title: Gap junction proteins in inhibitory neurons of the adult barrel neocortex.
abstract: Recent studies indicate that electrical coupling among cortical neurons may persist throughout development; electrophysiological recordings made in cortical slices from young rats reveal that numerous GABAergic neurons are electrically coupled. To determine whether these in vitro findings reflect an inhibitory neural circuit that could be functionally relevant in vivo in adult rodents, we sought to identify whether inhibitory, parvalbumin-containing neurons of the mature cortex express gap junction proteins. Immunohistochemistry was used to examine the laminar distribution of the gap junction-forming proteins connexin 32 (Cx32), connexin 36 (Cx36) and connexin 43 (Cx43) in the somatosensory cortex of the adult mouse. Double labeling immunofluorescence identified Cx32, Cx36 and Cx43 in cortical neurons that were immunoreactive (-ir) for the neuronal markers neurofilament 145 kDa and neuronal nuclei (NeuN). Parvalbumin-ir neurons throughout the cortical laminae were labeled with Cx32-ir, Cx36-ir and Cx43-ir. Stereological methods were used to quantify the extent of parvalbumin colocalization with connexins. Analysis indicated that approximately 40% of parvalbumin-ir neurons were double labeled with either Cx32-ir or Cx43-ir, and approximately 50% of parvalbumin-ir neurons were double labeled with Cx36. These findings establish an anatomical substrate for widespread electrical coupling of neurons in somatosensory cortex and suggest that gap junctions among inhibitory interneurons may persist into adulthood, providing an important mechanism for neuronal communication.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology and the Program in Neuroscience, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore 21201, USA.
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Priest
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Keller
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers; D017630:Connexins / Q000502:physiology*; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D019579:Neocortex / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D010320:Parvalbumins / Q000378:metabolism; D013003:Somatosensory Cortex / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D014018:Tissue Distribution
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D017630:Connexins; D010320:Parvalbumins