Diverse subtypes of fast-spiking inhibitory neurons in neocortex

Sugden, Arthur U.

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Year:: 2015
Contributor:: Sugden, Arthur U (creator); Connors, Barry (Director); Cruikshank, Scott (Director); Barnea, Gilad (Reader); Berson, David (Reader); Jaworski, Alexander (Reader); Harwell, Corey (Reader); Brown University. BIOMED: Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry (sponsor)
Genre:: theses
Subject:: inhibitory; gamma; parvalbumin; fast-spiking
Extent:: xx, 132 p.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.7301/Z0QC01WF

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Abstract:: Inhibitory interneurons are essential for normal cortical function. They prevent seizures, regulate temporal and spatial coding, and generate oscillations and synchrony in pyramidal cells. The largest subtype of inhibitory interneurons is fast-spiking (FS) cells, which mediate feedforward inhibition and have been implicated in the generation of gamma oscillations, the oscillations that may bind a percept together as it passes through groups of neurons. FS cells are canonically marked by the calcium-binding protein parvalbumin (PV), whose levels have been linked to synaptic plasticity. Like-types of adult neocortical inhibitory neurons are linked by gap junctions with a probability of greater than 50\% within 50 microns. FS cells are linked by gap junctions, and these gap junctions have long been thought to add to the generation of gamma oscillations. In this dissertation I have asked two questions. First, ventral postrhinal cortex, a subset of the parahippocampal region, lacks canonical PV-expressing FS cells. Within this area, it has been possible to ask how is inhibition altered in a neocortical region lacking canonical FS cells? Second, using a two-pronged approach of in vitro electrophysiology and a computational model, I have asked what roles do gap junctions play in neocortical gamma oscillations? In examining these problems, I have found three results. First, the commonly-stated overlap between parvalbumin (PV) and FS cells does not apply in ventral postrhinal cortex. The majority of FS cells in this region are PV-negative, and these cells extend into neighboring cortex with canonical FS cells. Second, the absence of canonical FS cells from vPOR and the corresponding decrease in inhibitory cell density does not decrease total inhibition onto excitatory cells, due to decreased inhibition onto inhibitory cells in vPOR. Third, gamma oscillations do not require gap junctions in neocortex, unless compensation in RS cells for the lack of gap junctions in inhibitory cells is masking the effect.
Notes:: Thesis (Ph.D. -- Brown University (2015)

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Sugden, Arthur U., "Diverse subtypes of fast-spiking inhibitory neurons in neocortex" (2015). Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry Theses and Dissertations. Brown Digital Repository. Brown University Library. https://doi.org/10.7301/Z0QC01WF

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Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry Theses and Dissertations

Theses and Dissertations for the Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry department.
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