Cited by 387Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology ResearchNeural dynamics and brain functionConnexins and lens biology

Electrical and chemical synapses among parvalbumin fast-spiking GABAergic interneurons in adult mouse neocortex

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Galarreta, Mario, Hestrin, Shaul·2002·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Abstract

Networks of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic interneurons connected via electrical and chemical synapses are thought to play an important role in detecting and promoting synchronous activity in the cerebral cortex. Although the properties of electrical and chemical synaptic interactions among inhibitory interneurons are critical for their function as a network, they have only been studied systematically in juvenile animals. Here, we have used transgenic mice expressing the enhanced green fluorescent protein in cells containing parvalbumin (PV) to study the synaptic connectivity among fast-spiking (FS) cells in slices from adult animals (2–7 months old). We have recorded from pairs of PV-FS cells and found that the majority of them were electrically coupled (61%, 14 of 23 pairs). In addition, 78% of the pairs were connected via GABAergic chemical synapses, often reciprocally. The average coupling coefficient for step injections was 1.5% ( n = 14), a smaller value than that reported in juvenile animals. GABA-mediated inhibitory postsynaptic currents and potentials decayed with exponential time constants of 2.6 and 5.9 ms, respectively, and exhibited paired-pulse depression (50-ms interval). The inhibitory synaptic responses in the adult were faster than those observed in young animals. Our results indicate that PV-FS cells are highly interconnected in the adult cerebral cortex by both electrical and chemical synapses, establishing networks that can have important implications for coordinating activity in cortical circuits.

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Crossref · 10.1073/pnas.192159599

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  • Cortical PV-INs are highly interconnected through electrical and chemical synapses.

    “PV-INs in the cortex are highly interconnected via electrical and chemical synapses [69].”

    From Parvalbumin interneuron vulnerability and brain disorders (2021) · cites this paper as [69]

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Authors
Galarreta, M., & Hestrin, S.
Affiliations
Stanford Medicine (US)
Corresponding author
Galarreta, Mario
Venue
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Published
2002-09-04
Volume
99
Issue
19
Pages
12438-12443
ISSN
  • 0027-8424 (ISSN-L)
  • 1091-6490
OpenAlex
W1992424371
Cited by
387
References
56
Citations by year
2026: 5 · 2025: 8 · 2024: 26 · 2023: 9 · 2022: 15 · 2021: 11 · 2020: 11 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 13 · 2017: 17 · 2016: 22 · 2015: 14 · 2014: 20 · 2013: 26 · 2012: 22
FWCI
5.00
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institutes of Health
  • National Eye Institute (R01EY012114, EY12114)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural dynamics and brain function
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Connexins and lens biology
Keywords
parvalbumin interneurons, fast-spiking interneurons, electrical synapses, chemical synapses, GABAergic inhibition, neocortex, synaptic connectivity, coupling coefficient, inhibitory postsynaptic potentials, paired-pulse depression, adult mice, cortical circuits
MeSH terms
Action Potentials, Animals, Electrochemistry, gamma-Aminobutyric Acid, Interneurons, Luminescent Proteins, Mice, Inbred C57BL, Mice, Inbred ICR, Mice, Transgenic, Parvalbumins, Promoter Regions, Genetic, Recombinant Proteins, Synapses, Neocortex, Green Fluorescent Proteins, Mice, In Vitro Techniques

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