Cell Reports
Volume 30, Issue 4, 28 January 2020, Pages 1178-1194.e3
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Article
The Functional Organization of Cortical and Thalamic Inputs onto Five Types of Striatal Neurons Is Determined by Source and Target Cell Identities

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2019.12.095Get rights and content
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Highlights

  • Whole-cell recordings are obtained from neighboring striatal neurons of different types

  • FSIs receive the strongest inputs from S1, M1, and thalamic PF

  • LTSIs are primarily excited by contralateral M1

  • ChINs are primarily excited by PF and receive no input from contralateral M1 and S1

Summary

To understand striatal function, it is essential to know the functional organization of the numerous inputs targeting the diverse population of striatal neurons. Using optogenetics, we activated terminals from ipsi- or contralateral primary somatosensory cortex (S1) or primary motor cortex (M1), or thalamus while obtaining simultaneous whole-cell recordings from pairs or triplets of striatal medium spiny neurons (MSNs) and adjacent interneurons. Ipsilateral corticostriatal projections provided stronger excitation to fast-spiking interneurons (FSIs) than to MSNs and only sparse and weak excitation to low threshold-spiking interneurons (LTSIs) and cholinergic interneurons (ChINs). Projections from contralateral M1 evoked the strongest responses in LTSIs but none in ChINs, whereas thalamus provided the strongest excitation to ChINs but none to LTSIs. In addition, inputs varied in their glutamate receptor composition and their short-term plasticity. Our data revealed a highly selective organization of excitatory striatal afferents, which is determined by both pre- and postsynaptic neuronal identity.

Keywords

corticostriatal pathway
thalamostriatal pathway
striatum
multineuron patch-clamp
fast-spiking interneuron
cholingergic interneuron
low-threshold spiking interneuron
medium spiny neuron
IT tract/PT tract
NMDA to AMPA ratio

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