Local gating of information processing through the thalamus.
Inhibitory sculpting of afferent signals in the thalamus is exerted by two types of neurons using gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA) as neurotransmitter. Of them, local-circuit neurons exert their functions via two outputs: axons and presynaptic dendrites. In this issue of Neuron, Govindaiah and Cox reveal that synaptic activation of metabotropic glutamate receptors selectively increases the output of presynaptic dendrites of local interneurons in rat visual thalamus, without affecting the axonal output.
Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Faculty of Medicine, Laval University, Québec, Canada G1K 7P4.
Mircea
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Steriade
D000344:Afferent Pathways / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D003712:Dendrites / Q000502:physiology; D007395:Interneurons / Q000502:physiology*; D009433:Neural Inhibition / Q000502:physiology*; D017729:Presynaptic Terminals / Q000502:physiology; D018094:Receptors, Metabotropic Glutamate / Q000502:physiology*; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000502:physiology*; D013788:Thalamus / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*
D018094:Receptors, Metabotropic Glutamate