title: The emerging role of GABAB receptors as regulators of network dynamics: fast actions from a 'slow' receptor?
abstract: Convention holds that ionotropic receptors mediate fast neurotransmission and that 'slow' G-protein coupled metabotropic receptors have a secondary, modulatory role in the control of neuronal networks. Here, we discuss recent evidence showing that activation of metabotropic GABAB receptors in cortical layer 1 can powerfully inhibit principal cell activity and that their activation can rapidly halt ongoing network activity. Inputs from both within and without the cortex converge upon layer 1 where they target various populations of interneurons, including neurogliaform cells. We argue that neurogliaform cells are the main effector of a powerful inhibitory circuit that, acting through GABAB receptors, can be differentially recruited by long-range connections to serve in roles as diverse as conscious perception and memory consolidation.
authors.affiliation: Program in Developmental Neurobiology, Eunice Kennedy-Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, United States.
authors.forename: Michael T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Craig
authors.affiliation: Program in Developmental Neurobiology, Eunice Kennedy-Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, United States. Electronic address: mcbainc@mail.nih.gov.
authors.forename: Chris J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: McBain
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D006801:Humans; D007395:Interneurons / Q000502:physiology*; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology*; D009433:Neural Inhibition / Q000502:physiology; D017711:Nonlinear Dynamics; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / Q000502:physiology; D018080:Receptors, GABA-B / Q000502:physiology*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; D018080:Receptors, GABA-B