Cell-Type Specific Properties of Pyramidal Neurons in Neocortex Underlying a Layout that Is Modifiable Depending on the Cortical Area

• Published in: Cerebral cortex (New York, N.Y. 1991) Vol. 20; no. 4; pp. 826 - 836
• Main Authors: Groh, Alexander, Meyer, Hanno S., Schmidt, Eric F., Heintz, Nathaniel, Sakmann, Bert, Krieger, Patrik
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Oxford University Press 01.04.2010
• Subjects: Analysis of Variance; Animals; BAC transgenic; Biophysical Phenomena - physiology; Cell Count - methods; Cholera Toxin - metabolism; connectivity; dendrite morphology; Dendrites - physiology; Electric Stimulation - methods; Excitatory Postsynaptic Potentials - genetics; Galactosyltransferases - genetics; Galactosyltransferases - metabolism; Glutamate Decarboxylase - metabolism; Green Fluorescent Proteins - genetics; In Vitro Techniques; Medicin och hälsovetenskap; Membrane Potentials - physiology; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mice, Transgenic; neocortex; Neocortex - cytology; Neural Pathways - physiology; Patch-Clamp Techniques - methods; Phosphopyruvate Hydratase - metabolism; Proto-Oncogene Protein c-ets-1 - metabolism; pyramidal cell; Pyramidal Cells - cytology; Pyramidal Cells - physiology; Somatosensory Cortex - cytology; Somatosensory Cortex - physiology; Thalamus - cytology; Thalamus - physiology
• ISSN: 1047-3211; 1460-2199; 1460-2199
• DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhp152

To understand sensory representation in cortex, it is crucial to identify its constituent cellular components based on cell-type–specific criteria. With the identification of cell types, an important question can be addressed: to what degree does the cellular properties of neurons depend on cortical location? We tested this question using pyramidal neurons in layer 5 (L5) because of their role in providing major cortical output to subcortical targets. Recently developed transgenic mice with cell-type–specific enhanced green fluorescent protein labeling of neuronal subtypes allow reliable identification of 2 cortical cell types in L5 throughout the entire neocortex. A comprehensive investigation of anatomical and functional properties of these 2 cell types in visual and somatosensory cortex demonstrates that, with important exceptions, most properties appear to be cell-type–specific rather than dependent on cortical area. This result suggests that although cortical output neurons share a basic layout throughout the sensory cortex, fine differences in properties are tuned to the cortical area in which neurons reside.