Petilla terminology: nomenclature of features of GABAergic interneurons of the cerebral cortex.
Neuroscience produces a vast amount of data from an enormous diversity of neurons. A neuronal classification system is essential to organize such data and the knowledge that is derived from them. Classification depends on the unequivocal identification of the features that distinguish one type of neuron from another. The problems inherent in this are particularly acute when studying cortical interneurons. To tackle this, we convened a representative group of researchers to agree on a set of terms to describe the anatomical, physiological and molecular features of GABAergic interneurons of the cerebral cortex. The resulting terminology might provide a stepping stone towards a future classification of these complex and heterogeneous cells. Consistent adoption will be important for the success of such an initiative, and we also encourage the active involvement of the broader scientific community in the dynamic evolution of this project.
Molecular Neuroscience Department and Center for Neural Informatics, Structures, and Plasticity, Krasnow Institute for Advanced Study, George Mason University, MS2A1, 4400 University Drive, Fairfax, Virginia 22030, USA. ascoli@gmu.edu;
Ascoli
Giorgio A
GA
Alonso-Nanclares
Lidia
L
Anderson
Stewart A
SA
Barrionuevo
German
G
Benavides-Piccione
Ruth
R
Burkhalter
Andreas
A
Buzsáki
György
G
Cauli
Bruno
B
Defelipe
Javier
J
Fairén
Alfonso
A
Feldmeyer
Dirk
D
Fishell
Gord
G
Fregnac
Yves
Y
Freund
Tamas F
TF
Gardner
Daniel
D
Gardner
Esther P
EP
Goldberg
Jesse H
JH
Helmstaedter
Moritz
M
Hestrin
Shaul
S
Karube
Fuyuki
F
Kisvárday
Zoltán F
ZF
Lambolez
Bertrand
B
Lewis
David A
DA
Marin
Oscar
O
Markram
Henry
H
Muñoz
Alberto
A
Packer
Adam
A
Petersen
Carl C H
CC
Rockland
Kathleen S
KS
Rossier
Jean
J
Rudy
Bernardo
B
Somogyi
Peter
P
Staiger
Jochen F
JF
Tamas
Gabor
G
Thomson
Alex M
AM
Toledo-Rodriguez
Maria
M
Wang
Yun
Y
West
David C
DC
Yuste
Rafael
R
D000200:Action Potentials; D001369:Axons / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007395:Interneurons / Q000145:classification / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D013569:Synapses / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000378:metabolism*
D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid