Conjunctive representation of position, direction, and velocity in entorhinal cortex.
Grid cells in the medial entorhinal cortex (MEC) are part of an environment-independent spatial coordinate system. To determine how information about location, direction, and distance is integrated in the grid-cell network, we recorded from each principal cell layer of MEC in rats that explored two-dimensional environments. Whereas layer II was predominated by grid cells, grid cells colocalized with head-direction cells and conjunctive grid x head-direction cells in the deeper layers. All cell types were modulated by running speed. The conjunction of positional, directional, and translational information in a single MEC cell type may enable grid coordinates to be updated during self-motion-based navigation.
Sargolini
Francesca
F
Centre for the Biology of Memory, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7489 Trondheim, Norway.
Fyhn
Marianne
M
Hafting
Torkel
T
McNaughton
Bruce L
BL
Witter
Menno P
MP
Moser
May-Britt
MB
Moser
Edvard I
EI