Cited by 276Single-cell and spatial transcriptomicsNeuroscience and Neuropharmacology ResearchMemory and Neural Mechanisms

Classes and continua of hippocampal CA1 inhibitory neurons revealed by single-cell transcriptomics

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Harris, Kenneth D., Hochgerner, Hannah, Skene, Nathan G., Magno, Lorenza, Katona, Linda, Bengtsson Gonzales, Carolina, Somogyi, Peter, Kessaris, Nicoletta +2 more·2018·PLoS Biology

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Abstract

Understanding any brain circuit will require a categorization of its constituent neurons. In hippocampal area CA1, at least 23 classes of GABAergic neuron have been proposed to date. However, this list may be incomplete; additionally, it is unclear whether discrete classes are sufficient to describe the diversity of cortical inhibitory neurons or whether continuous modes of variability are also required. We studied the transcriptomes of 3,663 CA1 inhibitory cells, revealing 10 major GABAergic groups that divided into 49 fine-scale clusters. All previously described and several novel cell classes were identified, with three previously described classes unexpectedly found to be identical. A division into discrete classes, however, was not sufficient to describe the diversity of these cells, as continuous variation also occurred between and within classes. Latent factor analysis revealed that a single continuous variable could predict the expression levels of several genes, which correlated similarly with it across multiple cell types. Analysis of the genes correlating with this variable suggested it reflects a range from metabolically highly active faster-spiking cells that proximally target pyramidal cells to slower-spiking cells targeting distal dendrites or interneurons. These results elucidate the complexity of inhibitory neurons in one of the simplest cortical structures and show that characterizing these cells requires continuous modes of variation as well as discrete cell classes.

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  • Up to 50 distinct transcriptional signatures can be distinguished among inhibitory neurons in the cerebral cortex, though the final number may change with sequencing depth and analytical methods.

    “Current estimates suggest that up to 50 different types of GABAergic neurons may populate the cerebral cortex”

    From Development and Functional Diversification of Cortical Interneurons (2018) · cites this paper as Harris et al., 2018

  • Continuous gene expression variation within discrete interneuron types suggests that some cellular heterogeneity may be relatively common for some interneuron types.

    “More generally, the identification of continuous gene expression variation within discrete types of cortical interneurons (Harris et al., 2018; Tasic et al., 2017) suggests that a certain degree of cellular heterogeneity might be relatively common for some interneuron types.”

    From Development and Functional Diversification of Cortical Interneurons (2018) · cites this paper as Harris et al., 2018

  • Although all deep NGCs belong to the Lamp5 subclass, some are derived from the CGE and some from the MGE, as in the hippocampus.

    “Our results suggest that although all deep NGCs belong to the Lamp5 subclass, some are derived from the CGE and some from the MGE, as in the hippocampus25–27.”
  • Recent transcriptomic and anatomical studies have argued that neurons in hippocampus, striatum, and cerebellum can be better described as forming partially continuous manifolds.

    “Consistent with our interpretation, recent transcriptomic and anatomical studies have argued that neurons in hippocampus, striatum, and cerebellum can be better described as forming partially continuous manifolds27,37–39.”
  • Continuous variation has frequently been observed even in transcriptomic data from isolated cells.

    “Even in transcriptomic data from isolated cells, continuous variations were frequently observed (Stanley et al., 2020; Harris et al., 2018; Tasic et al., 2018).”

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Authors
Harris, K. D., Hochgerner, H., Skene, N. G., Magno, L., Katona, L., Bengtsson Gonzales, C., Somogyi, P., Kessaris, N., Linnarsson, S., & Hjerling-Leffler, J.
Affiliations
  • National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery (GB)
  • Karolinska Institutet (SE)
  • University College London (GB)
  • University of Oxford (GB)
Corresponding author
Harris, Kenneth D.
Venue
PLoS Biology
Published
2018-06-18
Volume
16
Issue
6
Pages
e2006387
ISSN
  • 1544-9173 (ISSN-L)
  • 1545-7885
OpenAlex
W2951619011
Cited by
276
References
92
Citations by year
2026: 16 · 2025: 26 · 2024: 30 · 2023: 31 · 2022: 21 · 2021: 61 · 2020: 44 · 2019: 36 · 2018: 9 · 2017: 1
FWCI
13.34
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • PLoS Biology (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) (acceptedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
  • UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
  • Figshare (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • Spiral (Imperial College London) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
Funders
  • Wellcome Trust (108726, 108726/Z/15/Z)
  • European Commission (322304)
  • Knut och Alice Wallenbergs Stiftelse
  • Vetenskapsrådet (2014-03863, 2018-)
  • Medical Research Council (MC_UU_12024, MC_UU_12024/4, MR/R011567/1)
  • Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BB/N009061/1)
  • FP7 Ideas: European Research Council (261063)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Single-cell and spatial transcriptomics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory and Neural Mechanisms
Keywords
hippocampal CA1, GABAergic interneurons, single-cell transcriptomics, latent factor analysis, dendritic targeting, interneurons, gene expression clusters
MeSH terms
Action Potentials, Algorithms, Animals, Dendrites, Interneurons, Mice, Transgenic, Models, Neurological, Synaptic Transmission, Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide, Sequence Analysis, RNA, Pyramidal Cells, Chemokines, CXC, Mice, Receptor-Interacting Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases, Receptor-Interacting Protein Serine-Threonine Kinase 2, CA1 Region, Hippocampal, Single-Cell Analysis, GABAergic Neurons, Transcriptome

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