Translaminar synchronous neuronal activity is required for columnar synaptic strengthening in the mouse neocortex.
| Publication Type | Academic Article |
| Authors | Vargas-Ortiz J, Lin L, Martinez V, Liu R, Babij R, Duan Z, Wacks S, Sun L, Wang A, Khan S, Soto-Vargas J, De Marco García N, Che A |
| Journal | Nat Commun |
| Volume | 16 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pagination | 1296 |
| Date Published | 02/03/2025 |
| ISSN | 2041-1723 |
| Keywords | Neocortex, Somatosensory Cortex, Pyramidal Cells, Synapses, Neurons |
| Abstract | Synchronous neuronal activity is a hallmark of the developing mouse primary somatosensory cortex. While the patterns of synchronous neuronal activity in cortical layer 2/3 have been well described, the source of the robust layer 2/3 activity is still unknown. Using a novel microprism preparation and in vivo 2-photon imaging in neonatal mice, we show that synchronous neuronal activity is organized in barrel columns across layers. Monosynaptic rabies tracing and slice electrophysiology experiments reveal that layer 2/3 pyramidal neurons receive significant layer 5 inputs during the first postnatal week, and silencing layer 5 synaptic outputs results in a significant reduction in spontaneous activity, abnormal sensory-evoked activity and disrupted layer 4-layer 2/3 connectivity. Our results demonstrate that translaminar layer 5-layer 2/3 connectivity plays an important role in synchronizing the developing barrel column to ensure the strengthening of layer 4-layer 2/3 connections, supporting the formation of the canonical cortical organization in barrel cortex. |
| DOI | 10.1038/s41467-024-55783-w |
| PubMed ID | 39900899 |
| PubMed Central ID | PMC11791040 |