Cited by 507Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology ResearchNeural dynamics and brain functionMemory and Neural Mechanisms

Dense, Unspecific Connectivity of Neocortical Parvalbumin-Positive Interneurons: A Canonical Microcircuit for Inhibition?

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Packer, Adam M., Yuste, Rafael·2011·The Journal of Neuroscience

Abstract

GABAergic interneurons play a major role in the function of the mammalian neocortex, but their circuit connectivity is still poorly understood. We used two-photon RuBi-Glutamate uncaging to optically map how the largest population of cortical interneurons, the parvalbumin-positive cells (PV+), are connected to pyramidal cells (PCs) in mouse neocortex. We found locally dense connectivity from PV+ interneurons onto PCs across cortical areas and layers. In many experiments, all nearby PV+ cells were connected to every local PC sampled. In agreement with this, we found no evidence for connection specificity, as PV+ interneurons contacted PC pairs similarly regardless of whether they were synaptically connected or not. We conclude that the microcircuit architecture for PV+ interneurons, and probably neocortical inhibition in general, is an unspecific, densely homogenous matrix covering all nearby pyramidal cells.

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Crossref · 10.1523/jneurosci.3131-11.2011

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  • Individual PV-INs contact nearly every local pyramidal neuron, which allows them to synchronize networks.

    “Individual PV-INs contact nearly every local pyramidal neuron which enables them to synchronize networks [74].”

    From Parvalbumin interneuron vulnerability and brain disorders (2021) · cites this paper as [74]

  • PV-INs connect to many principal neurons.

    “In addition, PV-INs connect to many principal neurons [74,75,87,88].”

    From Parvalbumin interneuron vulnerability and brain disorders (2021) · cites this paper as [74]

  • Some interneuron subtypes, such as PVBCs and NGFCs, demonstrate very high rates of connectivity to PCs, with connection probabilities in paired recordings in the range of ~50-90%.

    “Some subtypes, such as PVBCs and NGFCs, demonstrate very high rates of connectivity to PCs: connection probabilities in paired recordings are in the range of ~50–90% (204, 331, 876, 880).”

    From Hippocampal GABAergic Inhibitory Interneurons (2017) · cites this paper as [876]

  • Certain forms of inhibition are promiscuous and less selective in downstream targeting than initially thought.

    “However, recent evidence suggests that certain forms of inhibition are promiscuous and less selective in downstream targeting than initially thought (331, 552, 876, 918).”

    From Hippocampal GABAergic Inhibitory Interneurons (2017) · cites this paper as [876]

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Research works printed but not linked: 1

  1. Mountcastle VB (1982) in Mindful brain, An organization principle for cerebral function: the unit module and the distributed system, ed Schmitt FO (MIT, Cambridge, MA), pp 1–50.

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Authors
Packer, A. M., & Yuste, R.
Affiliations
Howard Hughes Medical Institute (US)
Venue
The Journal of Neuroscience
Published
2011-09-14
Volume
31
Issue
37
Pages
13260-13271
ISSN
  • 0270-6474 (ISSN-L)
  • 1529-2401
OpenAlex
W2014350866
Cited by
506
References
45
Citations by year
2026: 15 · 2025: 29 · 2024: 53 · 2023: 31 · 2022: 36 · 2021: 43 · 2020: 40 · 2019: 34 · 2018: 30 · 2017: 35 · 2016: 35 · 2015: 35 · 2014: 26 · 2013: 42 · 2012: 16
FWCI
11.82
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Journal of Neuroscience (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-sa)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
Funders
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural dynamics and brain function
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory and Neural Mechanisms
Keywords
parvalbumin interneurons, GABAergic interneurons, neocortex, pyramidal neurons, cortical connectivity, inhibitory microcircuits, dense connections, glutamate uncaging, two-photon calcium imaging, mouse cortex
MeSH terms
Animals, Brain Mapping, Female, Interneurons, Male, Mice, Transgenic, Neural Inhibition, Neural Pathways, Parvalbumins, Pyramidal Cells, Patch-Clamp Techniques, Microscopy, Confocal, Neocortex, Mice, In Vitro Techniques

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