(Press-News.org) Cold Spring Harbor, NY – The cerebral cortex contains two major types of neurons: principal neurons that are excitatory and interneurons that are inhibitory, all interconnected within the same network. New research now reveals that one class of inhibitory neurons – called VIP interneurons -- specializes in inhibiting other inhibitory neurons in multiple regions of cortex, and does so under specific behavioral conditions.
The new research finds that VIP interneurons, when activated, release principal cells from inhibition, thus boosting their responses. This provides an additional layer of control over cortical processing, much like a dimmer switch can fine-tune light levels.
The discovery was made by a team of neuroscientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) led by Associate Professor Adam Kepecs, Ph.D. Their research, published online today in Nature, shows that neurons expressing vasoactive intestinal polypeptide, or VIP, provide disinhibition in the auditory cortex and the medial prefrontal cortex.
The researchers used molecular tagging techniques developed by team member Z. Josh Huang, a CSHL Professor, to single out VIP-expressing neurons in the vast diversity of cortical neurons. This enabled Kepecs' group, led by postdocs Hyun Jae Pi and Balazs Hangya, to employ advanced optogenetic techniques using color-coded laser light to specifically activate VIP neurons. The activity of the cells was monitored via electrophysiological recordings in behaving animals to study their function, and in vitro to probe their circuit properties.
These VIP neurons are long sought "disinhibitory" cells: they inhibit other classes of inhibitory neurons; but they do not directly cause excitation to occur in brain. Dr. Kepecs and colleagues propose that the disinhibitory control mediated by VIP neurons represents a fundamental "motif" in cerebral cortex.
The difference between neural excitation and disinhibition is akin to the difference between hitting the gas pedal and taking your foot off the breaks. Cells that specialize in releasing the brakes, Dr. Kepecs explains, provide the means for balancing between excitation and inhibition. Kepecs calls this function "gain modulation," which brings to mind the fine control that a dimmer switch provides.
The team wondered when VIP neurons are activated during behavior. When, in other words, is the cortical "dimmer switch" engaged? To learn the answer, the scientists recorded VIP neurons while mice were making simple decisions, discriminating between sounds of different pitches. When they made correct choices, the mice earned a drop of water; for incorrect choices, a mild puff of air. Surprisingly, the team found that in auditory cortex, a region involved in processing sounds, VIP neurons were activated by rewards and punishments. Thus these neurons appeared to mediate the impact of reinforcements and acted to "turn up the lights" on principal cells, to use the dimmer-switch analogy.
"Linking specific neuronal types to well-defined behaviors has proved extremely difficult," says Kepecs. These results, he says, potentially link the circuit-function of VIP neurons in gain control to an important behavioral function: learning.
###
The research described in this release was supported by grants from: NIH NINDS; the Klingenstein, John Merck, and Sloan Foundations; the Swartz Foundation and Marie Curie International Outgoing Fellowship within the EU Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development; The Robert Lee and Clara Guthrie Patterson Trust Postdoctoral Fellowship and Human Frontier Science Program.
"Cortical interneurons that specialize in disinhibitory control" appears online ahead of print in Nature October 6, 2013 at 1pm ET. The authors are: Hyun-Jae Pi, Balázs Hangya, Duda Kvitsiani, Joshua I. Sanders, Z. Josh Huang and Adam Kepecs. The paper can be obtained at: http://dx.doi.org/.10.1038/nature12676
About Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Founded in 1890, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) has shaped contemporary biomedical research and education with programs in cancer, neuroscience, plant biology and quantitative biology. CSHL is ranked number one in the world by Thomson Reuters for the impact of its research in molecular biology and genetics. The Laboratory has been home to eight Nobel Prize winners. Today, CSHL's multidisciplinary scientific community is more than 600 researchers and technicians strong and its Meetings & Courses program hosts more than 12,000 scientists from around the world each year to its Long Island campus and its China center. Tens of thousands more benefit from the research, reviews, and ideas published in journals and books distributed internationally by CSHL Press. The Laboratory's education arm also includes a graduate school and programs for middle and high school students and teachers. CSHL is a private, not-for-profit institution on the north shore of Long Island. For more information, visit http://www.cshl.edu.
Written by Peter J. Tarr, Ph.D.
CSHL neuroscientists identify class of cortical inhibitory neurons that specialize in disinhibition
Inhibitory neuron type found to specifically suppress activation of other inhibitory neurons in cerebral cortex
2013-10-07
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
International coalition of researchers finds 6 new Sjögren's syndrome genes
2013-10-07
OKLAHOMA CITY, Oct. 6, 2013 — With the completion of the first genome-wide association study for Sjögren's syndrome, an international coalition of researchers led by scientists at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation has identified six new disease-related genes.
Their work appears in the journal Nature Genetics.
Sjögren's syndrome is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system becomes confused and turns against the body's moisture-producing glands, damaging the ability to produce saliva or tears. Common symptoms include dry eyes and dry mouth, but the disease ...
USPSTF updates recos on youth blood pressure screening
2013-10-07
The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) found insufficient evidence to recommend for or against routine screening for primary hypertension in asymptomatic children and adolescents. Hypertension in children and adolescents has increased over the past several decades, which may be attributable to the climb in childhood overweight and obesity rates. An estimated 11 percent of obese children in the United States suffer from hypertension, putting them at increased risk for hypertension in adulthood. One rationale for screening young patients is that it could ...
Air pollution and psychological distress during pregnancy
2013-10-07
Maternal psychological distress combined with exposure to air pollution during pregnancy have an adverse impact on the child's behavioral development, according to researchers at the Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health at the Mailman School of Public Health.
The study, which appears in the journal Pediatrics, reports that maternal demoralization, a measure of psychological distress capable of affecting a mother's ability to cope with stressful situations, was linked with a number of behavioral problems, including anxiety, depression, attention problems, ...
On the political fringes, feelings of superiority abound
2013-10-07
Ideologues on both ends of the political spectrum are equally likely to believe their opinions are superior to others', but their feelings of superiority emerge for distinct political issues, according to new research published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.
These findings suggest that, while people with moderate attitudes tend to be more evenhanded, those on the extreme ends of the political spectrum seem especially convinced that their viewpoints are the only "correct" ones.
Psychology researcher Kaitlin Toner, a postdoctoral ...
New drug candidate found for fungal lung infections
2013-10-07
VIDEO:
Spotting fungal infections can be hard and treating serious cases can be difficult. Thanks to the work of Chad Rappleye, Ph.D., of the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, that...
Click here for more information.
On a molecular level, you have more in common with shower curtain mold or the mushrooms on your pizza than you might think. Humans and fungi share similar proteins, a biological bond that makes curing fungal infections difficult and expensive. Current ...
Obesity suppresses cellular process critical to kidney health
2013-10-06
Obesity increases a chronic kidney disease patient's risk of developing kidney failure.
Obesity suppresses an important cellular process that prevents kidney cell damage, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN). The findings suggest that restoring the process could protect the kidney health of obese individuals.
Obesity increases a chronic kidney disease patient's risk of developing kidney failure, but the mechanism underlying this connection has remained unclear.
Kosuke Yamahara, Takashi Uzu, ...
Study: Skin infection linked to exposure to aquariums is under-diagnosed
2013-10-06
DETROIT – A skin infection linked to exposure to contaminated water in home aquariums is frequently under-diagnosed, according to a Henry Ford Hospital study.
Researchers say diagnosing and managing Mycobacterium marinum infection is difficult because skin lesions don't appear for two to four weeks after incubation, leading to delayed treatment and unnecessary and ineffective use of antifungal and antibacterial agents.
During the incubation period, patients also fail to remember the source of the exposure, which is often traced to them cleaning their aquarium. Infection ...
Better coordinated health care needed to better serve Haitians post-earthquake
2013-10-06
Arshad said a large majority of respondents said vaccination is effective for preventing diseases, and either had their child or themselves vaccinated.
INFORMATION:
The study was funded by Henry Ford Hospital.
...
Researchers discover biomarker, potential targeted therapy for pancreatic cancer
2013-10-05
CINCINNATI—University of Cincinnati (UC) researchers have discovered a biomarker, known as phosphatidylserine (PS), for pancreatic cancer that could be effectively targeted, creating a potential therapy for a condition that has a small survival rate.
These findings, being published in the Oct. 4, 2013, online edition of PLOS ONE, also show that the use of a biotherapy consisting of a lysosomal protein, known as saposin C (SapC), and a phospholipid, known as dioleoylphosphatidylserine (DOPS), can be combined into tiny cavities, or nanovesicles, to target and kill pancreatic ...
Universal gown and glove use by health-care workers in ICU reduces MRSA 40 percent
2013-10-05
SAN FRANCISCO – Oct. 4, 2013 – Healthcare workers' use of disposable gowns and gloves upon entering all patient rooms on an intensive care unit (ICU), versus only in rooms on standard isolation protocol, helped reduce patient acquisition of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) by approximately 40 percent, according to new research co-led by the University of Maryland School of Medicine and the Yale New Haven Health System Center for Healthcare Solutions. While the study did not show statistically significant results for preventing patient acquisition of another ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
Government of Guyana, Mount Sinai Health System and Hess Corporation announce five-year extension of national healthcare initiative.
Preclinical study: after heart attack, a boost in anti-inflammatory cells promoted healing
Glucose revealed as a master regulator of tissue regeneration in Stanford Medicine study
Open-label placebo appears to reduce premenstrual symptoms, study suggests
New mums advised to do two hours of moderate to vigorous exercise a week
Milk as Medicine: New Study Shows Breast Milk Transforms Challenges into Triumphs
CU Cancer Center researchers identify the ‘switch’ that allows intestinal cells to regenerate after injury
Special issue of Academic Emergency Medicine explores the science of errors in emergency care
Organoid fusions as models to study meninges-brain signaling
A multimodal light manipulator
OU researcher leverages technology for alcohol disorder interventions in primary care
Automated lead nurturing boosts sales—but only under the right conditions
Lessons from Venezuela’s democratic collapse: How opposition movements can defy autocratic leaders
USU ecologists document Utah's bee species and say beehive state is rich in bee diversity
A hit of dopamine tells baby birds when their song practice is paying off
Basketball analytics investment is key to NBA wins and other successes
Scientific cooperation is strategic for Brazil to strengthen relations with Europe
Engineering antibodies with a novel fusion protein
Transforming cardiovascular care through upfront combination therapy
URI to host international XV Progress in Motor Control Conference
How Zika virus knocks out our immune defenses
Could an arthritis drug unlock lasting relief from epilepsy and seizures? UW–Madison researchers see promising results in mice
SCAI announces 2025-26 recipients of JSCAI Editorial Fellowship Program
Study unravels mystery of cancer-fueling enzyme—could lead to new therapies
Lupus-related antibody shows promise in enhancing cancer treatment efficacy
BESSY II: Magnetic ‘microflowers’ enhance local magnetic fields
New study may help predict cardiometabolic disease risk and personalize prevention strategies
The Frontiers of Knowledge Award goes to Avelino Corma, John Hartwig and Helmut Schwarz for their founding work on the catalysts that are enabling a more efficient, sustainable chemistry
New software finds aging cells that contribute to disease and health risks
UTA inventors recognized worldwide for innovations
[Press-News.org] CSHL neuroscientists identify class of cortical inhibitory neurons that specialize in disinhibitionInhibitory neuron type found to specifically suppress activation of other inhibitory neurons in cerebral cortex