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Cited by 117Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology ResearchVisual perception and processing mechanismsNeural dynamics and brain function

Connectivity of GABAergic Calretinin-immunoreactive Neurons in Rat Primary Visual Cortex

Gonchar, Y.·1999·Cerebral Cortex
DOI 10.1093/cercor/9.7.683
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Abstract

In rat visual cortex neurons that are immunoreactive for the calcium-binding protein calretinin (CR+) constitute a distinct family which accounts for 17% of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-expressing cells. It is not clear, however, (i) whether CR is expressed exclusively in GABAergic neurons and (ii) how CR+ neurons are incorporated into neuronal circuits of rat visual cortex. To address these questions we studied synaptic relationships of CR+ neurons with GABA+ and GABA- elements in the neuropil of rat primary visual cortex (area 17). All CR+ neurons are nonpyramidal cells with smooth or sparsely spiny and often beaded dendrites. Of all CR+ neurons, 56% are located in layers 1 and 2/3. In layer 2/3, most CR+ neurons are bipolar-shaped and have vertically oriented dendrites. Many ascending dendritic branches reach layer 1 where they run parallel to pial surface. CR+ axons are thin, highly branched near the cell body and often send descending collaterals to layers 5 and 6. Double immunofluorescence labeling revealed GABA in 94% of CR+ cell bodies in layer 2/3. Electron microscopic analysis shows that all CR+ axon terminals contain elongated vesicles and form symmetric synapses. Postembedding staining shows that 98% of CR+ terminals are GABA+. GABA-immunoreactivity is also present in somata and thick dendrites of CR+ neurons but many thin dendrites are GABA-. CR+ somata, dendrites and axon terminals are enriched in mitochondria. Somata and thick CR+ dendrites are densely innervated. At least 68% of the targets of CR+ terminals in layer 2/3 are GABA+ and > or = 50% of these are other CR+ neurons. The remainder (32%) of targets of CR+ terminals are thin dendrites of GABA- cells. In contrast, in layers 5 and 6, 60% of CR+ terminals form synapses with GABA- somatic profiles. The preferential interactions of layer 2/3 CR+ neurons with GABAergic neurons, and with CR+ neurons in particular, suggests that these cells play a role in the inhibition of inhibitory neurons of the same layer. Through these interactions CR+ cells may reduce inhibition of pyramidal cells in layers 2/3, 5 and 6 and thus disinhibit a column of neurons.

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  • Initially, such ISIs were anatomically identified and characterized through immunostaining for CR or VIP with correlated light microscopy and ultrastructural analyses revealing that the major postsynaptic elements targeted by CR and VIP terminals were dendrites and somas of dendrite targeting GABAergic cells.

    “Initially, such interneuron selective interneurons (ISIs) were anatomically identified and characterized through immunostaining for CR or VIP with correlated light microscopy and ultrastructural analyses revealing that the major postsynaptic elements targeted by CR and VIP terminals were dendrites and somas of dendrite targeting GABAergic cells (5, 6, 425, 439, 449, 1046).”

    From Hippocampal GABAergic Inhibitory Interneurons (2017) · cites this paper as [425]

  • This disinhibitory motif is also common to the neocortex where a majority of vertically oriented bipolar VIP and CR coexpressing interneurons reside in layer2/3 and emit axons that preferentially innervate dendrite targeting SST expressing interneurons within the same column.

    “This disinhibitory motif is also common to the neocortex where a majority of vertically oriented bipolar VIP and CR coexpressing interneurons reside in layer2/3 and emit axons that preferentially innervate dendrite targeting SST expressing interneurons within the same column (168, 363, 425, 475, 553, 652, 906, 928, 1046, 1134, 1270).”

    From Hippocampal GABAergic Inhibitory Interneurons (2017) · cites this paper as [425]

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Authors
Gonchar, Y.
Affiliations
Washington University in St. Louis (US)
Corresponding author
Gonchar, Y.
Venue
Cerebral Cortex
Publisher
Oxford University Press (OUP)
Published
1999-10-01
Volume
9
Issue
7
Pages
683-696
ISSN
  • 1047-3211 (ISSN-L)
  • 1460-2199
DOI
10.1093/cercor/9.7.683
OpenAlex
W2001394661
Cited by
117
References
70
Citations by year
2026: 1 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 3 · 2020: 4 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 7 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 3 · 2014: 6 · 2013: 5 · 2012: 4
FWCI
1.21
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Cerebral Cortex (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • National Eye Institute (EY05935, R01EY005935)
  • National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (R01NS030676, NS30676)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Visual perception and processing mechanisms
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural dynamics and brain function
Keywords
calretinin, GABAergic neurons, primary visual cortex, cortical connectivity, inhibitory interneurons, layer 2/3, axon terminals, GABA immunoreactivity, disinhibition, pyramidal neurons, rat visual cortex, calcium-binding proteins, electron microscopy of synapses
MeSH terms
Animals, Dendrites, Fluorescent Antibody Technique, gamma-Aminobutyric Acid, Microscopy, Electron, Neurons, Visual Cortex, Visual Pathways, Presynaptic Terminals, Rats, S100 Calcium Binding Protein G, Calbindin 2

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