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Interneurons hyperpolarize pyramidal cells along their entire somatodendritic axis

Abstract

Although GABAergic interneurons are the main source of synaptic inhibition in the cortex, activation of GABAA receptors has been shown to depolarize specific neuronal compartments, resulting in excitation. By using a noninvasive approach to monitor the effect of individual interneurons on the pyramidal cell population, we found that rat hippocampal interneurons hyperpolarized pyramidal cells irrespective of the location of their synapses along the somato-dendritic axis.

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Figure 1: Unitary fields generated by basket cells are hyperpolarizing.
Figure 2: Dendritically targeting interneurons are hyperpolarizing.
Figure 3: Axo-axonic cells are hyperpolarizing.

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Acknowledgements

We thank S. Park for assistance in reconstructing the neurons; K. Detzner and W.Y. Suen for some tissue processing; J. Isaacson for his insightful comments and suggestions during the entire course of the project and for critically reading the manuscript; and all the members of the Scanziani and Isaacson laboratories for their input and support. This work was funded by the US National Institutes of Health (MH71401 and NS056529).

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The experiments were conceived and carried out by L.L.G. and M.S. The electron microscopy was performed by J.D.R. and P.S., and the manuscript was written by L.L.G. and M.S.

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Correspondence to Massimo Scanziani.

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Glickfeld, L., Roberts, J., Somogyi, P. et al. Interneurons hyperpolarize pyramidal cells along their entire somatodendritic axis. Nat Neurosci 12, 21–23 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/nn.2230

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