scholarly journals Tightly coupled inhibitory and excitatory functional networks in the developing primary visual cortex

eLife ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haleigh N Mulholland ◽  
Bettina Hein ◽  
Matthias Kaschube ◽  
Gordon B Smith
Keyword(s):  
Visual Cortex ◽  
Spontaneous Activity ◽  
Long Range ◽  
Computational Models ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Inhibitory Neurons ◽  
Functional Networks ◽  
Long Range Correlations ◽  
Inhibitory Networks

Intracortical inhibition plays a critical role in shaping activity patterns in the mature cortex. However, little is known about the structure of inhibition in early development prior to the onset of sensory experience, a time when spontaneous activity exhibits long-range correlations predictive of mature functional networks. Here, using calcium imaging of GABAergic neurons in the ferret visual cortex, we show that spontaneous activity in inhibitory neurons is already highly organized into distributed modular networks before visual experience. Inhibitory neurons exhibit spatially modular activity with long-range correlations and precise local organization that is in quantitative agreement with excitatory networks. Furthermore, excitatory and inhibitory networks are strongly co-aligned at both millimeter and cellular scales. These results demonstrate a remarkable degree of organization in inhibitory networks early in the developing cortex, providing support for computational models of self-organizing networks and suggesting a mechanism for the emergence of distributed functional networks during development.

scholarly journals Tightly-coupled inhibitory and excitatory functional networks in the early visual cortex

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haleigh N. Mulholland ◽  
Bettina Hein ◽  
Matthias Kaschube ◽  
Gordon B. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Visual Cortex ◽  
Spontaneous Activity ◽  
Long Range ◽  
Computational Models ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Inhibitory Neurons ◽  
Functional Networks ◽  
Long Range Correlations ◽  
Inhibitory Networks

AbstractIntracortical inhibition plays a critical role in shaping activity patterns in the mature cortex. However, little is known about the structure of inhibition in early development prior to the onset of sensory experience, a time when spontaneous activity exhibits long-range correlations predictive of mature functional networks. Here, using calcium imaging of GABAergic neurons in the early ferret visual cortex, we show that spontaneous activity in inhibitory neurons is already highly organized into distributed modular networks before visual experience. Inhibitory neurons exhibit spatially modular activity with long-range correlations and precise local organization that is in quantitative agreement with excitatory networks. Furthermore, excitatory and inhibitory networks are strongly co-aligned at both millimeter and cellular scales. These results demonstrate a remarkable degree of organization in inhibitory networks early in the developing cortex, providing support for computational models of self-organizing networks and suggesting a mechanism for the emergence of distributed functional networks during development.

scholarly journals Excitatory and inhibitory L2/3 neurons in mouse primary visual cortex are balanced in their input connectivity

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander P.Y. Brown ◽  
Lee Cossell ◽  
Troy W. Margrie
Keyword(s):  
Visual Cortex ◽  
Long Range ◽  
Primary Visual Cortex ◽  
Analytical Approach ◽  
Neural Circuits ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Inhibitory Neurons ◽  
Hierarchical Segmentation ◽  
Layer 2 ◽  
Inhibitory Networks

AbstractQuantitatively characterising brain-wide connectivity of neural circuits is of vital importance in understanding the function of the mammalian cortex. Here we have designed an analytical approach to examine data from hierarchical segmentation ontologies, and applied it in the comparison of long-range presynaptic connectivity onto excitatory and inhibitory neurons in layer 2/3 (L2/3) of mouse primary visual cortex (V1). We find that long-range connections onto these two general cell classes in L2/3 originate from highly similar brain regions, and in similar proportions, when compared to input to layer 6. These anatomical data suggest that distal information received by excitatory and inhibitory networks is highly homogenous in L2/3.

scholarly journals Oxytocin shapes spontaneous activity patterns in the developing visual cortex by activating somatostatin interneurons

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paloma P Maldonado ◽  
Alvaro Nuno-Perez ◽  
Jan Kirchner ◽  
Elizabeth Hammock ◽  
Julijana Gjorgjieva ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Visual Cortex ◽  
Spontaneous Activity ◽  
Sensory Processing ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
Network Activity ◽  
Synaptic Connections ◽  
Pairwise Correlations ◽  
Early Brain Development

SummarySpontaneous network activity shapes emerging neuronal circuits during early brain development, however how neuromodulation influences this activity is not fully understood. Here, we report that the neuromodulator oxytocin powerfully shapes spontaneous activity patterns. In vivo, oxytocin strongly decreased the frequency and pairwise correlations of spontaneous activity events in visual cortex (V1), but not in somatosensory cortex (S1). This differential effect was a consequence of oxytocin only increasing inhibition in V1 and increasing both inhibition and excitation in S1. The increase in inhibition was mediated by the depolarization and increase in excitability of somatostatin+ (SST) interneurons specifically. Accordingly, silencing SST+ neurons pharmacogenetically fully blocked oxytocin’s effect on inhibition in vitro as well its effect on spontaneous activity patterns in vivo. Thus, oxytocin decreases the excitatory/inhibitory ratio and modulates specific features of V1 spontaneous activity patterns that are crucial for refining developing synaptic connections and sensory processing later in life.

scholarly journals Griffiths phase and long-range correlations in a biologically motivated visual cortex model

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Girardi-Schappo ◽  
G. S. Bortolotto ◽  
J. J. Gonsalves ◽  
L. T. Pinto ◽  
M. H. R. Tragtenberg
Keyword(s):  
Visual Cortex ◽  
Long Range ◽  
Griffiths Phase ◽  
Long Range Correlations

scholarly journals Spontaneous retinal waves generate long-range horizontal connectivity in visual cortex

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jinwoo Kim ◽  
Min Song ◽  
Se-Bum Paik
Keyword(s):  
Visual Cortex ◽  
Long Range ◽  
Primary Visual Cortex ◽  
Cortical Neurons ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
Developmental Model ◽  
List Type ◽  
Retinal Waves ◽  
Horizontal Connections ◽  
Eye Opening

AbstractIn the primary visual cortex (V1) of higher mammals, long-range horizontal connections (LHCs) are observed to develop, linking iso-orientation domains of cortical tuning. It is unknown how this feature-specific wiring of circuitry develops before eye opening. Here, we show that LHCs in V1 may originate from spatio-temporally structured feedforward activities generated from spontaneous retinal waves. Using model simulations based on the anatomy and observed activity patterns of the retina, we show that waves propagating in retinal mosaics can initialize the wiring of LHCs by co-activating neurons of similar tuning, whereas equivalent random activities cannot induce such organizations. Simulations showed that emerged LHCs can produce the patterned activities observed in V1, matching topography of the underlying orientation map. We also confirmed that the model can also reproduce orientation-specific microcircuits in salt-and-pepper organizations in rodents. Our results imply that early peripheral activities contribute significantly to cortical development of functional circuits.HighlightsDevelopmental model of long-range horizontal connections (LHCs) in V1 is simulatedSpontaneous retinal waves generate feature-specific wiring of LHCs in visual cortexEmerged LHCs induce orientation-matching patterns of spontaneous cortical activityRetinal waves induce orientation-specific microcircuits of visual cortex in rodentsSignificance statementLong-range horizontal connections (LHCs) in the primary visual cortex (V1) are observed to emerge before the onset of visual experience, selectively connecting iso-domains of orientation maps. However, it is unknown how such tuning-specific wirings develop before eye-opening. Here, we show that LHCs in V1 originate from the tuning-specific activation of cortical neurons by spontaneous retinal waves during early developmental stages. Our simulations of a visual cortex model show that feedforward activities from the retina initialize the spatial organization of activity patterns in V1, which induces visual feature-specific wirings of V1 neurons. Our model also explains the origin of cortical microcircuits observed in rodents, suggesting that the proposed developmental mechanism is applicable universally to circuits of various mammalian species.

scholarly journals Adaptation of spontaneous activity in the developing visual cortex

eLife ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marina E Wosniack ◽  
Jan H Kirchner ◽  
Ling-Ya Chao ◽  
Nawal Zabouri ◽  
Christian Lohmann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Visual Cortex ◽  
Spontaneous Activity ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
Network Connectivity ◽  
Cortical Activation ◽  
Cortical Input ◽  
Visual Inputs ◽  
Eye Opening ◽  
Global Events

Spontaneous activity drives the establishment of appropriate connectivity in different circuits during brain development. In the mouse primary visual cortex, two distinct patterns of spontaneous activity occur before vision onset: local low-synchronicity events originating in the retina and global high-synchronicity events originating in the cortex. We sought to determine the contribution of these activity patterns to jointly organize network connectivity through different activity-dependent plasticity rules. We postulated that local events shape cortical input selectivity and topography, while global events homeostatically regulate connection strength. However, to generate robust selectivity, we found that global events should adapt their amplitude to the history of preceding cortical activation. We confirmed this prediction by analyzing in vivo spontaneous cortical activity. The predicted adaptation leads to the sparsification of spontaneous activity on a slower timescale during development, demonstrating the remarkable capacity of the developing sensory cortex to acquire sensitivity to visual inputs after eye-opening.

scholarly journals Inhibition of Cdk5 in PV Neurons Reactivates Experience-Dependent Plasticity in Adult Visual Cortex

2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 186
Author(s):  
Xinxin Zhang ◽  
Huiping Tang ◽  
Sitong Li ◽  
Yueqin Liu ◽  
Wei Wu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Visual Cortex ◽  
Cortical Plasticity ◽  
Ocular Dominance ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Threshold Current ◽  
Inhibitory Neurons ◽  
Resting Membrane Potential ◽  
Intrinsic Signals ◽  
Single Action ◽  
Visual Cortical

Cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (Cdk5) has been shown to play a critical role in brain development, learning, memory and neural processing in general. Cdk5 is widely distributed in many neuron types in the central nervous system, while its cell-specific role is largely unknown. Our previous study showed that Cdk5 inhibition restored ocular dominance (OD) plasticity in adulthood. In this study, we specifically knocked down Cdk5 in different types of neurons in the visual cortex and examined OD plasticity by optical imaging of intrinsic signals. Downregulation of Cdk5 in parvalbumin-expressing (PV) inhibitory neurons, but not other neurons, reactivated adult mouse visual cortical plasticity. Cdk5 knockdown in PV neurons reduced the evoked firing rate, which was accompanied by an increment in the threshold current for the generation of a single action potential (AP) and hyperpolarization of the resting membrane potential. Moreover, chemogenetic activation of PV neurons in the visual cortex can attenuate the restoration of OD plasticity by Cdk5 inhibition. Taken together, our results suggest that Cdk5 in PV interneurons may play a role in modulating the excitation and inhibition balance to control the plasticity of the visual cortex.

scholarly journals Adaptation of spontaneous activity in the developing visual cortex

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marina E. Wosniack ◽  
Jan H. Kirchner ◽  
Ling-Ya Chao ◽  
Nawal Zabouri ◽  
Christian Lohmann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Visual Cortex ◽  
Spontaneous Activity ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
Network Connectivity ◽  
Cortical Activation ◽  
Cortical Input ◽  
Visual Inputs ◽  
Eye Opening ◽  
Global Events

Spontaneous activity drives the establishment of appropriate connectivity in different circuits during brain development. In the mouse primary visual cortex, two distinct patterns of spontaneous activity occur before vision onset: local low-synchronicity events originating in the retina, and global high-synchronicity events originating in the cortex. We sought to determine the contribution of these activity patterns to jointly organize network connectivity through different activity-dependent plasticity rules. We found that local events shape cortical input selectivity and topography, while global events have a homeostatic role regulating connection strength. To generate robust selectivity, we predicted that global events should adapt their amplitude to the history of preceding cortical activation, and confirmed by analyzing in vivo spontaneous cortical activity. This adaptation led to the sparsification of spontaneous activity on a slower timescale during development, demonstrating the remarkable capacity of the developing sensory cortex to acquire sensitivity to visual inputs after eye-opening.

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