title: Cross-Modality Sharpening of Visual Cortical Processing through Layer-1-Mediated Inhibition and Disinhibition.
abstract: Cross-modality interaction in sensory perception is advantageous for animals' survival. How cortical sensory processing is cross-modally modulated and what are the underlying neural circuits remain poorly understood. In mouse primary visual cortex (V1), we discovered that orientation selectivity of layer (L)2/3, but not L4, excitatory neurons was sharpened in the presence of sound or optogenetic activation of projections from primary auditory cortex (A1) to V1. The effect was manifested by decreased average visual responses yet increased responses at the preferred orientation. It was more pronounced at lower visual contrast and was diminished by suppressing L1 activity. L1 neurons were strongly innervated by A1-V1 axons and excited by sound, while visual responses of L2/L3 vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) neurons were suppressed by sound, both preferentially at the cell's preferred orientation. These results suggest that the cross-modality modulation is achieved primarily through L1 neuron- and L2/L3 VIP-cell-mediated inhibitory and disinhibitory circuits.
authors.affiliation: Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA.
authors.forename: Leena A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Ibrahim
authors.affiliation: Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA.
authors.forename: Lukas
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mesik
authors.affiliation: Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA.
authors.forename: Xu-Ying
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.affiliation: Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA.
authors.forename: Qi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.affiliation: Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA.
authors.forename: Hai-Fu
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA.
authors.forename: Ya-Tang
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA.
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zingg
authors.affiliation: Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA; Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA. Electronic address: liizhang@usc.edu.
authors.forename: Li I
authors.initials: LI
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA; Department of Cell and Neurobiology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA. Electronic address: htao@usc.edu.
authors.forename: Huizhong Whit
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Tao
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000818:Animals; D001303:Auditory Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D001307:Auditory Perception / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000502:physiology; D009433:Neural Inhibition / Q000502:physiology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D062308:Optogenetics; D009949:Orientation / Q000502:physiology*; D010320:Parvalbumins / Q000378:metabolism; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D013004:Somatostatin / Q000378:metabolism; D014660:Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide / Q000378:metabolism; D014793:Visual Cortex / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology*; D014795:Visual Pathways / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D010320:Parvalbumins; D014660:Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide; D013004:Somatostatin
keywords: Ca(2+) imaging; auditory cortex; cross-modal interaction; interneuron; in vivo patch-clamp recording; primary visual cortex