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Projekt Druckansicht

Development of a barrel-related cortical column in the newborn rat

Fachliche Zuordnung Molekulare Biologie und Physiologie von Nerven- und Gliazellen
Förderung Förderung von 2010 bis 2016
Projektkennung Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Projektnummer 141272880
 
Erstellungsjahr 2016

Zusammenfassung der Projektergebnisse

During the second BaCoFun funding period we characterized in more detail the properties of spontaneous and stimulus evoked network activity in newborn rodent barrel cortex and the mechanisms underlying the generation of spindle bursts (10-20 Hz) and gamma oscillations (30-40 Hz). We addressed these questions by using in vitro and in vivo imaging techniques, multi-site multi-electrode and patch-clamp recordings. The main results of our research during the second funding period can be summarized as follows: (1) Spontaneous and whisker stimulation-induced oscillatory activity synchronizes a local neocortical network into a functional ontogenetic column of 300-400 µm in diameter as early as postnatal day (P) 0 and the thalamus plays a central role in the transmission of this neocortical activity. At this early developmental stage a cortico-thalamic feedback loop modulates the spontaneously occurring and whisker stimulation-induced burst activity. (2) We propose a model that the central pattern generator (CGP) of the early cortical burst patterns is located in primary motor cortex (M1), brainstem and / or spinal cord. (3) We demonstrate that M1 is involved in somatosensory information processing already at neonatal stages and that M1 is mainly activated by tactile stimuli triggered by preceding spontaneous movements, which reach M1 via S1. Spontaneously occurring and sensory evoked gamma and spindle bursts in M1 may contribute to the maturation of corticospinal and sensorimotor networks required for the refinement of sensorimotor coordination. (4) Although GABAergic interneurons reveal subthreshold membrane resonance mediated by T-type Ca2+ and persistent Na+ currents, the low frequency of this resonance at ~2 Hz suggests that GABAergic interneurons probably do not play a major role in the generation of spindle bursts and gamma oscillations. (5) In cooperation with subproject 6 (Fritjof Helmchen) multi-electrode recordings and two-photon calcium imaging in anesthetized mice demonstrate that stimulus-evoked responses of neurons decreased in layers 2/3 (L2/3) and L4, but increased in L5 and L6. In addition to a progressive sparsification and decorrelation of neuronal activity, response selectivity for axial or lateral whisker movement emerged around the critical period. (6) Neuronal activity within the subplate (SP) is of critical importance for the development of neocortical circuits and architecture. Using in vitro patch-clamp recordings we demonstrate that ambient GABA contributes to regulate neuronal excitability in the SP. Non-synaptically released GABA tonically modulates excitatory GABAergic synaptic transmission. Since the GABA transporter GAT-1 operates in uptake mode and GAT-3 in reverse mode, balance of GAT activities can regulate the extracellular GABA concentration. Because of the immaturity of GABAergic synapses in the SP this inhibition mediated by presynaptic GABABRs on GABAergic synapses can modify early network oscillation.

Projektbezogene Publikationen (Auswahl)

 
 

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