title: Cell-type specific function of GABAergic neurons in layers 2 and 3 of mouse barrel cortex.
abstract: GABAergic neurons are a minor fraction of the neocortical neuronal population, but they are highly diverse in their features. The GABAergic neurons can be divided into three largely non-overlapping groups, defined through the expression of ionotropic serotonin receptors, parvalbumin or somatostatin. Membrane potential recordings from these genetically defined GABAergic neurons in layers 2 and 3 of mouse barrel cortex reveal that they are differentially modulated by whisker behavior. As a mouse begins to explore its environment by actively moving its whiskers, motor-related signals drive different activity patterns in specific types of GABAergic neurons, thereby promoting sensorimotor integration. The neural circuit mechanisms underlying such cell-type specific activity of GABAergic neurons are now being unraveled.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Sensory Processing, Brain Mind Institute, Faculty of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland. Electronic address: carl.petersen@epfl.ch.
authors.forename: Carl Ch
authors.initials: CCh
authors.lastname: Petersen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D059330:GABAergic Neurons / Q000145:classification* / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D019579:Neocortex / Q000166:cytology*; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000502:physiology; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000502:physiology*; D010320:Parvalbumins / Q000378:metabolism; D044406:Receptors, Serotonin, 5-HT3 / Q000378:metabolism; D013004:Somatostatin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D010320:Parvalbumins; D044406:Receptors, Serotonin, 5-HT3; D013004:Somatostatin