title: Neuronal domains in developing neocortex: mechanisms of coactivation.
abstract: The mammalian neocortex consists of columnar circuits, whose development may be controlled by patterns of spontaneous activity. Columnar domains of spontaneously coactive neurons were previously described using Ca2+ imaging of slices from developing rat neocortex. We have now investigated the cellular mechanisms responsible for the coactivation of these domains. The activation starts in the center of a domain and spreads at speeds of approximately 100 microns/s. Domains occur in the presence of tetrodotoxin but are blocked by the gap junction blockers halothane and octanol. Simultaneous intracellular and optical recordings from dye-coupled cells reveal functional coupling between developing neocortical neurons. These data support the hypothesis that a neuronal domain results from the spontaneous excitation of one or a few trigger neurons that subsequently activate, either electrically or biochemically, the rest of the cells via gap junctions.
authors: Biological Computation Research Department, AT&T Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill, New Jersey 07974.
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Yuste
authors: D A
authors: DA
authors: Nelson
authors: W W
authors: WW
authors: Rubin
authors: L C
authors: LC
authors: Katz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D003080:Cold Temperature; D004594:Electrophysiology; D016257:Fura-2; D017629:Gap Junctions / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D006221:Halothane / Q000494:pharmacology; D007700:Kinetics; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D000442:Octanols / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D013003:Somatosensory Cortex / Q000166:cytology*; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D013779:Tetrodotoxin / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000442:Octanols; D013779:Tetrodotoxin; D002118:Calcium; D016257:Fura-2; D006221:Halothane