly accessible to direct interventions such as prebiotics, probiotics and antibiotics, and can be manipulated by lifestyle choices including diet. The dendrites of neurons are the main input compartment, and proper dendritic growth and arborization are critical for the proper functioning of the central nervous system. Most studies of dendritic growth have shown that the dendritic growth process is extremely dynamic. Although there is some evidence that the gut micro

The hippocampus plays a pivotal role in the formation of episodic memories, facilitating spatial navigation and detection of novel stimuli. Within this structure, the dentate gyrus (DG) is crucial for discriminating novel from familiar content. Despite GABAergic inhibitory interneurons (INs) being increasingly recognized to participate to the hippocampal computation by controlling the activity of principal cells, the specific mechanisms by which they contribute to the encoding of episodic memories remain elusive. This study explores how interneurons (INs) representations of spatial context are

Optimal mammalian brain function relies on well-organized neuronal networks. GABAergic inhibitory interneurons precisely target subcellular regions to modulate synaptic inhibition and influence the timing of different neural networks. However, the molecular mechanisms guiding the assembly and stability of inhibitory synapses remain largely undefined. In this study, we explored an extracellular signalling pathway that uphold synaptic inhibition at a central inhibitory synapse. Using the cerebellar basket cell to Purkinje cell connection as a model, we discovered an unconventional paracrine path