Muscarinic regulation of dendritic and axonal outputs of rat thalamic interneurons: A new cellular mechanism for uncoupling distal dendrites

Zhu, J. J., Heggelund, P. (February 2001) Muscarinic regulation of dendritic and axonal outputs of rat thalamic interneurons: A new cellular mechanism for uncoupling distal dendrites. Journal of Neuroscience, 21 (4). pp. 1148-1159. ISSN 0270-6474

Preview

PDF (Paper)
Zhu J Neuroscience 2001.pdf - Published Version
Download (297kB) | Preview

URL: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11160385

Abstract

Inhibition is crucial for sharpening the sensory information relayed through the thalamus. To understand how the interneuron-mediated inhibition in the thalamus is regulated, we studied the muscarinic effects on interneurons in the lateral posterior nucleus and lateral geniculate nucleus of the thalamus. Here, we report that activation of muscarinic receptors switched the firing pattern in thalamic interneurons from bursting to tonic. Although neuromodulators switch the firing mode in several other types of neurons by altering their membrane potential, we found that activation of muscarinic subtype 2 receptors switched the fire mode in thalamic interneurons by selectively decreasing their input resistance. This is attributable to the muscarinic enhancement of a hyperpolarizing potassium conductance and two depolarizing cation conductances. The decrease in input resistance appeared to electrotonically uncouple the distal dendrites of thalamic interneurons, which effectively changed the inhibition pattern in thalamocortical cells. These results suggest a novel cellular mechanism for the cholinergic transformation of long-range, slow dendrite- and axon-originated inhibition into short-range, fast dendrite-originated inhibition in the thalamus observed in vivo. It is concluded that the electrotonic properties of the dendritic compartments of thalamic interneurons can be dynamically regulated by muscarinic activity.

Item Type:	Paper
Uncontrolled Keywords:	rat thalamus interneurons inhibition cholinergic receptors cortex LATERAL GENICULATE-NUCLEUS INHIBITORY POSTSYNAPTIC POTENTIALS BRAIN-STEM MODULATION RECEPTOR-MEDIATED RESPONSES POSTERIOR-PULVINAR COMPLEX RELAY CELLS NEOCORTICAL SYNAPSES FIELD PROPERTIES SLICE CULTURES SINGLE CELLS
Subjects:	organs, tissues, organelles, cell types and functions > tissues types and functions > axon organs, tissues, organelles, cell types and functions > cell types and functions > cell types > dendritic cells > dendritic arbors organs, tissues, organelles, cell types and functions > cell types and functions > cell types > dendritic cells > dendritic arbors organs, tissues, organelles, cell types and functions > cell types and functions > cell types > dendritic cells > dendritic arbors organs, tissues, organelles, cell types and functions > cell types and functions > cell types > interneurons organs, tissues, organelles, cell types and functions > cell types and functions > cell types > interneurons organs, tissues, organelles, cell types and functions > cell types and functions > cell types > interneurons
CSHL Authors:	Zhu, J. Julius
Communities:	CSHL labs > Malinow lab
Depositing User:	Matt Covey
Date:	February 2001
Date Deposited:	15 Jan 2014 21:19
Last Modified:	15 Jan 2014 21:19
Related URLs:	Publisher
URI:	https://repository.cshl.edu/id/eprint/29336

Actions (login required)

Administrator's edit/view item